Pilgrimage to the Holy Land & Jordan Under The Spiritual Direction Of Fr. Joe Kim

Depart for your overnight flights to Amman. Dinner on-board, relax, and anticipate your arrival tomorrow morning.

Upon arrival in Amman, we are met by our representative who will remain with us for the duration of the tour. We continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we depart through the “King’s Highway” to the ancient city of Petra. We enjoy a walking tour of Petra. It begins with a walk through the Siq to the Treasury. Continue through the main street with the magnificent structures on each side carved into the mountains, to the colonnaded street, ending at the Petra Museum. See the influence of the people who followed, including the architecture of the mighty Romans and a beautiful Byzantine chapel decorated with ancient, stunning mosaics that have been carefully preserved.

This morning we leave Petra and head to Mt. Nebo, where Moses was laid to rest, and where the late Pope John Paul II tread on his first pilgrimage of the millennium. Visit the Sanctuary at Nebo: the memorial of Moses, the presumed site of his death and burial place, and a center for the pilgrimages since early Christian times. You’ll be inspired by the biblical feel from start to finish as you experience this divine tour. Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan, for this is where Moses was buried. The site’s association with the last days of Moses is described in moving words in Deuteronomy. After we celebrate Mass, we continue to Madaba, “The City of Mosaics,” to visit St. George Church where there is a clear map of the Holy Land (including Israel, Palestine and Lower Egypt).

This morning, we cross the Jordanian / Israeli border and head to Mt Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Later we visit Cana where Jesus preformed his first miracle, turning water into wine; here we have a chance to renew wedding vows. This evening, we continue to Galilee for dinner and overnight.

Some of today’s highlights are a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St Peter’s house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given, to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and to the nearby Church of Peter’s Primacy where Peter was told ” Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.” There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt Beatitudes.

We start our morning with a visit to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth where we will celebrate Mass and visit Mary’s well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. We then drive through the Carmel Mountains heading to Haifa, where we visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery with the Madonna of Mt Carmel. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins. Continue to Muhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order was started. Next, we head to the nearby city of Jaffa where we will visit the old historic port of Jaffa and the Church of St. Peter. We continue to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.

Today we head to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St John the Baptist, and to the Church of Visitation, where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the ‘Magnificat’. In the afternoon, we drive to the Shepherd’s Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which stands upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds' Fields. Next, we will stop by the Home of Peace Orphanage, which was established in memory of Monsignor Stanislaus T. Sypek to carry on his lifelong passion of working with children. Enjoy a visit to the University of Bethlehem before we continue north for the celebration of the Eucharist at the Holy site of Emmaus Nicopolis, where the Risen Jesus met the disciples on the road to Emmaus and was recognized through the breaking of the bread.

This morning, we head to the Mount of Olives and visit the Church of Pater Noster, with the Lord’s Prayer in many languages, and the Ascension, from where He ascended to Heaven. Walk the Palm Sunday route, stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony, where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. Visit the Cave of Betrayal, then the Cave of the Assumption of Mary to heaven. Continue to visit the Wailing Wall, the holiest place for Jews. Nearby are the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount. We exit at Mt Zion. At the Cenacle, we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Next, we go to Dormition Abbey, where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Him thrice.

After breakfast, we head to Jerusalem and start our visit with St Anne Church (the traditional birthplace of the Virgin Mary). Continue to view the Sisters of Zion and Ecce Homo, where Pilate proclaimed, “Behold the man.” Next, we retrace the last steps of Jesus as we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City, praying the Stations of the Cross at each station shrine; we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice. Our walk ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Solemn Entry, where we will have exclusive and private access to the Church. This sacred area is home to the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, known as Calvary, as well as the Holy Tomb of Jesus Christ. We then continue to the Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where you will be able to meet the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the new members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem will receive their very own Pilgrim Shell. Following our visit, we will make our way to the Notre Dame Center on Vatican property, where we will visit the Museum of the Shroud of the Man (three dimension replica of the Shroud of Jesus).

We begin our day with a visit to Bethany, where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. At the oasis town of Jericho, visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and view Mt. Temptation, where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. We then visit the Jordan River and the authentic baptismal site of Our Lord. We continue to Masada, built around 30 B.C. Among the ruins are King Herod’s Palace, which sprawls over 3 rock terraces, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. Our final stop is the Dead Sea, where we will take a swim (or rather a float!) before returning to Bethlehem for our farewell dinner and overnight.

We bid farewell to the Holy Land and will remember our pilgrimage for a lifetime.