The Holy Land with a touch of Spain 12-day Catholic Pilgrimage: October 17th - 28th, 2018 www.materdeitours.com – Toll Free: 1-800-515-2632 Day-by-day tentative itinerary In collaboration with: * All Masses are subject to changes (12 days / 2 flying days) from local Ecclesiastical authorities. INCLUDED MEALS LEGEND: M = Airplane Meal B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner Day 01: Wednesday, October 17th 2018: Depart U.S.A. (M) Depart United States for Tel Aviv with a stop in Madrid. If flying with the group, your flights depart either from Chicago or New York and fly to Madrid non-stop. Puerta de Alcala (Departures from other cities may have an additional price). Day 02: Thursday, October 18th: Madrid & Tel Aviv. (M, M) Arrive in Spain’s Capital and enjoy a panoramic drive of Madrid’s most famous sights like "Puerta de Alcalá", the “Gran Via”, Cibeles Fountain, the Royal Palace and the massive Cathedral of the “Almudena”, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. There is a beautiful chapel inside dedicated to St. Josemaría’s devotion to Our Lady of Almudena. Then, following St. Josemaría’s Basilica of St. Michael Almudena Cathedral footsteps, walk through some of Madrid’s old streets where places unique to the history of this Saint founder can be found. Arrive at Plaza Mayor, the most famous square in Madrid, and nearby you’ll 12 - Day Trip Inclusions: find the Pontifical Basilica of St. Michael, entrusted to the care of Opus Dei. Mass* celebrated here in a spirit of thanksgiving (for • Round trip Airfare from Chicago O’Hare and New a safe voyage). After a lunch break, drive by places which are York, Kennedy to Madrid and Tel Aviv important to the history of Opus Dei. Continue to Madrid’s airport * (Airfare available from other cities for an add-on cost) to catch your flight to Tel Aviv. Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel • Private Motor-coach in Israel with private driver Aviv and transfer to your hotel for a two-night stay. Cibeles Fountain Caesarea • Transfers airport – hotel – airport (for those flying with Maritima the group) Day 03: Friday, October 19th: Caesarea Maritima, • Baggage Porterage (1 bag per person) Mt. Carmel and Haifa. (B, D) Depart for Caesarea Maritima, • Hotel accommodations at first class properties the old capital of the Roman Province of Palestina Prima. See Roman • 21 Meals including 10 breakfasts and 9 Dinners, plus and Crusader ruins, along with the harbour from which St. Paul was taken prisoner to Rome. Continue on to Haifa where you’ll visit Mount Carmel 2 lunches (St. Peter’s Fish and Christian Families at and the Cave of Elijah. Mass* is scheduled here. Enjoy panoramic views Beit Sahour) of the Mediterranean Sea and Haifa City. Afterwards, return to your hotel Mt. Tabor • Admissions to all Featured Visits on the Mediterranean Coast. • Spiritual program including Masses, Rosaries, Nazareth Meditations (and more) in unforgettable places Day 04: Saturday, October 20th: Mt. Tabor, Cana • Roman Catholic Priest as Chaplain and Nazareth. (B, D) Begin the day with an unforgettable visit to • Juan Landa, from Mater Dei Tours as Tour Director Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Experience the views • Professional Holy Land guide and translator (Roman from where Peter, James and John saw the Glorified Lord with Moses Catholic) and Elijah. Afterwards, arrive at the site where Christ performed His first Miracle, Cana, where a surprise awaits for those married couples • Local hotel taxes, hospitality taxes & service charges attending. In the afternoon, visit Nazareth at the Basilica of the The Annunciation • Gratuities for included meal servers, bell boys and Annunciation where Holy Mass* is celebrated. After Mass, pray before Sea of Galilee front desk (tip not included for housekeeper, local the grotto where the Annunciation took place. Then walk to the Church of St. driver and tour manager) Joseph’s Workshop where men will consecrate their families to the head of the • Full documentation packet with luggage tags, name Holy Family. Time permitting, our staff will have some surprise visits planned for tags & re-usable wallet you in Nazareth. • Special touch/gifts: Hand-sized Olive Wood Cross to Day 05: Sunday, October 21st: Caesarea Philippi, Mt. of carry on the Way of the Cross. Olive Wood Rosary, Boat Ride made by Christians in the Holy Land, Pilgrimage Beatitudes, Tabgha (multiplication of loaves & fishes), Sea of Galilee Boat Ride, St. Peter’s Fish Lunch, St. Did you know? Certificate from the Latin Custodian (Holy See’s Peter’s Primacy, Capernaum. (B, L, D) After breakfast, travel to Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land) beautiful Caesarea Philippi, where Peter proclaimed Christ as the Son of God The Dead Sea Does not include: and received