15D MEDJUGORJE & EASTERN EUROPE PILGRIMAGE CROATIA – BOSNIA – HUNGARY – POLAND – CZECH REPUBLIC Itinerary: DAY 1: BORNEO OR KUL – DUBAI - ZAGREB (MEAL ON BOARD) Borneo Pilgrims – Depart KKIA to KLIA and meet main group at Emirate Check in counter. KL Pilgrims - Assemble 3 hours before at Emirate check in counter Flight departs after midnight at 1.55am for Zagreb via Dubai (Transit 3hrs 30mins). DAY 2: ZAGREB (D) Arrive Zagreb at 12.35 noon. After immigration and baggage clearance, meet and proceed for half day City tour. Funicular journey to upper town Gornji Grad, view of Zagreb Cathedral, Bloody Bridge. visit the St Mark’s Square which consists of the Parliament Building, Lotrscak Tower, Tkalciceva Street ➢ Cathedral of Assumption - it is the symbol of Zagreb with its two neo-Gothic towers dominating the skyline at 104 and 105 metres. In the Treasury of the Cathedral, above the sacristy, priceless treasures have been stored, including the artefacts from 11th to 19th century. Many great Croats had been buried inside the Cathedral. ➢ St Mark’s Square - St. Mark’s Church that was built in the mid-13th century dominates this most beautiful square of the Upper Town. Many events crucial for Zagreb and entire Croatia took place here and many important edifices and institutions are located in this relatively tight space. The most attractive of all is St. Mark’s Church with its Romanesque naves, Gothic vaults and sanctuary and picturesque tiles on its multi- coloured roof that are arranged in such way that they form historical coats of arms of Zagreb and Croatia. The square also houses a Neo-Classicist building of the Croatian Parliament built in the first decade of the 20th century and Banski dvori, the seat of Croatian Government. (Ban was the civil governor during Austro- Hungarian rule). Mass at Church. Check in to hotel Dinner and overnight in the hotel. DAY 3: ZAGREB – ZADAR - DUBROVNIK (B/L/D) Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and depart for Dubrovnik via Zadar (635kms – 8hrs 45mins) Mass at Church. Photo stop at the Sea Organ Lunch at local restaurant. Arrive Dubrovnik in the evening Dinner and overnight in the hotel. DAY 4: DUBROVNIK - MEDJUGORJE (B/L/D) Breakfast at the hotel. Mass at Church. Check out and city tour of Dubrovnik. Photo stop at Bell Tower Clock, Orlando’s Column, Franciscan Monastery, Sponza Palace and Dominican Monastery. ➢ Dubrovnik - is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. It is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic" and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Is steeped in stunning architecture and sculptural detail, and boasts spectacular churches, monasteries, museums, and fountains. ➢ City Walls - No visit to Dubrovnik would be complete without a leisurely walk around the city walls. ➢ Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin - the cathedral is notable for its fine altars, especially the altar of St John Nepomuk, made of violet marble. The cathedral treasury contains relics of St Blaise as well as 138 gold and silver reliquaries largely made in the workshops of Dubrovnik’s goldsmiths between the 11th and 17th centuries. Among a number of religious paintings, the most striking is the polyptych of the Assumption of the Virgin, made in Titian’s workshop. ➢ St Ignatius Church - has frescos displaying scenes from the life of St Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit society. Abutting the church is the Jesuit College, located at the top of a broad flight of stairs leading down to the square Gundulićeva Poljana, where a bustling morning market is held. The monument in the centre of the square is of Dubrovnik’s famous poet, Ivan Gundulić. Reliefs on the pedestal depict scenes from his epic poem, Osman. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, depart for Medjugorje (124kms – 3hrs 15mins) ➢ Medjugorje - The name Medjugorje literally means "between mountains". It became an important place of pilgrimage and encouragement for faith and spiritual life for millions of people and thousands prayer groups. Many people experienced God's grace and presence in their hearts on this place and often receive motivation to lead a better, more valuable life. A life with love and opened heart for God and people, life of prayer and communion with God. Prayers, changed lives and humanitarian activities and projects influenced or inspired by Medjugorje without doubt help make this world a better place. Maybe more, than we would expect. