Heights School. Holy Land. Crescite Week Holy Land Tentative Itinerary
February 24-March 4, 2023

Departure: 24 FEB Dulles Airport (IAD)

6:05 PM Austrian Air Flight #94 via Vienna

Notes:

• A visit to the new Saxum Center in Jerusalem will be added to the itinerary.
• MEALS- All meals included. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 1 in Israel FEB 25

Tel Aviv – Nazareth

• Arrive in Tel Aviv 2:55 PM / Austrian Air 857 from Vienna
• After Passport Control, be greeted by our guide and driver
• Drive north along the Mediterranean Seacoast to Nazareth
• Father will celebrate Holy Mass after we check into our hotel and then have dinner and rest

Day 2

Nazareth – Mt. Tabor – Cana – Nazareth

Today, Father will celebrate a special Holy Mass at Mt. Tabor where Jesus revealed His Glory in the Transfiguration

After breakfast

• Walk across the street to the Church of the Annunciation to visit the Grotto where Mary ‘heard The Word’ and the upper parish church
• After, visit the museum built over the village of Nazareth and learn about the many churches that have been built over the House of Mary
• Stop at Joseph’s Carpenter Shop
• And then walk through the town where Jesus grew up
• Continue up to the Synagogue Church to read scripture and pray before walking to Mary’s Well in the Greek Orthodox Church
• Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant

In the afternoon

• Drive to Mount Tabor
• Transfer to taxis and go up to visit Antonio Barlucci’s magnificent church. Here where Jesus revealed His Glory in the Transfiguration
• Holy Mass
• Return to Nazareth, drive to the Wedding Church in Cana
• Return to Nazareth for dinner and overnight
• After dinner, experience praying the Rosary in the Grotto if possible

Day 3

NAZARETH – SEA OF GALILEE – NAZARETH

This morning, Father will celebrate Holy Mass in the Annunciation Basilica in Nazareth

After breakfast

• Depart for the Sea of Galilee to visit Tabgha where Our Lord fed the 5,000 men with 2 loaves and 5 fishes
• Continue to The Primacy where he asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and then to the Mount of Beatitudes. Mass-TBA
• Stop to enjoy the Lunch of Saint Peter’s fish (there’s other choices if you don’t care for fish)

In the afternoon

• Boat ride / meditation on the Sea of Galilee

In the evening

• Transfer back to Nazareth, dinner and overnight in our hotel

Day 4

NAZARETH – CAESAREA MARITIMA – BETHLEHEM- JERUSALEM

Today, Father will celebrate the Holy Mass in the Grotto of St. Joseph at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem

After breakfast

• Drive to the Mediterranean Seacoast to visit Caesarea Maritime and visit of the ancient city, with the Roman theater and crusader’s fortress
• Visit the city of Bethlehem, the oldest Christian church in the world, built over the place where Our Lord was born
• Father will celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Nativity-Grotto of St Joseph
• Drive down to Shepherd’s Field
• Lunch at the Franciscan Casa Nova

Afternoon

• Time to shop in one of the Catholic stores before return to our hotel in Jerusalem.
• Check in to our hotel in Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight

Day 5

JERUSALEM – JERICHO – QUMRAN – DEAD SEA -JERUSALEM

Today, Father will celebrate Holy Mass in the desert of Wadi Kelt* subject to change

After breakfast

• Drive South to the Judean Desert
• Stop at the Jordan River, where Father will renew our Baptismal promises before continuing to the Holy City of Jerusalem
• Enter Palestine, and visit the old city of Jericho.
• See the Mount of Temptations and the excavations of the oldest city in the world
• Stop at the Sycamore tree
• Lunch
• Transfer to the Dead Sea, and visit the excavation of Qumran, where the Dead sea scrolls where found
• Enjoy floating (optional) the very lowest and saltiest waters of the world
• Return to Hotel in Jerusalem
• Dinner and overnight

Day 6

JERUSALEM: MOUNT OF OLIVES – MOUNT SION

Today, Father will celebrate Holy Mass at the Basilica of Gethsemane/ Agony Main Altar

After breakfast

• We’ll drive up on the Mt of Olives and walk down from the place of the Ascension to the Carmelite Convent where we remember Jesus teaching the Our Father
• Continue down to Dominus Flevit where He wept over the city
• Down to the Garden of Gethsemane
• Continue to St. Peter in Gallicantu where our Lord was held by the high priest when he was arrested

After Lunch

• Drive around the Old City to Mt Zion to visit Dormition Abbey where “Mary Slept” and the Upper Room (Last Supper)
• Depart to Ein Karem to visit the Birthplace of St. John the Baptist
• Holy Mass Basilica of Gethsemane/ Agony Main Altar
• Climb to the Church of the Visitation where Mary went to help her cousin Elizabeth
• Return to hotel in Jerusalem. Rest.
• Depart by bus for a Special Farewell Middle-East Feast Dinner
• Return to hotel in Jerusalem for overnight

Day 7

JERUSALEM: OLD CITY

Early this morning, Father will celebrate the Holy Mass at the Holy Sepulchre on Golgatha/ Calvary altar.

After breakfast

• Father will celebrate Mass at the Holy Sepulchre
• (Time TBA) Pray and walk the Via Dolorosa, (the actual Stations of the Cross) carrying a cross up through the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Stop on Calvary, and have an opportunity to enter the Tomb
• Drive around the Old City to visit the Western Wall
• Lunch
• We pass the closed Golden Gate as we leave and enter the Crusader church of St. Ann’s and the Pools of Bethesda
• Leave the city by St. Stephen’s Gate
• Enjoy a free afternoon in the Old City, in the market or for another visit to the Holy Sepulchre
• Back to hotel dinner and overnight
• Special evening activity.

Day 8

JERUSALEM – TEL AVIV

Early AM

• Holy Mass early AM
• Coffee and breakfast cake before departure to Tel Aviv for our flights home

Departure from Israel

• March 4, Tel Aviv (TLV) 7:55 AM Lufthansa Flight #0695 via Frankfurt
  Arrive: March 4, 3:55 PM Lufthansa Flight #418, Dulles