September 18-28, 2024 • Eleven Days
Pilgrimage
only- Single Room $450 additional
Pilgrimage cost includes: pensioni that is clean, comfortable, secure and well located; three meals per day with few exceptions; transportation by air-conditioned coach; all tips, offerings and sanctuary fees; books, notebooks, full services of staff; daily input with lectures and conferences. Snacks and shopping not included. NEW AS OF 2023: To offer you the most flexibility in making flight arrangements, we have decided to offer Land Only prices for our pilgrimages this year. If you would like to use a travel agent to book your flights, please contact Barbara Witkowski, at Rex Travel (1.800.777.7739). We ask that all pilgrims meet our staff at Fiumicino Airport (Rome) or Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv) outside of Customs at noon on Day 2 of the pilgrimage (Day 1 is a travel day). Our buses will leave soon thereafter. If you miss the bus, you will be responsible to meet the group at your first hotel.
The Franciscans are the custodians of the Sanctuaries of Redemption in the name of the Catholic Church. They have been present in the Land of Jesus since 1217. They will help you live the gospel pages in the same holy places where they occurred.
Because the Franciscans live in the Holy Land, they will help you understand the events of history as well as the monuments of archaeology they themselves brought to light.
Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs offer a professional program to the Holy Land — a land Pope Paul VI referred to as “The Fifth Gospel”.
This pilgrimage is expanded to include sanctuaries in Samaria, Caesarea Philippi and Dan, Acco, Jacob’s Well and Qumran.
The 4:28 minute video of Fr. Chircop, OFM may help you in your decision to become a pilgrim to the holiest place on earth.
Sample Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Sinai
This example is provided to give the pilgrim a general idea of the pilgrimage content. Your program will vary from this example. Your program will have differences.
Sample Expanded Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Day One Departure to Ben Gurion Airport
Day Two
- Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport
- Visit Mount Carmel – opening Eucharist on Mount Carmel
- Lunch on the road to Nazareth – Depending on time of arrival
- Transfer to the hotel in Nazareth
- Orientation
- Dinner and overnight in Nazareth
Day Three
- 10:00 Mass in Nazareth
- Visit to Nazareth
- Transfer to Mount Tabor
- Lunch to Mount Tabor
- Visit Cana
- Transfer to the hotel in Nazareth for dinner and overnight
Day Four
- Departure for Dan and Caesarea Philippi
- 12:00 Boat ride across Sea of Galilee
- 13:00 Lunch
- Transfer to Capharnaum. Mass at 16:00
- Tabgha, Beatitudes.
- Transfer to the hotel in Nazareth for dinner and overnight.
Day Five
- Departure to Cesarea Maritima
- Visit Cesarea Maritime
- Lunch
- Depart for Acco
- Visit Acco
- Mass at Acco
- Transfer to the hotel in Nazareth for dinner and overnight.
Day Six
- Leave Nazareth Visit
- Jacob’s Well – in Nablus
- Visit Qasr el Yahud Baptismal Site where Jesus was baptised.
- Lunch in Jericho at the hotel
- Visit Jericho Mass in Jericho
- Transfer to the hotel in Jericho for dinner and overnight.
Day Seven
- Departure to Masada
- Dead Sea
- Visit and Lunch at Qumran
- Jericho, Temptation Mount
- Transfer to Bethany, Mass at 15:00
- Transfer to the hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and overnight
Day Eight
- Morning in Bethlehem, Mass at 9:00am
- Lunch at the hotel
- Shepher’s Field
- Ain Karem
- Visit Yad Vashem Memorial
- Transfer to the hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and overnight
Day Nine
- Transfer to Mount of Olives, Bethpage, Ascension, etc.
- Transfer to Hotel in Jerusalem for Lunch
- Transfer to Mount Sion for visit
- 4:00p Mass at the Chapel of the Cenacolino
- Transfer to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight
Day Ten- Jersalem
- Visit to Holy Sepulchre with Mass
- Jewish Quarter
- St. Anne’s, Flagelation, Via Dolorosa
- Lunch at the hotel
- Evening Free
- Transfer to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight
Day Eleven – Emmaus
- Transfer to Emmaus el-Qubeibeh. Mass at 11:00
- Lunch at the hotel
- Profession at the Holy Sepulchre
- Transfer to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight
Day Twelve
- 3:00a Departure for Ben Gurion Airport