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. DAY 5: MEDJUGORJE (B & D) Optional: Group climb Mount Krisevac “The Hill of The Cross”, treading the stony path and following the way of the cross to the submit of the mountain, where the group will arrive at the break of dawn (on foot). Breakfast at the hotel. Mass at Church. Proceed for half day sightseeing tour of Medjugorje City Visit the St James Church Proceed to visit the Hill of the Apparitions, Blue Cross, Chapel of Two Hearts, Caritas Mission House and the Path through the Vineyards Proceed for sightseeing tour of The Shrine and the Village (Optional) Join public MASS at the Saint James Church. ➢ The Cross Mountain – also known as Mt Krizevac is the highest mountain in the area. A relic of the True Cross of Jesus was received from Rome from Pope Pius XI and built into this cross. Before 1933, and the erection of the cross, Medjugorje endured many hail storms that destroyed the villager’s crops in the fields. This was a tremendous hardship because, materially, the villager’s had little. Upon completion of the cross, the storms ceased, and there have been no reports of such storms again in this area. It is a penitential climb that leads pilgrims to reflect upon their relationship with God and what they need to change in their lives to draw closer to Him. Often deep healing, cleansing and peace is experienced at the summit of the mountain, at the foot of the cross, after pilgrims arrive at the top. Our Lady has made it clear in her messages that it is her desire to see pilgrims climbing both Cross Mountain and Apparition Mountain. ➢ ➢ ➢ Saint James Church – The Apostle St. James the Greater, of whom the church of St. James in Medjugorje was dedicated, is the Patron Saint of Pilgrims. This is just one of many acts of God’s providence that helps to reveal the larger picture behind the events of Medjugorje. There were many different locations of the apparitions during the years when they took place at St. James Church. The first apparitions in the church were actually in the sanctuary, right above the altar, then the side room of the main sanctuary and in the Adoration Chapel behind the church. ➢ Hill of Apparition – or formerly known as Mount Podbrdo was the 1st mountain that Our Lady appeared on, to the visionaries of Medjugorje. It is a steep and rock-strewn path that ascends to the actual location where Our Lady appears. It was from Apparition Mountain where Our Lady first began inviting the world, through the visionaries and the village of Medjugorje, to respond to her call. There have been literally thousands of apparitions of Our Lady on this mountain—apparitions that continue even to this day. Our Lady indicated early in the apparitions that God would one day place a “sign” upon Apparition Mountain that would serve as proof to authenticate the apparitions. What has been called the “Lasting Sign” is actually the third out of ten secrets Our Lady gave to the visionaries. It will appear somewhere on Apparition Mountain. The “Lasting Sign” will be permanent, visible, and indestructible, and will remain until the end of time. ➢ The Wooden Cross – off to the left of the main path coming down Apparition Mountain, marks the spot of an event that took place between Our Lady and the visionary Marija on June 26th, 1981. Marija was ahead of the others coming down the mountain after Our Lady had already appeared to the children further up the mountain. She was proceeding downhill, on her way home. Suddenly, she was mysteriously pushed to the side by an unseen force, and immediately afterwards Our Lady appeared, with a bare wooden cross behind her. Our Lady was in tears and her voice full of sadness as she spoke this message: “Peace, peace, peace. Be reconciled! Only Peace. Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to Confession.” ➢ The Blue Cross – is located at the base of Apparition Mountain. It is on this Church of St Peter & site that Our Lady appeared to the visionaries when they were hiding from the Paul communist police in the beginning days of the apparitions. Dinner and overnight in hotel. DAY 6: MEDJUGORJE –MOSTAR - SARAJEVO (B/L/D) Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and depart for Sarajevo via Mostar. (28km/35Mins) Sightseeing tour view of Old Bridge, Neretva River, Turkish House and Crooked Bridge Mass at Church. Journey from Mostar to Jablanica (50km/1hr 15Mins) ➢ Mostar – is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (natively: mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. ➢ Old Bridge – was a stone bridge with a single span of almost 29 meters and a curvature close to a lowered centre half-circle, (with some peculiarities at the impost level and at the key stone). It was characterized by very slender and elegant shapes: its profile and its skyline were so thin and so high over the river waters that it was hardly to believe that such a structure could be worked out of huge stone blocks.