Itinerary*

Day 1: Depart USA
Our pilgrimage begins today as we depart on our flight to Israel. Meals and drinks served aloft.

Day 2: Arrive Tel Aviv / Jerusalem
Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, we will be met by our local guide who will escort us throughout our stay in the Holy Land and make the scripture come alive as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Drive to our hotel in Jerusalem, home for the next six nights.

Day 3: Jerusalem
Mass at the Garden of Gethsemane
This morning, drive to the top of the Mt. of Olives for a spectacular view of Jerusalem. Visit the Church of Pater Noster, Ascension, and then walk the "Palm Sunday Road" where the Franciscans lead a Palm Sunday procession each year to Dominus Flevit, the place Our Lord wept over Jerusalem. Proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations for Mass on the Rock of Agony. This afternoon, enter the Old City of Jerusalem. Visit the Church of St. Anne, the Pool of Bethesda, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, and the Arch of the "Ecce Homo". We will then carry a wooden cross along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord.

Day 4: Jerusalem
Mass at the Grotto of the Nativity
Drive to Bethlehem for Mass. Above the traditional Grotto of Jesus' birth, visit the Nativity Church, built by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. Also tour the Manger, Grotto of St. Jerome, the Church of St. Catherine, an active Franciscan parish, and the Shepherd's Fields. This afternoon, drive to Mt. Zion to visit the Cenacle or Upper Room. Then survey the Dormition Abbey and St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus three times.

Day 5: Jerusalem
Mass at the Chapel of Flagellation
After Mass, visit the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Area, the Dome of the Rock, el Aqsa Mosque, and the Wailing Wall. Enter the restored Jewish Quarter and walk along the excavated Cardo, once a main street of ancient Jerusalem. Enjoy touring the Herodian Mansions, a complex of villas from 2000 years ago before returning to our hotel. In the afternoon, drive through the New City of Jerusalem to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist and several other Franciscan holy places, to see the Visitation Church where Mary proclaimed her famous "Magnificat". The remainder of the afternoon will be free.

Day 6: Jerusalem
Mass at the Holy Sepulchre
After early mass at the Tomb of Our Lord in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is shared by the Roman and Greek rites, drive back to the hotel for breakfast. At the New City of Jerusalem, see a scale model of this ancient city as it was during the time of Jesus. Then, by way of the Knesset (Israel's Parliament), drive to the Shrine of the Book to see where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. The remainder of the day will be free for personal activities. In the evening there will be a special "Farewell Jerusalem" dinner arranged in our honor at a typical Middle Eastern Restaurant.

Day 7: Jerusalem / Tiberias
Mass at Bethany
Following breakfast, proceed to Bethany to visit the site of the House of Mary, Martha & Lazarus and the Tomb of Lazarus. Continue through the Judean Wilderness and along the Dead Sea to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Continue to Jericho, the oldest known city in the western world. From the top of the ancient "tel", we'll have an excellent view of Elisha's Fountain, the Qarantal and the Mount of Temptation. Drive through the Jordan Valley and along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Baptismal site at the River Jordan. Continue to Tiberias for check-in at our local hotel.

Day 8: Tiberias
Mass at the Mount of Beatitudes
This morning, enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Jesus during his ministry. After visiting the synagogue where he taught, drive to Tabgha - site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. Next, Drive to another church maintained by the Franciscans, the Church of the Beatitudes , for Mass at the site of the Sermon on the Mount. This afternoon, ascending the Golan Heights we'll stop at the Banias Spring that rises from under a cave and is one of the sources of the Jordan River. It was here in Banias (ancient Caesarea Philipi) where Peter made his confession of faith in Jesus. Overnight in Tiberias.

Day 9: Tiberias
Mass at the Annunciation Church
Following breakfast, drive to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle - changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, we'll invite couples to renew their marriage vows. Following Mass in Nazareth at the Basilica of the Annunciation, visit Joseph's Workshop, the Cave of the Annunciation, the Church of St. Joseph, the Church of the Holy Family, the House of Mary & Joseph, and Mary's Well. In the afternoon take an excursion to the summit of Mt. Tabor to visit the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Return to Tiberias.

Day 10: Tiberias / Netanya
Mass at Stella Maris on Mount Carmel
Following breakfast, depart for Tiberias for Netanya, a suburb of Tel Aviv located on the Mediterranean. En route tour the sparkling port city of Haifa. Ascend Mt. Carmel, home of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, for Mass. Continue along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the capital of the ancient Roman Procurators of Judea, where we will see the Roman Theater, Crusader's Moat, and the Byzantine Churches. Proceed through the Valley of Sharon to Netanya for our last night in the Holy Land.

Day 11: Netanya / Tel Aviv / USA
Today our Holy Land pilgrimage comes to an end. Following breakfast, we will transfer from our hotel to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.

*Please note that this is only a sample itinerary. Actual trip itinerary may vary slightly in length and in activities. For specific information please contact:

Tekton Ministries
Pilgrimage Office
9924 Cedar Ridge Dr.
Carmel, IN 46032
toll free (866) 905-3787