Depart for the Holy Land (Tel Aviv). Complimentary meals and beverages will be served onboard your international flight.

Arrive in Tel Aviv. Meet our pilgrimage guide and bus driver. Transfer to Nazareth (approx. 1.5 hrs). Depending on our arrival time, we will celebrate our first Mass in the Holy Land at the Holy Family Church - Sisters of Nazareth. Walk to the Legacy Hotel Nazareth for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, travel to Cana of Galilee to visit the Wedding Church, where Jesus performed His first miracle. Holy Mass will be celebrated with renewal of marriage vows. Continue to Mount Tabor, site of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17). Time for reflection before returning to Nazareth.

Optional activity: Meeting with the Vicar of Nazareth, His Excellency Bishop Rafiq Nahra. Alternatively, a visit or meeting with a Christian school principal or teachers may be arranged if a school visit is not possible.

Dinner and overnight at Legacy Hotel Nazareth.

After breakfast, we begin our day at the Mount of Beatitudes, where our Lord proclaimed the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Holy Mass will be celebrated here. We continue through the Plains of Gennesaret to Tabgha, where much of Jesus’ public ministry took place. We visit the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes and admire the beautiful 6th-century mosaic commemorating the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:10–17). Next, we proceed to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, where Jesus entrusted the leadership of His Church to Peter (John 21:9–17). We then continue to Capernaum to see the House of St. Peter and the synagogue where Jesus preached, healed, and proclaimed Himself the “Bread of Life.” Today’s highlight will be a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). We also visit the museum housing the 2,000-year-old “Ancient Boat” discovered near Magdala. Afterwards, we return for dinner and overnight at Legacy Hotel Nazareth.

This morning, we drive to Caesarea Maritima, where several important events from the Acts of the Apostles took place. Here St. Peter baptized Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, and St. Paul was imprisoned for two years before being sent to Rome. We will visit the Roman Theatre, the Palace of Pontius Pilate, and have the opportunity touch the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Then we continue to Mount Carmel to visit the Church of Stella Maris (The Star of the Sea), located above the cave where Elijah, the prophet, once lived. We return to Nazareth to celebrate Holy Mass and visit: the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary where the Angel Gabriel announced the Incarnation; the Crypt of the Annunciation and kneel before the Grotto of the Virgin Mary; the Church of St. Joseph, traditionally believed to stand over the workshop and home of the Holy Family; and finally, Mary’s Well. Dinner and overnight at Legacy Hotel Nazareth.

We travel to Taybeh for a school visit and celebrate Holy Mass at the parish. We continue to the Jordan River Baptism Site (Qasr El Yahud) for renewal of baptismal promises (Matthew 3:13–17). Then we visit Jericho, the world’s oldest city to view the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus fasted for forty days and was tempted by Satan (Luke 4:1–13). We also pass by ancient Jericho and the traditional Sycamore Tree of Zacchaeus (Luke 19). Finally, we stop at Kalia Beach on the Dead Sea to float in the rejuvenating salty sea. Dinner and overnight at Notre Dame Center Jerusalem.

In the morning, we transfer to Bethlehem. Celebrate Holy Mass at St. Catherine’s Church or one of the chapels adjacent to the Basilica of the Nativity. Afterwards, we visit the Grotto of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus and the Grottos of St. Joseph and St. Jerome. We will have an opportunity to enjoy an Arabic lunch at the Tent Restaurant with time for shopping. In the afternoon, return to Jerusalem for free time in the Old City. Dinner and overnight at Notre Dame Center Jerusalem.

We start with a visit to Ain Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist. We celebrate Holy Mass at the Church of the Visitation, where the Blessed Virgin Mary proclaimed the Magnificat. We continue to Bethlehem University which is supported by EOHSJ. Lunch will be arranged at the university (approx. $20 pp). In the afternoon, we visit Mount Zion, including the Dormition Abbey, commemo-rating the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Dormition. We continue to the Upper Room (Cenacle), the site of the Last Supper, Pentecost, and the birth of the Church. Walking downhill, we stop for a panoramic view over the City of David,

Siloam, and Akeldama, before visiting the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, traditionally associated with the house of Caiaphas where Jesus was imprisoned and St. Peter’s denial. Dinner and overnight at Notre Dame Center Jerusalem.

After breakfast, we drive to the top of Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We begin at the Church of the Pater Noster, where Jesus taught the “Our Father” and spoke about the end times. We then walk along the Palm Sunday Road to Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, where we pray before the Rock of Agony. In the afternoon, we make a solemn entrance into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We conclude the day with a visit to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where we hope to meet His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa or one of the bishops serving in the Patriarchate and receive Pilgrim Shells. We celebrate Holy Mass at the Latin Patriarchate. Dinner and overnight at Notre Dame Center Jerusalem.

Early this morning, we walk the Via Dolorosa, praying the Stations of the Cross through the streets of the Old City until we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Holy Mass will be celebrated. After Mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast. We then visit St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda, followed by the Antonia Fortress (Praetorium), traditionally associated with Jesus’ condemnation by Pontius Pilate. We return to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to visit Calvary and the Empty Tomb of Christ. Afterwards, we walk through the Jewish Quarter to view the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Return to the hotel for rest. Optional activity: Visit to the Pentecost Hall at Notre Dame for prayer and reflection.

Dinner and overnight at Notre Dame Center Jerusalem.

Travel to Emmaus to visit the Opus Dei Saxum Visitor Center. Celebrate Holy Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Palestine in Deir Rafat. Afternoon free time in Jerusalem for prayer and personal exploration. Dinner and overnight at the Notre Dame Center.

In the morning, we transfer to Tel Aviv Airport for our return flight home with a renewed commitment to continue to uphold our promises to protect the Catholics of the Holy Land.