WALKING TOWARDS GOD. Oct Nov. 11, 2018

Transcription

1 WALKING TOWARDS GOD In The Footsteps of St. Paul Oct Nov. 11, 2018 SPIRITUAL LEADER: FR. JOSEPH MAROOR ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH Lighthouse Point OUR 4TH PILGRIMAGE TO BENEFIT ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI RESPECT LIFE APOSTOLATE 12 NIGHT CRUISE TO THE HOLY LAND CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION CONTACT: SUZANNE TASKOWITZ, COORDINATOR, TRAVEL MINISTRY, ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI RESPECT LIFE FAITHFUL TRAVELS (OUTSIDE FLORIDA) FAX:

2 Walking Towards God In The Footsteps of St. Paul LED BY FATHER JOSEPH MAROOR (St. Paul the Apostle Lighthouse Point) October 30 November 13, 2018 CATHOLIC FOCUSED TOURS Crete, Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Athens (Corinth) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 01 - (Crete) Arrive at Chania Port in Crete on board Celebrity Constellation at 12:00noon. You will be met by Ya'lla Tours USA Inc. Greek s representative and your private tour guide at 12:30pm to start your day tour of Crete. We depart from Chania to the picturesque city of Rethymno. This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the Minoan civilization centered at Kydonia east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania, acquiring its own bishop and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Venetians. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete. Our next stop is the Monastery of Arkadi. The Arkadi Monastery (in Greek: / Moní Arkadhíou) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on fertile plateau 14 miles to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete (in Greece). The current Catholic Church dates back to the 16th century and is marked by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Roman and baroque elements. As early as the 16th century, the monastery was a place for science and art and had a school and a rich library. Situated on a plateau, and surrounded by a thick and high wall, the monastery is also built like a fortress. The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule during the Cretan revolt in Greeks, mostly women and children, sought refuge in the monastery. After three days of battle and under orders from the hegemon (abbot) of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender. Return to the ship by 6:00pm for a sailing at 7:00pm.

3 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 03 - (Haifa // Galilee) (L) Upon arrival in Haifa on board Celebrity Constellation at 7:00am, you will be met by Ya'lla Tours USA Israel s representative and your private tour guide at 7:30am start your day tour of the Galilee. Drive to Nazareth, home to the largest Arab population in Israel. Visit the Church of the Annunciation and St. Joseph s Grotto. Drive to the Sea of Galilee and take a private boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Enjoy a special St. Peter s Fish lunch by the Sea of Galilee. Drive to the Mount of the Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount and the Miracle of the Multiplication (Matthew: 05). Continue to Peter s Home in Capernaum which reveals the domestic life of a New Testament fisherman. The contemporary church at Tabga celebrates the Miracle of the Multiplication. Note the mosaic floor from a Byzantine-era church, and the section in front of the ancient altar depicting two fish and a basket filled with loaves of bread. We ll end the day at the River Jordan. Then return to the port in Haifa and to be there by 7:30pm for a sailing at 8:00pm MASS: NAZARETH, ST. JOSEPH S GROTTO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 04 - (Ashdod // Bethlehem & Jerusalem) (L) Upon arrival in Ashdod on board the Celebrity Constellation at 7:00am, you will be met by Ya'lla Tours USA Israel s representative and your private tour guide at 7:30am start your day tour of Jerusalem. Drive to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus, to visit the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in the holy land still in use. Construction began in 326AD, with the aid of local tradition which told that Jesus was born in a cave at the edge of the village. The architects were able to construct the shape of the cave according to architectural and devotional requirements of the time. Enjoy a typical Arabic lunch in Bethlehem. Travel on to Mt. of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Walk down the Mt. of Olives and see the site where Jesus predicted the future destruction of Jerusalem, the Church of Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept). During construction in 1955, archaeologists uncovered artifacts dating back to the Canaanite period, as well as tombs from both the Second Temple and Byzantine eras. Also unearthed were the remains of a lovely Byzantine shrine with an elaborate mosaic floor that was incorporated into the church. The Garden of Gethsemane lies at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Today it appears much as it did 20 centuries ago and contains some of the world s oldest olive trees. The garden was a spot favored by Jesus for meditation and prayer. Originally built in 379, the Church at Gethsemane was rebuilt in Long considered one of the most beautiful in Jerusalem, it was called the Church of All Nations because 16 nations contributed to its construction. By 6:30pm, you will be transferred to the port in Ashdod for arrival at 8:00pm. MASS: BETHLEHEM, ST. KATHERINE CHURCH

