Holy Land Pilgrimage

rock churches - cappadocia

Update: Holy Land Pilgramage 2009

We've had an interest in joining up with Bishop Greg Kerr Wilson of the diocese of Qu'Appelle for a Holy Land pilgrimage from May 25-June 6 2009.  Bishop Greg has some people in his diocese who would like to participate in a pilgrimage, so we are adjusting our plans a bit to have a larger fellowship of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Here is the itinerary (very similar to our original pilgrimage route) with two options:  Israel only, and for those who wish, Egypt and Israel:

$5350.00 Canadian

Please consider joining us for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May-June 2009. The trip will be led by the Reverend Sally French, the Reverend Joseph Walker, and the Right Reverend Gregory Kerr-Wilson. We will be journeying through Israel, following the bible stories from Bethlehem to Nazareth, the Galilee, and, of course, Jerusalem.

 Itinerary:

Monday, May 25, 2009: Depart North America for Israel.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009: Arrive in Tel Aviv. Transfer to Jerusalem, rest and recover from the flight. Dinner and overnight at our guesthouse within the Old City walls.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009: Our pilgrimage begins with an overview of the Holy City, its history and geography. We will begin to get a sense of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. As well, we will encounter the city today, with all its diversity, challenges, and beauty. We will journey around and within the city, including several stops at the famous lookouts on Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives. As well, we will visit the church of St Peters’ Gallicantu (“where the cock crowed”) on Mount Zion. In the afternoon, we will begin our explorations of the four quarters of the Old City. Lunch on your own.

Thursday, May 28, 2009: The Birth of the Messiah: We journey to Bethlehem, to explore the Basilica of the Nativity, Manger Square, and Shepherd’s Fields. We will meet with some of the local Christians and experience a bit of life in Bethlehem today. On our return to Jerusalem, we begin our explorations of the Jerusalem of Jesus with a visit to the Israel museum, including their Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit (the “Shrine of the Book”), and their exceptional half-acre model of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. Dinner on your own.

Friday, May 29, 2009: The Holy City: Today, we explore the sacred sites of ancient Jerusalem, beginning with the Western (“Wailing”) Wall and the Temple Mount. Much of today will be spent exploring the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our explorations will also include Mount Zion and the traditional sites of the Last Supper. Lunch and Dinner on your own.

Saturday, May 30, 2009: The Wilderness of Jesus: the Judean Wilderness, the Dead Sea, Masada and Qumran. No trip to Israel is complete without a visit to the South, to tour King Herod’s desert fortress of Masada, to visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and to float in the mineral-rich waters of the lowest place on earth. We will be traveling into the regions of the Judean and Negev deserts, the wilderness of the New Testament as we continue our journey in the footsteps of Jesus. Lunch on your own.

Sunday, May 31, 2009: A light day with many possibilities for free time. In the morning, there is the option for worship with the local Christian community, at St George’s Anglican Cathedral, at Christ Church Anglican in the Old City, the Garden Tomb, or at any of the other local churches. Afternoon at leisure to shop, to walk, and to enjoy Jerusalem. Lunch and dinner on your own.

Monday, June 1, 2009: With Jesus in the Galilee: Today, we follow Jesus to the northern part of Israel, traveling up the Jordan River Valley, with stops at Mount Tabor (the mountain of the Transfiguration), Bet Shean and Bet Alpha, and on to the city of Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We will begin to see both the breadth and depth of this Holy Land, and to understand further the spiritual geography of our bible and our faith. Dinner and overnight at the Scots Hotel.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009: Following Jesus around the Sea of Galilee: We begin our pilgrimage this day with a renewal of our baptismal vows in the River Jordan, followed by a boat cruise and picnic lunch on the Sea, and a visit to the Ancient Boat Museum (featuring a fishing boat from the time of Jesus). We will tour the churches of the North Shore, including a stop for the celebration of the Eucharist at the Church of Peter’s Primacy, the opportunity to pray and reflect at the Mount of the Beatitudes, and an extensive tour of the ruins of Capernaum. Our day concludes with a drive around the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and on to Nazareth. We stay overnight with the Sisters of Nazareth at their Convent in downtown Nazareth.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009: We will spend our morning exploring the town where Jesus grew up, including the ruins in the Convent where we will be staying, the Church of Saint Gabriel, and the Basilica of the Annunciation. Free time this afternoon, followed by prayers and reflection and an opportunity for holy silence with the Sisters. Dinner and overnight in the Convent. Lunch on your own.

