Holy Land Pilgrimage
10 Days with Katie Patrizio, Amer Shehadeh & Fr. Chris Reising
NEW DATES: January 5-14, 2023
Why go on a pilgrimage?
Christians throughout the ages have referred to the Holy Land as the "fifth gospel." Visiting the geographic setting of the Scriptures gives them a dimension and verve that is hard to put into words. People often say that they read the Bible differently after going to the Holy Land and that their faith takes on a new meaning. Going to the Holy Land means allowing Our Lord to encounter you in a whole new way. You will see the same landscape He gazed upon. You will walk the same soil He trod. And you will stand in the place where He wrought our salvation for us. One thing is clear about a visit to the Holy Land - no one ends up there by chance. God calls every pilgrim individually to travel to the land of His birth.
One of my favorite things about visiting the sacred sites is the special "liturgical calendar." Each site has its own Mass readings that allow us to quite literally "travel" through the Biblical story. There is nothing like listening to the Sermon on the Mount while standing on the Mount of Beatitudes or celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation and hearing the Gospel of Luke proclaim, "The angel Gabriel was sent from God to this town of Galilee called Nazareth." Through the liturgy we will be able to follow the life of Our Lord, experiencing all the same joys and sorrows that He did.
I'm especially excited for this trip because we will be blessed to have arguably the best native Catholic guide in Israel touring with us. Amer Shehadeh has been guiding pilgrimages to the Holy Land for over 30 years. He has guided for Scott Hahn, regularly guides Steve Ray's trips, and even personally showed Jim Caviezel around the Holy Land after he filmed The Passion. Amer's family clan has been Latin Rite Catholic since the Middle Ages and lives in Nazareth - the hometown of Our Lord. They call the Basilica of the Annunciation their home parish, celebrating Mass each Sunday over the cave where the Word became flesh. In recent years, Amer has stepped back from guiding trips as often and has focused more on running his travel business out of Nazareth. He has agreed to personally guide this trip though - a huge blessing!
The bulk of our group will be traveling from Des Moines, Iowa and we will have Fr. Chris Reising of the Diocese of Des Moines as our spiritual director. For those of you who don't know Fr. Chris, he is a faithful priest who you will love.
The cost of the trip is $3,825 based on double occupancy. A single supplement is available for those who wish to have a private room throughout the trip. Complete details as well as itinerary are listed below.
I hope you can join me, Fr. Chris, and Amer in the Holy Land in January 2023! I will be on-duty and at your service 24/7 to answer any questions you might have about Scripture, the sacred sites, and the faith.
It will be life-changing, the trip of a lifetime!
Sincerely yours,
Katie Patrizio
Amer and Katie on the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
(May 2019)
Our Itinerary
Day 1 - Thursday, January 5: Depart the US on an overnight flight to Israel. Dinner and breakfast served en route.
Day 2 - Friday, January 6: (Arrival in Israel | Galilee | Tiberias) Arrival in Tel Aviv’s modern Ben Gurion Airport. We meet our local Catholic guide and transfer to Galilee. Mass and dinner on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Overnight in Tiberias.
Day 3 - Saturday, January 7: (Mount of Transfiguration | Cana | Nazareth | Tiberias) Ascend the Mount of Transfiguration (Mount Tabor) early for Mass to miss the crowds then depart for the Wedding Church in Cana for Renewal of Wedding Vows. After lunch in Nazareth, we'll visit the Church of the Annunciation and the house of the Holy Family. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.
Day 4 - Sunday, January 8: (Mount of Beatitudes | Tabgha | Tiberias) Mount of Beatitudes for Mass. Continue on to Caesarea Philippi where Jesus said, "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church." Drive through Golan Heights; view the Syrian border and pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters. Lunch at Druze restaurant. Visit Tabgha where Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes. Visit the Primacy of Peter where Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Day 5 - Monday, January 9: (Sea of Galilee | Capernaum | Jerusalem) Today enjoy a boat ride on Sea of Galilee. Arrive by boat to Capernaum for Mass at St. Peter’s House and the synagogue where Jesus said, “Eat My Flesh!” Drive to Jerusalem stopping along the way at Ein Kerem to visit the Church of the Visitation.
Day 6 - Tuesday, January 10: (Bethlehem | Jerusalem) Today we will support our Christian brothers and sisters by shopping in the local olive wood stores. We will celebrate Mass at Shepherd's Field and visit the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born.
Day 7 - Wednesday, January 11: (Via Dolorosa | Calvary | Western Wall | Jerusalem) Depart early this morning and travel along the Via Dolorosa. Arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Touch the top of Mount Calvary. Mass at the tomb of Christ (subject to confirmation). Head to the Notre Dame for breakfast. Depart for prayer at the Western Wall. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure. This evening we will have the opportunity to spend some time in meditation in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified, pending confirmation.
Day 8 - Thursday, January 12: (Gethsemane | Mt. Olives | Mt. Zion | Jerusalem) Begin today with Mass at the Garden of Gethsemane. Drive to the Mount of Olives to visit the Church of the Pater Noster. Enjoy lunch at a Jewish kibbutz. Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the Church of the Dormition and the Upper Room, ending at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu.
Day 9 - Friday, January 13: (Dead Sea Excursion | Jerusalem) Start the day with a visit to the Israel Museum to look at the model of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. We visit the section of the Museum called the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We then leave Jerusalem and drive down to the Judean desert and visit the site of Qumran where the Essene community dwelt and wrote the scrolls. Continue on our excursion to Jericho and celebrate Mass at the Good Shepherd Church in Jericho. Time for swimming in the Dead Sea. We will also renew Baptismal vows at the Jordan River, the authentic baptismal site of Jesus. Dinner and overnight. Depending on flight schedule we may leave this evening or very early in the morning for the airport for our return flight home.
Day 10 - Saturday, January 14: Early departure from the hotel to the airport for our flight back home.
NOTE: While no changes are anticipated, there may be occasions when certain alterations become necessary to this itinerary due to changes beyond our control.
The streets of Jerusalem
The Sea of Galilee
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre which houses the tomb of Christ as well as the rock of Calvary
Details
Price per person (USD): $3,825.00
Single Supplement: $960.00
Includes:
8 nights of accommodations including breakfast and dinner
Roundtrip airfare from Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
Tour guide throughout trip
Transportation in deluxe buses
All entrance fees
Special Farewell Dinner
Audio guiding system in the Holy Land
Porterage fees at all hotels and airports
Mass reservations as per itinerary
Taxes on all services including hotel taxes
Dead Sea excursion including Qumran and the Israel Museum
Does not include:
Tips for guide, bus driver, restaurant or hotel staff ($150 USD/person to be collected on arrival)
Lunches (budget $15-$20 per day)
Any personal expenses such as telephone calls, beverages, laundry, and medical/travel insurance
Payment Schedule
Deposit: $700.00 (Non-refundable, due upon registration)
June 15, 2022: $1,562.50
November 15, 2022: $1,562.50
***BesTour Cancellation & Refund Policy***
Once a deposit or partial/full payment has been made, cancellations will only be accepted in writing. Cancellation terms will be applied based on the date that the written cancellation is received. In addition to a $700 per person administration fee, the following charges apply:
60-46 days prior to departure: 50%
45-22 days prior to departure: 80%
21 days prior to departure or less: No refund
Additionally, once tickets are issued the ticket value is non-refundable. Requests for a refund must be in writing (mail, fax or e-mail). Phone calls cannot be used as a form of cancellation. Refunds will be issued within 30 to 60 days of receipt of written notice. No change of names or substitutions are permitted. No refund or cancellation fees will be waived due to death or sickness.