4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 05 - (Ashdod // Jerusalem) (L) You will be met at the ship to depart Ashdod at 7:30am to Jerusalem. Visit Caiaphas Palace (Church of Peter Galicantu) and see the cistern where Jesus was held before he was taken to Pilate and the Roman Period steps he walked from the Kidron Valley. Enter the Christian Quarter of the Old City through St. Stephen s Gate. See the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the blind man and St. Anne Church, with extraordinary acoustics. Visit the Monastery of the Sisters of Zion and see the Floor of the Lithostrothos of the Ecce Ommo Arch (Behold the Man) and the Church of the Flagellation. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. In 325, Constantine s mother Helen first requisitioned the area for a church. This 4th- century church was largely destroyed by the Turks in 1009 and partially restored in The impressive stone decorations adorning the facade date from crusader times. In its current form, the church preserves the crusader structure and is shared by two major Christian denominations, the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic. The church enshrines a tomb that some traditions hold to be the place of Jesus burial and resurrection. Have lunch in the Old City at Friends Restaurant. Then walk to the Western Wall, the holiest site for Judaism. By 3:30pm, you will be transferred to the port in Ashdod for arrival at 5:00pm. MASS: CHURCH OF PETER GALICANTU THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 08 (Athens // Corinth) (L) Arrive at Chania Port in Crete on board Celebrity Constellation at 6:00am. You will be met by Ya'lla Tours USA Inc. Greek s representative and your private tour guide at 7:30am to start your day tour of Corinth. Drive the historic coast road to Corinth. Along the way stop by the Corinth Canal which for the last 120 years has turned the Peloponnese Peninsula into an island. After Athens, Paul went to Corinth. At the foothills of the Corinthian Acropolis, he lived, worked as a tent maker and taught the word of God for 18 months. Arrive at ancient Corinth, where Paul ministered for nearly two years and wrote the earliest New Testament writings, The Letters to Thessalonians. The columns of Apollo Temple dominate the Agora. See the tribunal before which Paul was dragged, but where Gallio refused to pass judgment on him. The Fountain of Peirene, the Agora where Paul's trial by Gallio took place and where the famous Bema stands. Afterward we will pass by the ancient port of Kechries, where Paul departed from for Ephesus and later we ll marvel at the engineering feat of the Corinth Canal, designed in Paul s time, but finally realized in the late 1890s. Have lunch in route. By 3:00pm, you will be transferred back to the port in Piraeus along the new scenic road with magnificent views of the Saronic Gulf and the ancient port of Conchreas from which Paul sailed to Ephesus for arrival at 5:00pm and sailing at 6:00pm.

5 PILGRIMAGE TO ROME Nov , 2018 OPTIONAL PILGRIMAGE SUNDAY, Nov. 11 AT DISEMBARKATION, GROUP WILL BE MET AT PIER AND DROP LUGGAGE AT HOTEL BEFORE A TOUR OF THE VATICAN. A LICENSED ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE WILL ESCORT YOU THROUGH THE VATICAN MUSEUMS WITH SISTINE CHAPEL AND ST. PETER'S BASILICA THE TOUR TAKES ABOUT 3 HOURS; RESERVED TICKETS WILL BE PURCHASED TO BYPASS THE LINES RETURN TO HOTEL - HILTON GARDEN INN ROME, CLARIDGE (OR SIMILAR) OPTIONAL NIGHT TOUR OF ROME WILL LEAVE HOTEL AT 7:30 P.M. MONDAY, Nov. 12 AFTER HOT BUFFET BREAKFAST, GROUP WILL DEPART FOR TOUR ENTITLED "CHRISTIAN ROME" WHICH INCLUDES THE BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE ONE OF THE OLDEST SHRINES DEDICATED TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN. THIS SHRINE CONTAINS A RELIC FROM THE MANGER OF THE INFANT JESUS. BASILICA OF ST. JOHN THE LATERAN WITH THE SCALA SANTA AND THE FORMER RESIDENCE OF THE POPES PRIOR TO THEIR RETURN TO ROME IN THE TREVI FOUNTAIN AND ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS WHICH HOUSES THE REMAINS OF ST. PAUL UNDER ITS MAIN ALTAR. THE 3 BASILICAS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHURCHES OF ROME. WE WILL VISIT THE CATACOMBS. THEY ARE HANDMADE EXCAVATIONS IN THE CITY USED AS CEMETERY BY THE ROMANS AND BY THE CHRISTIANS, LUNCH WILL BE AT A LOCAL PIZZERIA AND NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOURS. PLEASE BRING EUROS. ADMISSION TO THE CATACOMBS & VATICAN IS COVERED THIS EVENING, WE WILL ENJOY A GALA FAREWELL DINNER AND SOME FREE TIME MENU CHOICES FOR YQUR SELECTION WILL BE PROVIDED TUESDAY, Nov. 13 GROUP WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO AIRPORT FOR FLIGHT HOME.

6 DAY/NIGHT PORT/CITY ARRIVAL Tue Oct 30 Wed Oct 31 Thu Nov 1 Fri Nov 2 Sat Nov 3 Sun Nov 4 Mon Nov 5 Tue Nov 6 Wed Nov 7 Thu Nov 8 Fri Nov 9 Sat Nov 10 Sun Nov 11 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece Haifa, Israel Ashdod, Israel Ashdod, Israel Mykonos, Greece Athens (Piraeus), Greece Naples, Italy Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy DEPARTURE 5:00 PM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 AM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 5:00 AM 6:00 PM Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus Sea of Galilee Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. (Matthew 3:13)