Thursday, June 4, 2009: From Nazareth, we journey towards the Mediterranean Coast and down the coastal plain, stopping at Caesarea Maritima to explore King Herod’s great coastal fortress and the site where Saint Paul was imprisoned before setting sail for Rome. There will be the opportunity to swim and relax on one of Israel’s many beaches. Upon our return to Jerusalem, we will visit the Mount of Olives, walking the pilgrim path down the holy hillside into the Kidron Valley. Dinner and overnight in our guesthouse.

Friday, June 5, 2009: Our pilgrimage winds town today with a free day in Jerusalem. In the evening, we will gather together for a celebratory farewell dinner, prayers, and final reflections on our pilgrimage. Lunch on your own.

Saturday, June 6, 2009: Depart from the Holy Land for North America. Return home.

Please note that, as with any travel experience, the itinerary and accommodations may be subject to small changes.

Accommodations and Meals:
    Your pilgrimage fees include all accommodations and most meals, as described above. The accommodations will all be 4 or 5 star, depending on availability. In Jerusalem, space is at a premium within the Old City walls, and our accommodations there do reflect this limitation. However, we make a point of staying with the local Christians to support our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. We are confident that you will appreciate both the location and care taken by our hosts in the Holy Land. At this point, we cannot confirm the specifics of our accommodations – final details will be given to pilgrims when registration closes and depend, in part, on the size of our group.
Most meals are included in your pilgrimage fees. On a few occasions, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of some of the local restaurants. This is to give you some flexibility with your free time, and to encourage pilgrims to get out into the city, to meet local residents, and to get to know the Holy Land. Most days, we will be traveling together as a group during mealtimes and most meals will be ‘buffet-style’, with plenty of choices and opportunities to experience the local cuisine. We can accommodate almost all dietary restrictions; please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Registration, Fees, and other information:
    The total cost for the pilgrimage is $5350.00 Canadian. This includes all travel from Edmonton or Regina (flights, bus, boat, etc), accommodations, most meals (as described above), all admissions and guiding costs. It does not include medical insurance, local tips, travel visas, beverages, and personal expenses. For more details, please see the registration form. If you are interested in a departure from another city, please email Sally for more information.

    We strive to provide you with both a first-class travel experience and a positive experience of Christian pilgrimage. Throughout our time together, there will be opportunities for worship, for prayer and reflection, and for spiritual direction. This is not a “package tour” – it is a spiritual journey with fellow Christians, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and all the disciples who went before us. We believe that seeing the Holy Land is truly a life-changing experience and we are excited about the possibility of sharing the experience with you.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, experiences, ages, and fitness levels. The pilgrimage is geared to adults, however families are welcome to join us. If you are considering a pilgrimage with children, please email for more specific information about our itinerary and arrangements. If you have concerns about your fitness level, or about the amount of physical activity involved in the pilgrimage, please be assured that most people are able to participate in the daily activities with no problems. If you can walk for three blocks, you will be more than capable of full participation. If you have specific concerns, please contact us. Finally, although your leaders are all Anglican clergy, we welcome people of all Christian backgrounds and we would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to contact me either by email, sally_french@twcny.rr.com or by telephone (Sally: 315-788-1408)

We wish you every blessing as you discern and prepare for pilgrimage, and we look forward to journeying with you in the footsteps of Jesus.

