Pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey with Fr. Bob Knippenberg and Ceci Triska - 26MI04GRCT

We depart Houston International Airport on a flight bound for Athens. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Enjoy your flight as you look forward to your incredible pilgrimage journey. Quotes for add-on flights and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request and will be provided starting 120 days before departure. Group air restrictions (for ten passengers traveling together) do not permit specific seating requests on flights. We recommend purchasing your own airline tickets and land-only packages with us if seat confirmation is an essential part of your trip. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact your trip Account Manager, who will be happy to assist you.

Upon landing at Athens Airport, we proceed through passport control and customs. Proceed to the arrival hall, where we will be greeted by our English-speaking tour guide and assisted to the motorcoach. We drive to our hotel to settle in. Athens is the historic heart of this bustling country and a city dominated by the rock of the Acropolis for twenty-five centuries. Mass will be celebrated. We settle into our comfortable hotel for a good night’s rest. Overnight in Athens. (Dinner at the hotel)

Following breakfast, we will celebrate Mass before proceeding to the Port to embark on a 4-day cruise aboard the Celestyal cruise ship. Our first stop will be the island of Mykonos, the most cosmopolitan of the Greek islands, which attracts visitors from around the world. After docking, we transfer to Hora, the island’s capital, where we have leisure time to explore the city’s narrow, cobbled streets. Pass by chic boutiques, elegant nightclubs, and whitewashed houses to arrive in Alefkandra. This section of Mykonos is known as the “Venice of Mykonos” as the homes with wooden balconies are built on the sea. Historically, these homes were of wealthy merchants and captains. Walk over to the small but beautiful Catholic Church on the island. Return to the cruise ship for dinner and overnight. (B.D)

After breakfast on board, we arrive at the lively Turkish port of Kusadasi. Transfer to the small village of Mt. Koressos, where we enter the small stone chapel on the site where the Virgin Mary spent her last days following Christ’s crucifixion. Following Mass, we continue to ancient Ephesus and begin our walking tour, which takes us through the most magnificent excavations in the world. The last stop on the walking tour is the Great Theater, with a capacity of 25,000 people, where Saint Paul preached. On the return of our walking tour, follow the exact route that Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession via the Arcadian Way. This main street runs from the Great Theatre to the central city’s harbor. We will see the Basilica of Saint John on our return to Kusadasi. In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian erected this structure over the grave of St. John, the Evangelist. Upon arrival in Kusadasi, enjoy free time to explore on our own before returning to the ship. (Please note the cruise ship-mandated carpet store shopping stop is not compulsory, and you may choose to opt out graciously.) The next stop is the holy island of Patmos, where we visit the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian. This marvelous structure was built nine hundred years ago and continues to be supported by the walls of a strong fortification. In addition to the stunning main church, which features outstanding frescoes, we will view the beautiful courtyard, dining room, and bakery. Our tour continues to the small museum, where we will view priceless ecclesiastical treasures, including books, manuscripts, mosaics, icons, textiles, vestments, and jewelry. Board the bus, which will take us to the Monastery and Grotto of the Apocalypse. In this grotto, experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the site where the Book of Revelation was written. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight. (B.L.D)

The Island of Rhodes is a mix of Roman and Byzantine architectural styles. Rhodes was one of the most important seafaring and trading centers in the Eastern Mediterranean during ancient times. Conquered in 1309 by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, it is now under UNESCO protection. Our visit includes a walking tour of the town, followed by time at leisure in Rhodes to explore the city on our own. We can return to the ship for our included lunch or enjoy lunch on our own in town before we celebrate Mass at Santa Maria Catholic Church (a 5-minute walk from the port) (B.L.D)

Shore excursions for guided visits of Crete may be purchased on the ship. We recommend visiting Heraklion independently or booking a guided tour of the island, which includes a visit to the ancient ruins of the Palace of Knossos. These ruins were discovered in 1899, and the palace is partially reconstructed. This ancient palace is believed to have been the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. Additionally, it is the site where Saint Paul met the ship’s owner and captain, who warned him to continue his journey to spread Christianity in Rome. If you choose not to purchase the optional excursion, you can enjoy your time in Crete by exploring the city, which is within walking distance of the port where the ship docks. Return to the ship to sail to the idyllic island of Santorini, widely regarded as the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. We disembark via tenders upon arrival in Santorini and take the cable car to visit Thira, with its iconic white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes, and glittering boutiques that cling to steep cliffs. We celebrate Mass at St. John Catholic Church before returning to the ship for our last dinner and overnight on our cruise. (B.L.D)

