Many are excited about this pilgrimage. It is a cut above the rest as it includes new highlights not found in other similar itineraries. And with almost all included, the price is definitely a steal. Here’s to bonding in CFC on our 30th anniversary.
Day 01/Nov 20 MANILA / AMMAN
Day 02/Nov 21 ARRIVE AMMAN/PETRA
Arrive Amman, Jordan. Get a glimpse of what was once the Biblical land. Stand at Mt. Nebo marked by a simple chapel. It is here where Moses viewed Canaan of Israel. God did not allow him to enter and live out his life together with Joshua and the masses he led out of Egypt. Travel along the Desert Highway through the ever changing scenery of the Tranjordan plateau and arrive at the fabled rose city of Petra, the 2,000 year old Nabatean capital accidentally rediscovered in 1812. Mass at the hotel. (L, D)
Petra, Amman Day 03/Nov 22 PETRA/AMMAN
Ride by horse to the Siq, a half mile long unforgettable gorge. Experience the “Indiana Jones” film. At last you stand in awe in front of the Treasury, a Wonder of the World – a rose colored monumental building artfully carved out of sheer rock. Continue on to see the other temples and tombs carved into the mountainside. Drive to Amman for the night. Mass at the hotel. (B,L, D)
Day 04/Nov 23 AMMAN/TIBERIAS
Transfer to the border and cross to Israel. Drive to Tiberias and up to Mount Tabor to visit theChurch of Transfiguration. Overnight in Tiberias. In one of two sites, visit a Kibbutz where you’ll learn how modern farm technology has progressed Israel into the new age. (B,L, D)
Church of the TransfigurationDay 05/Nov 24 TIBERIAS
Begin at the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus proclaimed the Eight Beatitudes. Remember, “Blessed are the pure in spirit for they will see God”. Meditation here. Pray at the St. Peter’s Primacy Church on the Sea of Galilee shore. Follow Jesus’ path to Tabgha, where he fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes. Walk along the shores of Capernaum; visit St. Peter’s house, where Jesus preached and healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Take an exhilarating ferry boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. It’s a time for celebration. Remember when Jesus calmed its stormy waters?
Boat Ride, Sea of GallilleeDrive to Cana to the Church of the Wedding, where the first miracle happened. Eucharistic Celebration and renewal of marriage vows.
Renewal of VowsOn to Nazareth, city chosen by God for the annunciation of the birth of His Son. Here Jesus grew to manhood. Visit the Basilica of Annunciation and St. Joseph’s workshop. (B,L,D)
Day 06/Nov 25 TIBERIAS/JERUSALEM
Renew baptismal vows in Yardenit, site of the baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist.
Up to Haifa , Israel’s third largest city, to visit Mount Carmel of the prophet Elijah. Pray at the Church, the biggest of the Carmelite Order. See the breathtaking view of the city and take photos of the world center of the Bahai faith.
Mount CarmelPass by the old city of Jaffa which together with Venice and Genoa were the great ports at the time. Walk through Jaffa’s reconstructed Artist’s Quarter. Then to Caesaria, built by Herod the Great , meant to be a Roman bastion of might. Here is where Peter baptized the centurion Cornelius. See the Ampitheater, a reminder of the Roman, Herodian and Crusader periods.
Finally, this day we begin making our way up through the Judean Hills passing by the Good Samaritan Inn to Jerusalem. Stop at the Tayalet promenade for a breathtaking view over the Old City of Jerusalem, Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives.
Mount ZionTo Ein Kerem, birthplace of John the Baptist. Walk through the picturesque old village to visit theBasilica of Visitation. (B,L,D)
Day 07/Nov 26 JERUSALEM
To Mount Olives with its church built in memory of Jesus’ ascension to heaven and a view of the Old City of Jerusalem, the Judean Desert, Moab Mountains and Dead Sea Visit Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit Church where Jesus wept. Then to the Church of All Nations, the Rock of Agony and the Garden of Gethsemane.
Pater NosterTo Mount Zion, to visit the Room of the Last Supper where also the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. Nearby is the Dormition Abbey from where the Blessed Mary went up to heaven. Eucharistic Celebration at St. Peter in Gallicantu (Caiphas House), the Apostle’s Jail, the Sacred Stairway and view the Potter’s Field.
Last Supper RoomWalk over the Temple Mount and visit the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) the most holy shrine for the Jewish people. Visit the museum of the Dead Sea scroll and nearby model of Jerusalem in its glory days.
Revisit the fabled history of Israel as you enjoy the Night Spectacular – a Son et Lumiere show. (B,L,D)
Day 08/Nov 27 JERUSALEM
Start at the Church of St. Anne with the Pool of Bethsaida. Pray the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa. You’ll feel how much you’ve contributed to Christ’s sufferings, with this unforgettable experience. The way ends at the most venerated Church of the Holy Sepulchre site of the Calvary. Eucharistic Celebration at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to welcome the First Sunday of Advent.
Holy SepulcherDrive through the Jordan Valley , down to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Swim or test the healing waters of the Dead Sea. Available are many products good for skin ailments.
Dead SeaPass by the Qumran Caves. Another night in Jerusalem. (B,L,D)
Day 09/Nov 28 JERUSALEM/TABA RESORT
To BETHLEHEM, birthplace of Jesus. Meditate on the glory of the Birth of Our Savior at the Church of the Nativity. Eucharistic Celebration. Sing Christmas hymns! Celebrate! What a glorious feeling! Drive to the Shepherd’s Field and Cave Chapel, a recent Byzantine excavation and past Ruth the Moabite’s Fields to the Judean Wilderness.
Church of the NativityDrive to Eilat and proceed to Taba to cross the border to Egypt. Overnight at a resort along the Red Sea. How about a delightful stoll along the beach?(B,L D)
Day 10/Nov 29 TABA (RED SEA) / CAIRO
Leave for Cairo passing by the Suez Canal and Moses Springs. (B,L, D)
Day 11/Nov 30 CAIRO
Start the day to see a Wonder of the World, the Pyramids of Giza and the nearby Sphinx. Finally, to the Egyptian Museum housing the gold treasures of Tutankhamen, an exciting first encounter with the splendor of three millennia of Egyptian civilization. This is one of the richest and remarkable museums in the world. Visit to a Papyrus Museum and a Perfumery are included during the visits. Eucharistic Celebration at a Catholic Church.
Pyramids of Giza, EgyptContinue to the huge El Khalili bazaars to shop for souvenirs. Feel the time of Cleopatra as you take on a Nile River cruise with a folkloric show (B,L, D)
El Khalili bazaarsDay 12/Dec 01 CAIRO/ MANILA
This morning, we visit the Church of the Holy Virgin Mary or the “Hanging Church” built in the 4th BC. Then to St. Sergius Coptic Church . Eucharistic Celebration at St. Joseph Cathedral. Rest of the day is free until transfer to the airport for your flight back home or Extension (B,L)
Hanging ChruchDay 13/Dec 02 ARRIVE MANILA