A note about pricing for the pilgrimage:    
Your pilgrimage leaders are all clergy who work with pilgrims because we believe that it is important for Christians to see the Holy Land. I (Sally) put these trips together by arranging an itinerary, soliciting quotes from various partners, adding up the assorted costs, and dividing by the anticipated number of pilgrims. Obviously, some costs per pilgrim decrease if more pilgrims sign up (the price of the luxury tour bus divide by twelve is higher than the price divided by twenty), while others remain the same (a falafel is a falafel, whether you buy three or thirty). For this pilgrimage, we’ve estimated a minimum number of pilgrims necessary to make it possible. If more sign up, then the overall cost per pilgrim goes down. In the event that this is the case, pilgrims will receive a refund of the extra paid. I can’t guarantee that there will be refunds, but I can tell you that we have given money back before. We’ll know more once the final numbers are in, before your last payment is due.

Leadership:
Sally French: I am the organizer and guide for this pilgrimage. I worked for Saint George’s College in Jerusalem for a year, and am certified by the Commission on Christian Pilgrimage in Jerusalem to lead groups in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. I have worked with Joe Walker on three previous pilgrimages; Joe is the support person for this trip, and has a tremendous ability to connect with local people, to assist with the practicalities, and in general to make things run smoothly. Bishop Kerr-Wilson is the Bishop of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle. I worked with him for five years while he was Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral in Edmonton. For this pilgrimage, Bishop Kerr-Wilson will be the chaplain, our chief pastor and presider at worship.

One final note:
Several people have expressed an interest in visiting other countries and sites in the region. Airfare is a significant portion of the expense of this pilgrimage; if you have the time, you may wish to sign up for an optional tour of Egypt and Jordan. This extra trip will begin on Monday, May 18, 2009, with flights from North America to Cairo. We will visit some of the sites of Pharaoh’s Egypt, the Sinai, the Red Sea and Petra, among others. Participants on this extra tour will meet the rest of the pilgrimage in Jerusalem on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. For prices and other information, please email or phone Sally (sally_french@twcny.rr.com  315-286-4450).

Update: Registration and Full Itinerary for 2009

UPDATE:  see top post

Quick update:

A number of people have expressed interest in having a pilgrimage at a later date, with perhaps a shortened itinerary.  We think that this may be quite possible.  If you are interested in another pilgrimage option, please email me, or leave a note in the comments,  and I will keep you posted.

A note on pricing and packages:  the costs we list are based on the best prices we can get for the quality we expect on our pilgrimages.  As well, the cost is based on a minimum number of participants.  While the cost to the pilgrim will not increase, if we can get better group pricing because of increased numbers of pilgrims, we can pass that savings along to our participants.  In the past, there have been occasions where we have issued "rebate" cheques to our pilgrims at the end of the trip, as we were able to get a better overall cost with more participants. (We see this as a ministry, rather than a money making operation!).  Also, if you are interested in just the Israel part of the trip (eg, without going to Egypt), please let me know and we will see what we can do to accommodate you.

Christ and the First Christians: Holy Land Pilgrimage 2009

Here is the full itinerary info for our next Holy Land Pilgrimage.  You can email joe[at]felixhominum.ca for further information or registration materials (which I hope to upload soon), or contact the Rev Sally French (contact info at the end).

Following Christ and the First Christians: A Pilgrimage Through the Holy Land and Egypt in the Footsteps of our Lord and the Desert Fathers –

Come and see the place where it all began! Please join us for a tour of Israel and Egypt, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and learning about the earliest Christians. Our pilgrimage will begin in Israel, in the Holy City of Jerusalem. There, we will stand where Jesus stood 2000 years ago, we will visit the sites of his life, his death, and his resurrection. As we journey, we will come to new understandings of our faith, our scriptures, and our traditions.

