Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Keith Nester

Arriving in Tel Aviv, we meet our guide and board our deluxe motor coach to Galilee. We drive to Mt. Carmel to celebrate Mass at Stella Maris Church and stop for lunch before arriving at our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. (L.D.)

We start each day of this pilgrimage by praying the Rosary and enjoying breakfast. Today we travel north through the Hula Valley to Caesarea Philippi, where Simon confessed Jesus as Messiah, and Jesus declared Simon to be Peter, the Rock, upon which He would build His Church. Here we celebrate Mass. We see the source of the River Jordan before going to Golan Heights for a Druze lunch and a view of Lebanon and Syria. Here we get a better understanding, through a brief overview, of the complicated Middle Eastern political situation. Return to our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight. (B.L.D.)

We start the day with an early Mass at Mt. Tabor’s Church of Transfiguration, then depart for the Wedding Church in Cana for the Renewal of the Wedding Vows. After lunch, visit Nazareth to see the newly-discovered Byzantine ruins of the Church of the Nutrition, believed to be the childhood home of Jesus, beneath the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth. Visit St. Joseph Church and the Church of the Annunciation. We drive to Mt. Precipice before returning to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the Sea of Galilee. (B.L.D.)

After breakfast, we take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit Mt. of Beatitudes. In Capernaum, the town of Jesus, we see Peter’s house and celebrate Mass. At Tabgha, we see the restored Church of Multiplication of Fishes and Loaves. We conclude with the Church of Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus said, “Feed My Sheep.” Lunch of St. Peter’s Fish is included at the Pilgerhaus restaurant. Dinner and overnight at the Sea of Galilee. (B.L.D.

We begin the day with Mass at the Magdala Center before breakfast and check out of the hotel. In the afternoon, we visit Ein Karem to see the birthplace of St. John the Baptist. Overnight in Bethlehem. (B.L.D.)

We visit the Church of Nativity, built by the emperors Constantine and Justinian, with its new ren-ovations and newly-uncovered mosaics. We pray in St. Jerome’s Grotto after visiting the Manger Grotto below the Church of Nativity. Nearby is the Milk Grotto, where the Holy Family stopped during their flight into Egypt before driving a short distance to Shepherd’s Field and Grotto to celebrate Mass. Continue our day with shopping in Bethlehem to support our Christian brothers and sisters. Tonight we are welcomed into the Christian families’ homes for a Sharing the Bread meal. Overnight in Bethlehem. (B. Special dinner)

After a buffet breakfast, we drive through the magnificent scenery of the Judean Desert to the Baptismal site on the River Jordan. Our next stop is Jericho, where we have lunch and celebrate Mass. In the afternoon, visit the Dead Sea to float in the mineral-rich waters. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B.L. D)

This morning, we follow the Passion of Christ, starting with a visit to the Mount of Olives. We visit the church at Bethpage, where the Palm Sunday procession begins, followed by the Ascension Chapel, Pater Noster, and Dominus Flevit. Walking down the Palm Sunday Road, we arrive at the Church of the Agony and the Grotto of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested. Mass will be cel-ebrated. Walk along the Kidron Valley, passing Absalom Tomb, pausing by the water gate through which Jesus would have entered the city in chains to the high priest Caiaphas’ house. We see the prison at St. Peter in Gallicantu and visit Mount Zion, where the early Christians assembled after the Ascension of Jesus. We visit the Upper Room, where the Holy Spirit at Pentecost empowers the Church for the mission and the Room of the Last Supper. Enjoy the farewell dinner at the Wine and Cheese restaurant overlooking Old City Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B. Special dinner)

Early this morning, we pray the Stations of the Cross to Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Then, celebrate Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, followed by a visit to the Chapel of Flagellation, the Cardo, St. Anne’s Church and the Pool of Bethesda. We stop at the Western Wall before returning to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Following an early dinner, we are transferred to the airport for the night flight home. (B.D.)