Rome & Holyland JUNE/2023

Departure from Los Angeles or S.Francisco to Rome. Night on board the flight

Arrival in Rome. Meeting with our representative at Leonardo da Vinci airport and transfer in our Bus to the hotel. The rest of the day will be free. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel with our motorcoach to the Vatican to participate at the Papal Audience with the Holy Father Francis. Free time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica on your own (there is a long line to enter due to security). In the afternoon meeting with our guide and departure for a half day tour, we will visit St. Mary the Major Basilica, St. John in Lateran, the Colosseum (outside). Dinner and overnight

Breakfast . Departure from the hotel with our private Bus to Assis. Meeting with our for a visit of the Basilica of St. Francis, where we visit the Tomb of St. Francis. We will also enjoy a walking tour of town, including the Church of San Rufino (with St. Francis’ baptismal font), and the Basilica of St. Clare (where her incorrupt body lies in repose.), After lunch (not included), we’ll continue our visit to St. Mary of the Angels, we visit the Basilica contains the Porziuncola chapel, constructed in part by St. Francis. Nearby marks the site where Francis surrendered to ‘Sister Death’. Late in the afternoon back to Rome. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to Leonardo Da Vinci airport. Departure on our flight to Tel Aviv. Meeting with our representative at Ben Gurion airport and transfer by Bus to our hotel in Nazareth. Rest of the day free. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. In the morning we will visit Nazareth where the Son of God became incarnate in the Blessed Lady. We will visit the Church of the Annunciation, where the Angel visited Mary, the place where the word became flesh, the Church of San José where he taught the art of wood to Jesus. We will go to the cave of the Holy Family, and continue to Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle (Holy Mass). Opportunity to renew the Sacrament of Marriage, for those who are married. Departure to Mt. Tabor and climb by taxi to visit the Church of the Transfiguration. Back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, Meet our guide for a half day tour to discover the treasures of medieval Siena. The visit ends at the Enoteca Italiana Permanente – the official wine museum in Italy. Sitting under olive trees in the fine gardens of the majestic 16th century Medici Fortress, we will have the opportunity to taste wine by the glass. Rest of the day free. Dinner and overnight.

Traveling through the Jordan Valley we will pass through Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Upon arrival in Jericho, there is a sycamore that Zacchaeus reminds us, here we will do the corresponding readings. In Bethlehem. We will be very happy to thank God for allowing us to reach the place where our Redeemer was born 2,000 years ago. We visit the entire Basilica of the Nativity, and continue to Jerusalem, where we will arrive singing the psalm and in a high part of the City, we will make a toast, because we have arrived in the Holy City. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Breakfast This day, we begin our pilgrimage on the Monte Sión, the place of the Ascension of Lord. To the Cave of Our Father, to the Chapel of Dominus Flevit, where Jesus cried for Jerusalem, there we will celebrate the Holy Mass, then we visit the Basilica of Gethsemane where Jesus died and a few meters from there he He finds the Grotto of betrayal where Judas delivered him. We continue to visit the Cenacle, the place where Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Priesthood and the Eucharist, we will visit the house of Martha and Mary, in Bethany. We continue to Ain Karen to visit the Church of San John Baptist and the place where the Blessed Virgin visit her cousin Sta. Isabel. return to Bethlehem. Dinner and overnight..

Breakfast . Very early today, we leave for the Old City, to start the Via Crucis, reaching Golgotha, there we will celebrate the Holy Mass. We go down to the Holy Sepulchre, then to the Crosses pit, where tradition tells, Santa Elena found the Cross of the Lord. We will visit the Wailing Wall, the most important place for the Jewish religion. From here we go up to Mount Zion to visit the Church of St. Peter Gallicantu, where Peter denied Christ and where Jesus was imprisoned. Then we will go to the tomb of King David. Back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we will take our bus to bathe in the waters of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the planet, it is 400 meters below sea level and its waters, more than waters, are salts and are said to be medicinal, we can swim and float in its rich mineral salt waters with the experience of floating in them. Departure to Emmaus, where the Lord appeared to two of his disciples after rising from the dead. While they were on the road, the resurrected Jesus joined them and talked with them as they walked. Upon reaching Emmaus, the disciples discovered who he really was in the Breaking of the Bread. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner and delivery of Pilgrimage certificates. Overnight.

Breakfast and transfer by our private Bus to Ben Gurion airport of Tel Aviv in time for departure of our flight back USA. Arrival same day.