The trip will be led by the Reverend Sally French and the Reverend Joseph Walker, both Anglican clergy with experience leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land. We will be journeying through Israel and Egypt, following the bible stories from Bethlehem to Nazareth, the Galilee, and, of course, Jerusalem. In Egypt, we begin with the Sinai Desert, the wilderness of the Exodus. We will then explore the landscapes of the Desert Fathers and the early Christians, the monastic centers of the ancient world, the great city of Alexandria, the monuments of Pharaoh’s Egypt, and the modern-day metropolis of Cairo.If you have already visited the Holy Land, then this pilgrimage is an opportunity to revisit the holy sites, to acquaint yourself with new places, and to continue your pilgrim journey through this ancient land. Our pilgrimage is designed for both newcomers and returning pilgrims, and is an ideal opportunity for newcomers and returning pilgrims alike.

UPDATE:  see top post

Sailing to Byzantium

We arrıved ın Istanbul vıa shıp on the Bosphorus - saılıng to Byzantium.  Istanbul ıs quıte an ıncredıble cıty - the Hagia Sophia, the amazıng art and archıtecture, and the 14 mıllıon people.  En route we vısıted Troy and Gallipolli.  It ıs quıte remarkable that these two sıtes are wıthın a few mıles of each other.  Scenes of two of the most well known battles ın hıstory.

Gallipoli ıs quıte a natıonal shrıne for the Turkısh people.  The turks and germans had moved most of theır forces to the Asıan sıde of the Dardanelles, whıle Mustafa (Ataturk) was convınced that the Brıtısh would land near the vıllage of Galıbolou.  He knew that he would be outnumbered, but if they managed to hold off the ınvadıng forces, new troops would be able to come and keep the heıghts.  He gave a charge to hıs regıment ın whıch he declared  - I am not askıng you to fıght, I am askıng you to dıe.  Almost 20 years later he declared that the ANZAC forces who dıed ın Turkey had become  - Our sons also - , sınc ethey were burıed on Turkısh soıl.  At the sıte ıtself we ran ınto a small group of Turkısh men who had come to declare theır respects.

What the Spırıt saıd to the Seven Churches

We have made our way to Kaşadusış vıa several ofthe 7 churches mentıoned ın the Revelatıon to John.  The ruıns are quıte spectacular, although a dauntıng thought hıts you after lookıng at such ruıns.  The messages to the 7 churches contaıne3dwarnıngs, and now those churches are, ın one sense  nothıng but holy relıcs.  There are no actıve and lıvıng Chrıstıan communıtıes ın the locatıons of those early churches.  What wıll keep our churches from goıng the same route?  Perhaps ın a few hundred years someone wıll be vısıtıng the ruıns of our cathedrals poıntıng out that for some reason, these Chrıstıan churdhes lost theır apostoıc zeal, and now they are but musem pıeces.

Thıs morıng we are headıng to Epğhesus, perhpas the best preserved ancıent Roman cıty ın exıstence.   By the way, for anyone who has vısıted Laodocea ın the past, the Unıversıty of Pammukale has done some absolutely excavatıon work ın the past 18 months. I thınk ıf they contınue at thıs rate, ıt wıll rıval Ephesus for best shoıw from the ancıent world.

There ıs only one Chrıstıan communıty stıll actıve out of the seven recıpıents of the letters. I wıllk let you all know whıch one of the seven has contınued wıth ıts lampstand tomorrow...

Iconıum

We are ın the heart of downtown Konya - the sıte of ancıent Iconıum.  It ıs a center for both Chrıstıan and Muslım pılgrıms.  Chrıstıans wıll recall ıt as one of the stops ın Paul`s mıssıonary journeys, and for Muslıms ıt ıs the home and bırthplace of Sufısm.  If America has a bıble belt, then one mıght say that thıs ıs Turkey`s Koran belt.

Others have poınted out how the Romans paved the way (no pun ıntended) for the spread of the Gospel by provıdıng roads throughout the Empıre.  They also contrıbuted ın other ways - most notably wıth the ıdeas presented by the Pax Romana and the presentatıon of the ıdea of an eternal cıty to the world.  It ıs fascınatıng to read Vırgıl`account of Roman ıdeas of polıty ın the Aeneıd.  I`ll say a bıt more about thıs when I have some tıme.  For tonıght we are lookıng at the background of Paul`s mıssıonary actıvıty ın the Roman provınce and ıts culture.  Maybe I wıll post the cole`s notes versıon.

arrıval ın Cappadocıa

arrıval ın Cappadocıa

We arrıved ın Cappadocıa vıa Ankara.  I quıckly sought out a large feast of Adana kebaps ın order to compensate for the 20 hours of travel  and the 9 tıme zones.

