Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Bishop Scott Bullock and Jon Leonetti

We depart on an overnight flight from Des Moines, Newark, or Rapid City to Tel Aviv. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flights. Optional premium economy and business class upgrades are available upon request, starting 120 days before departure. We work with group airfares, which do not permit us to assign specific seats. If this is an essential feature for you, please book your own air travel and arrange land-only accommodations with us.

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we collect our luggage and proceed to the arrivals area to meet our excellent Christian tour guide. Relax as we drive to our hotel in Galilee. (3-hour drive). We celebrate Mass, followed by dinner and an overnight stay at our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. *Itinerary dependent on arrival time Meals: D

In Nazareth, we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and pray at the Grotto where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary. We celebrate Mass before visiting the Church of St. Joseph. Our next stop is the Synagogue Church, where Jesus began his public ministry, and Mount Precipice, where his own town rejected him. At the Wedding Church in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, couples will have the opportunity to renew their wedding vows. The day concludes with a visit to the recently excavated Synagogue of Magdala, where Jesus encountered Mary Magdalene. Dinner and overnight at the Sea of Galilee. Meals: B.D

After breakfast, we drive to Capernaum and visit the Synagogue, where Jesus offered the Bread of Life discourse. We also see the House of Peter, the home of Jesus during his Galilean ministry, celebrate Mass and offer a Prayer for Healing in this sacred spot. At the Pilgerhaus, we enjoy a delightful lunch of St Peter’s Fish. Next, we drive a short distance to the Mount of Beatitudes, followed by a stop in Tabgha to see the restored Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, where Jesus fed the multitude. Our busy day ends at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the seashore, where Jesus commissioned Peter

Following breakfast, we enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, viewing the areas where Jesus ministered around the lake and reflecting on his teaching from Peter’s boat. We see the Galilean fishing boat, also known as the “Jesus Boat”, which dates back to the time of Jesus and was discovered in 1986. We depart for Caesarea Philippi, also known as Banias, where Jesus made Peter the rock of the church and gave him the keys of the kingdom. We enjoy an included Druze lunch today, followed by a wine tasting experience at a local winery. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel. Meals: B.L.D

Leaving Galilee, we drive to Mt. Tabor to see the Church of Transfiguration and to celebrate Mass. Traveling into Judea, we arrive at Ein Karem to visit the Church of the Visitation, where Mary met her cousin Elizabeth, and the Church of John the Baptist, where we see his birthplace. Celebrate Mass in Ein Karem before entering Jerusalem. Settle into our hotel, enjoy dinner, and overnight in Jerusalem. Meals: B.D

Following a rich buffet breakfast, we drive to Bethlehem to visit the Basilica of the Nativity and see the grotto where Jesus was born. We celebrate Mass at St. Catherine Church in the cave of St. Jerome. Continue to Shepherds’ Field Chapel and Grotto, where the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Savior. After our included lunch, visit a local orphanage, which you have supported by choosing to travel on this pilgrimage. Our day ends with shopping for souvenirs at a Christian cooperative store and time permitting. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. Meals: B.L.D

We travel to Bethany to visit the Church of Martha and Mary, where we celebrate Mass and then enter the Tomb of Lazarus. Descend to the Jordan Valley and stop at the Qasr el Yahud Baptismal Site at the Jordan River to renew our baptism. Driving through the town of Jericho, we stop at the Sycamore Tree of Zacchaeus and enjoy lunch with freshly baked bread. At the Dead Sea, you may choose to float in the mineral-rich waters (be sure to bring a bathing suit) and visit Qumran, the Essene community center where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. After our busy day, we return to Jerusalem for dinner and an overnight stay. Meals: B.L.D

Our day begins with a visit to the Sanctuary of the Palms at Bethpage, located on top of the Mount of Olives. On our Palm Sunday walk, we visit the Chapel of the Ascension and the Church of Eleona, where Jesus taught his apostles during his final week, and where we can read the Lord’s Prayer in many different languages. Explore Dominus Flevit Church, built on the spot where Jesus wept over the city. We walk by the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Basilica of the Agony, where we celebrate Mass. At the Pool of Siloam, see where Jesus healed the blind man. On Mount Zion, visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the house of Caiaphas, where we will pray in the cistern where Jesus was imprisoned after his arrest. We visit the Upper Room, where the Holy Spirit empowered the church for mission, and conclude at Dormition Abbey, where Mary died surrounded by the apostles. We return to our hotel in Jerusalem. In the evening, we meet the Christians of Bethlehem in their homes and share a special “Sharing the Bread” meal with them. Meals:B. Special dinner

Early this morning, while the Old City is still asleep, we pray the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, walking to the Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. We celebrate Mass of the Resurrection at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After breakfast, we travel to the Western Wall, the holiest place on earth for the Jewish people. Our next visit is to the Church of St. Anne, the medieval Crusader church that honors the parents of Mary, Sts. Joachim and Ann, the place of Mary’s birth, and the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the paralytic. Here we experience a healing service. Before our dinner at the rooftop restaurant Wine and Cheese, we visit the newly finished Pentecost Room at the Notre Dame Hotel. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with locally produced wine. Overnight in Jerusalem. Meals: B. Special dinner)

From the airport in Tel Aviv, we fly home, filled with the joy of the gospel, a more profound love for Jesus, and memories that will last a lifetime.