A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Led by:

The Rev. Luk DeVolder
Christ Church Auvergne
Auvergne, France

April 13 – 19, 2009

DAY 1, Monday, April 13, 2009 - Our Pilgrimage in this Holy Land begins:  Upon arrival with the group, you will be met by your driver and guide and we will transfer by deluxe motor coach to our hotel on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea at Netanya for dinner and overnight.  (Arrivals and transfers would have to be for the majority who arrive during the same time frame.  Others would need to make their own transfer to the hotel.)  Meals on board the aircraft and dinner at the hotel. D

DAY 2: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - We have come to see for ourselves (John 1:45-46):  After breakfast, we head north toward Caesarea, once capital of the Roman province, where we visit the Roman and Crusader remains and the harbor from which St. Paul was taken prisoner to Rome.  Now on to the fertile valley, also known as the plain of Megiddo, which has been the scene of horrible carnage and almost constant strife.  Legend portrays this area as the stage for the final battle of history:  Armageddon (Rev. 16:16).  The excavations at Megiddo have uncovered a fortified city built by Solomon (1 Kgs. 9:15).  We now depart for the Sea of Galilee stopping at Nazareth before arriving at the kibbutz where the museum which houses the 1st century boat discovered in the mud around the sea is located.  We will visit the museum and see the boat and have dinner and overnight at the kibbutz, Nof Ginnosar.  We will meet this evening to discuss our pilgrimage and the sites we have seen and to discuss the schedule for tomorrow. BD

DAY 3: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - “He is going ahead of us to Galilee” (Mt. 28):  The Sea; On the Boat; Capernaum; Tabgha; Mount of Beatitudes; Mt. Hermon; Korazin:  We shall visit Tabgha to view the mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes and here we will celebrate Holy Eucharist.  We will visit Capernaum and St. Peter’s House and then board a boat reminiscent of those used in Jesus’ time and sail across the Sea of Galilee to Tiberias where we will meet our motorcoach.  We will continue to Yardenit, believed by many to be the traditional site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  We will renew our baptismal vows here and return to our kibbutz on the shores of the Galilee for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 4: Thursday, April 16, 2009 - From Galilee “up to Jerusalem”:  We will first drive to Mt. Tabor and then to Jericho, the oldest human settlement in the world.  From the vantage point of the site in Jericho we have a spectacular view of the “Mt. of Temptation.”  Driving up to Jerusalem, we view the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan, and St. George’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, literally carved out of a cliff.  We will see the Dead Sea and continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found before continuing into Jerusalem.  Once we arrive in this Holy City, we find a site high above on Mt. Zion or the Mount of Olives in order to orient ourselves.  Then it’s on to the hotel for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 5: Friday, April 17, 2009 - The Passion: Palm Sunday Walk; Dominus Flevit; Church of the Agony; Garden of Gethsemane; Cave of the Olive Press; We will continue to Dominus Flevit, the Church of the Agony and the Cave of the Olive Press:  From here we shall move on to walk the Via Dolorosa, beginning at Antonio’s Fortress, winding through the busy markets of the Old City and stopping at the Stations of the Cross.  We shall end our walk at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, scene of the Crucifixion and site of the Tomb. We will continue to the Garden Tomb, another site proclaiming to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.  We will have dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. BD

DAY 6: Saturday, April 18, 2009 - Life’s Bread, Jerusalem and Bethlehem:  We gather in a private area of the Garden of Gethsemane where we will celebrate Holy Eucharist.  Then, through St. Stephen’s Gate to the Holy City, we walk to St. Anne’s Church, standing on a property facing the Temple Mount just as it was built by the crusaders.  Once inside we find ourselves singing (the acoustics are glorious).  Nearby, we visit excavations which speak to us of Jesus’ healing at the “pool with the five porticos.”  We walk together to the Temple Mount Dig to see the excavated stones where Jesus walked, to the Dome of the Rock, to the Western Wailing Wall and the Jewish Quarter.  From here we go to the Kidron Valley to the House of Caiaphas and then to Bethlehem for lunch at Two Mustaches (a wonderful Arab restaurant in Bethlehem).  Afterwards, we visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field before returning to Jerusalem for our farewell dinner and overnight. BLD

DAY 7: Sunday, April 19, 2009 - We will depart from Ben Gurion Airport for our return flights to France filled with peace and joy having walked in the footsteps of Jesus and the Saints.  (Again transfers will be provided for the majority who are leaving at the same time.) Breakfast and Meals on the flights. B

Price: $1,179.00.  Price is based on double occupancy without air, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Single supplement costs $399.00.

Final payment due January 1, 2009

Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until January 1, 2009: $300 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ January 2 – February 12 : $400 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After February 13 : NO REFUND

An application for travel insurance will be included with the receipt for your deposit.  We strongly recommend that you seriously consider this coverage.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, S Snack

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.