After disembarkation, we visit ancient Corinth. Under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, Saint Paul lived in Corinth for two years. While here, Saint Paul felt great grief over how the Gentile Church in Corinth had become. As a result, he was prompted to write four letters, all with the overarching theme of love. In Corinth, we will have the opportunity to view the remains of the first-century shops, the site of Saint Paul’s trial by Gallio, the Fountain of Peirene, and the Temple of Apollo. We celebrate Mass at the Steps of St. Paul in Ancient Corinth. We enjoy lunch and a stop for wine tasting in Corinth, where we learn about the Greek wine and olive oil production. Following our visit, we return to Athens for dinner and overnight. (B.L.D)

Following breakfast, we have a morning Mass at the Catholic Church in Athens, with the local Catholics. Our walking tour of ancient Athens includes the amazing Acropolis with its antiquities-filled Museum. Here, we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, and the Propylaea. We ascend Mars Hill, where Saint Paul preached to the Athenians about the one and only God (Acts 17:22). We see the ancient Agora, the former public center of Athenian life. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Plaka, the historic heart of this bustling city, or visit the Archaeological Museum. Tonight, enjoy dinner in a restaurant of your choice. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Athens. (B)

After breakfast, we depart Athens and drive north. An amazing adventure awaits us as we explore the Orthodox monasteries of Meteora. In the eleventh century, monks settled within the caves. Located high up on the cliffs of these mountain ranges. As the Ottoman occupation intensified, the monks were forced to relocate their settlements to higher altitudes, making them unreachable by any opposing enemy. The monks brought baskets of building materials and supplies for living, using ropes and ladders, transforming these settlements into monasteries. The Meteora Monasteries are renowned for preserving Greek Christianity and Hellenic culture, including academics and the arts. During our visit, we had the opportunity to view stunning Byzantine art and take in the breathtaking scenery surrounding the monastery. Women are expected to wear skirts and a headscarf covering their hair and shoulders when entering Orthodox monasteries and churches. We also visit an icon workshop in the area, where we see how icons are created. We celebrate Mass. We settle into our hotel in Kalambaka for dinner and a restful night of sleep. (B.D)

We travel to Veria, a charming town with a Byzantine and Jewish presence, to visit small Byzantine churches and the Bema of St. Paul, where Mass will be celebrated. Our next stop is Vergina, the first capital of Macedonia. This is where Phillip II, Alexander the Great’s father, was assassinated in 336 B.C. We visit the remarkable underground museum, which has four tombs containing the tomb of Alexander the Great’s family. We continue to Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, is named in honor of a half-sister of Alexander. The city, part of Macedonian Greece, is also known as Salonika. Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, written in the middle of the first century, is his first known letter. His two letters urged the Thessalonian Christians to “live blamelessly” and to refrain from living idly while they wait for the second coming of Christ. We settle into our comfortable hotel for a good night’s rest. Overnight in Thessaloniki. (B.D)

After breakfast, we visit the modern port city of Kavala, which was once the ancient city of Neapolis. Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy landed in this port when they sailed into Europe. Philippi, our next stop, is where Saint Paul established the first church in Europe. “And from there (He went) to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman Colony. We remained in this city some days...” (Acts 16:12-18). We visit the site where Saint Paul baptized a woman named Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe. Mass will be celebrated. We visit the Roman Forum, where Saint Paul cast a spirit out of a fortune-telling woman. While here, we will have the opportunity to view the prison (now in ruins) where Paul and Silas were jailed by the owners of the fortune-tellers. Return to Thessaloniki for a delicious meal and restful overnight. (B.D)

Today marks the end of our pilgrimage. We will say our heartfelt farewells to a journey that will last in our memory forever. We will be transferred to the Thessaloniki airport for our return flight home. (B)