Your spiritual pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

You will be welcomed to the Holy Land by our airport representative and transferred to your Bethlehem hotel. Enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Journey to Jericho (considered the oldest city in the world) to visit the ruins of the ancient city conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6:1). From Jericho, in the distance, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:1). Visit Qasr el Yahud and recall the baptism of Christ. In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace, which now resides in the world’s oldest functioning church (Matt. 1:18-25). Celebrate Mass in St. Catherine’s Church and gaze out over Shepherds’ Field, where the angels first proclaimed the Good News.

Travel to Ein Karem, the village where John the Baptist was born and the Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth prior to our Lord’s birth (Luke 1:26-40). See the Church of St. John, the birthplace of John the Baptist, and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Visitation. In Emmaus, you’ll see the traditional site where Jesus appeared to two disciples after His resurrection. Visit the Franciscan Wedding Church at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle as He changed water into wine (John 2). Visit Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matt. 2:23).

Enjoy beautiful Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry, and visit the synagogue located on the site where Jesus taught (Matt. 4:13, 23). Sail across the Sea of Galilee reflecting on the Gospel stories of Jesus calming the storm. On the Mount of Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7), listen to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Beatitudes. At Tabgha, the traditional location of the feeding of the 5,000, visit the Church of the Loaves and Fish (Luke 9:10-17). Take a moment to reflect and pray in the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). Continue to Jerusalem for your overnight stay.

Be inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Jerusalem (the Golden City) as you stand on the Mount of Olives, the place from which Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-12). Visit the Church of Pater Noster before walking the Palm Sunday road (time permitting) with a brief stop at the tear-dropped shaped Dominus Flevit Church, built on the traditional site where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then, celebrate Mass in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:36-44). On Mount Zion, see the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned the night of His arrest (Matt. 26:57-65). Nearby is the Upper Room, revered as the location of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26). Conclude your day by visiting the Church of the Dormition of Mary.

Visit the Southern Wall Excavations of the Temple, including the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. Take a leisurely stroll down the Cardo, the main street of the Old City, where modern shops stand among ancient ones. View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle of healing (John 5:1-31), and sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne, renowned for its beautiful acoustics. At Herod’s Antonia Fortress, see where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1-11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, and celebrate the Mass of the Resurrection at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Return to the USA