Depart from the USA

Overnight arrival at the Thessaloniki Airport. Transfer to our hotel for check-in and dinner. (D)

After breakfast, we will celebrate Mass, then tour the city’s landmarks: the Walls of the Byzantine Acropolis, the Roman Arch of Galerius, and the Rotonda. We visit two of the city’s oldest and most admired Christian churches, the Basilicas of St. Demetrius and St. Sophia. Later, we will visit the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. In the evening, we will have free time to explore the city. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (B, D)

After breakfast, we will follow the Via Egnatia and, as St. Paul and his companions did, visit the area of Amphipolis to see the famous funerary Lion of Amphipolis. Then we travel to Philippi. We visit the Baptistery of Lydia near the river, where St. Paul baptized her. Lydia was the first convert of Paul on European soil, followed by the jailer. We will celebrate Mass here and then visit the ruins of the Forum of Philippi, the Christian basilicas, the “Prison of Paul,” and the theater. Then we drive to Neapolis; St. Paul’s first step in bringing the Gospel to present-day Europe. At the picturesque port, we view the Byzantine castle and the Roman aqueduct. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and an overnight stay. (B, D)

As you visit the rock forest of Meteora (“in the heavens above”) in western Thessaly, imagine the Apostle Paul walking that treacherous terrain on his missionary journey. The breathtaking Byzantine monasteries are spectacularly perched on soaring, sheer-sided grey sandstone pillars. In the 13th century, monks sought refuge in cliffside caves before fleeing higher to build the original wooden shelters that later became these monasteries. After a monastery tour, travel to scenic Delphi, the religious center of ancient Greece, marked by the conical stone known as the Omphalos (“navel”). Walk the Sacra Via to the Athenian Treasury, theater and the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle performed her prophetic rituals. Considering the incredible pagan influence in Delphi alone, you will gain a new appreciation for the tremendous spiritual opposition the Apostle Paul faced in preaching the Gospel of Christ here. Many ancient treasures in the Museum, including the 5th-century bronzed charioteer, are so detailed you can see his eyelashes. Continue to Athens for overnight.

Discover the rich architectural splendor of ancient Athens as your guide introduces you to the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erechtheum. Stand on Mars Hill as St. Paul did when he proclaimed, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you”. As you stroll the agora (ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life), recall that this was where Paul preached “Jesus and the resurrection” to the skeptical Athenians. Also see the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This afternoon, tour the city of Corinth, where St. Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord saying, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city”. As Paul spoke, Crispus (the chief ruler of the synagogue) and many others believed and were baptized, establishing the church in Corinth to which Paul later wrote his two epistles. Discover the archaeological museum, market place, and temples. As you walk among the ruins, stand on the Bema, where Paul stood before Gallio to face charges brought against him by the Jews.

Say farewell to Greece and fly to Rome. Welcome to Italy! Upon arrival, you will be met by your local tour manager and, time permitting, enjoy a tour of Imperial Rome, which includes the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine, and other key archaeological sites. Visit the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The present structure stands on the site where Constantine built the first church, believed to have been built over the grave of Saint Paul. Check into your hotel this evening for dinner and rest.

After breakfast, transfer to the city center and begin a walking tour of Baroque Rome, starting at Piazza Navona, famous for Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and surrounded by beautiful Baroque palaces. We then walk to the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s most famous fountain, where visitors traditionally throw a coin to ensure their return. The tour continues to the Pantheon, originally built by Marcus Agrippa and later rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD. In the 7th century, it was converted into a Christian church dedicated to Saint Mary and the Martyrs (Santa Maria Rotonda). Mass is still celebrated here today. Finally, arrive at Piazza di Spagna, home to the Spanish Steps, one of Rome’s most popular meeting places. In the afternoon, there is free time for personal visits, shopping, or relaxation. In the evening, return to the hotel by bus. (Those who prefer may return later and can make their own way back using public transportation.)

Celebrate with Pope Leo XIV this morning at the Papal Audience. Enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican’s Museums and Sistine Chapel. Built by connecting portions of the old Papal residence with newer structures, the museum houses a world-renowned collection of art and antiquities. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512 and later painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The primary function of the chapel is to host the Papal Conclave, where the College of Cardinals of the Church elects a new pope. Then, walk through St. Peter’s Basilica. Continue your pilgrimage journey to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). This is the largest Marian church in Rome. Its construction began after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary was the Mother of God. Saint Jerome, translator of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, is buried here.

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