the Keys to the Kingdom. Then proceed to the lake’s shore of the is known for • Gratuities for tour guide and bus driver not included Sea of Galilee to visit the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount is its therapeutic remembered. Travel to Tabgha (with its famous ancient mosaic commemorating ($8 per day per person for guide) waters. It is ($4 per day, per person for bus driver) the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes). Take a memorable boat ride across the same lake Jesus walked, the Sea of Galilee (also known as the the lowest • Mass Offertories and Housekeeping at your discretion Lake of Genesareth or the Sea of Tiberias). A memorable fish lunch is planned point on Earth • Beverages at some meals are not included (St. Peter’s Fish). After lunch, continue on to the Church of Peter's Primacy (1,348 ft)! (Please read Terms & Conditions/see registration for prices) (where Peter declares his love for Jesus three times). Continue on to Capernaum When we to see the ruins of the ancient synagogue and St. Peter's house. Holy Mass* NOTE: Although travel from the a motor-coach is will be celebrated in Capernaum. Return to your hotel for dinner. included for tour Dead Sea to nd transportation, it Day 06: Monday, October 22 : Jordan River, Jericho, Bethany & Bethlehem: (B, D) If conditions Jerusalem we is important to are favorable, travel to the real site of Jesus’ Baptism by the Jordan River. Afterwards drive to Jericho via the Jordan Valley by actually climb point out that all the excavations of the oldest city in the world. Here, you will have an opportunity to view the Mt. of Temptations. Then travel to Holy Land Bethany, home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, the place where Jesus enjoyed his good friends (Holy Mass* celebrated in 3,865 feet! Pilgrimages Bethany). End the day in Bethlehem at one of our favorite Christian owned hotels (1st of 6 nights). require a considerable amount of walking. www.materdeitours.com – Toll Free: 1-800-515-2632 INCLUDED MEALS LEGEND: M = Airplane Meal // B = Breakfast // L = Lunch // D = Dinner Caves of Qumran Day 07: Tuesday, October 23rd: Ein Karem, New Jerusalem, Israeli Museum: Dead Sea Scrolls & Jerusalem Model and Dead Sea. (B, D) Drive to Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist where Holy Mass* is celebrated. A rosary procession follows as you climb to the Church of the Visitation, site of Elizabeth and Zachariah’s home. Then continue to the New Jerusalem, passing the Hebrew University and the Knesset, visit the Israeli Museum and the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit) and then to the 2nd Model of Old Jerusalem. After lunch, travel east to visit Qumran (where the Essene enclave was) and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden. Finally, descend to the lowest point on Earth to dip in the therapeutic waters of the The Dead Sea. Return to Bethlehem for overnight. Visitation Dead Sea Day 08: Wednesday, October 24th: Bethlehem all day. (B, L, D) Start a wonderful day in Bethlehem and see the Church of the Nativity and below it, the cave-stable of Jesus' birth. Holy Mass* requested either at the cave where St. Jerome translated the bible into Latin or at the tomb of the Holy Innocents. Afterwards, share lunch in the homes of local Christian families. After lunch, drive to the town of Beit Sahour where you’ll find the Shepherd's Fields, inhabited by Christians for hundreds of years. Day 09: Thursday, October 25th: Mt of Olives, Gethsemane, Ascension Betrayal Cave, Western Wall, Mt. Zion, Kidron Valley & Caiaphas’ Palace. (B, D) This morning, drive up to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful view of Jerusalem. See the Place of Ascension and the Pater Noster Church (site where the “Our Father” prayer was first taught), and walk the Palm Sunday Way. At Dominus Flevit the foot of the hill see the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive Site of Christ’s Birth trees and the Church of All Nations (with the rock where Jesus prayed in agony). Holy Mass* is celebrated here. Then visit the Wailing (or Western) Wall, with views of the Al-Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. View the Pool of Bethesda scene of Jesus’ healing the paralytic next to the wind-ruffled pool water. See the site known as David’s memorial and then visit the Caenaculum, the place where the Last Supper occurred as well as the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Walk closer to the Kidron Valley and see the Pool of Siloam, and St. Peter in Gallicantu (where St. Peter denied Jesus) built over the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest. Garden of Gethsemane (Mt. of Olives) Day 10: Friday, October 26th: Old City of Jerusalem, Christian Shrines, The Man of the Shroud Exhibit.