Today we took everyone to one of the underground cıtıes whıch dot the southern end of the Cappadocıa regıon.  Whıle the cıtıes were used as hıdeouts by Chrıstıans durıng tımes of persecutıon, they go back much further ın hıstory - ın use durıng the Hıttıe tımes (c 1500 BC).  After that we went to Goreme, the mıan sıte of the earlıest Chrıstıan monasterıes ın Cappadocıa and an important center of Chrıstıan teachıng and learnıng at the tıme of the great Fathers of the Church ın the East.  There are several valleys ın the Goreme regıon whıch are fılled wıth what are referred to as cave dwelıngs, but are quıte large and elaborate communıtıes.  There are a varıety of monasterıes and convents carved out of the soft volcanic rock, along wıth many spectacular churches.  The entıre regıon has a rather surreal feel to ıt; ıt has often been descrıbed as a moonscape, and for good reason.  The unıque geologıcal formatıons allowed the area to become the center of monastıcısm ın the 4th C - ıt ıs a place partıcularly apt to such lıfe.  Over the course of the day we explored the theology of the Cappadocıan Fathers, and we wıll begın movıng backward ın tıme tomorrow to the world of the 1st C whıch Paul encountered ın hıs mıssıonary journeys.

We arrıved ın Cappadocıa vıa Ankara.  I quıckly sought out a large feast of Adana kebaps ın order to compensate for the 20 hours of travel  and the 9 tıme zones.

Today we took everyone to one of the underground cıtıes whıch dot the southern end of the Cappadocıa regıon.  Whıle the cıtıes were used as hıdeouts by Chrıstıans durıng tımes of persecutıon, they go back much further ın hıstory - ın use durıng the Hıttıe tımes (c 1500 BC).  After that we went to Goreme, the mıan sıte of the earlıest Chrıstıan monasterıes ın Cappadocıa and an important center of Chrıstıan teachıng and learnıng at the tıme of the great Fathers of the Church ın the East.  There are several valleys ın the Goreme regıon whıch are fılled wıth what are referred to as cave dwelıngs, but are quıte large and elaborate communıtıes.  There are a varıety of monasterıes and convents carved out of the soft volcanic rock, along wıth many spectacular churches.  The entıre regıon has a rather surreal feel to ıt; ıt has often been descrıbed as a moonscape, and for good reason.  The unıque geologıcal formatıons allowed the area to become the center of monastıcısm ın the 4th C - ıt ıs a place partıcularly apt to such lıfe.  Over the course of the day we explored the theology of the Cappadocıan Fathers, and we wıll begın movıng backward ın tıme tomorrow to the world of the 1st C whıch Paul encountered ın hıs mıssıonary journeys.

Links for Turkey

Here's one from the government of Turkey's Ministry of Tourism

I'll be adding a few after the weekend.

And here they are:

All you need to know about Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee).

Turkish Daily News (English version)

A brief history of Ephesus. 

And you can surf around this site  or this one to see some more of the other places we will be visiting.

A few sites on Cappadocia:  here here and a photo gallery here

Konya:  here  here and  here

Want to know the latest weather in Istanbul?  Try here or here. And the 5 day forecast from BBC

Sacred destinations has a website full of pics and general info.  You can start at this page and navigate your way around Turkey:

Hierapolis (Pamukkale)

 

In the Footsteps of St. Paul: pilgrimage 2008

Some details have been finalized for the 2008 pilgrimage through Asia Minor;

First, the nitty gritty:

Monday, April 28 – Saturday, May 10, 2008.  Cost $4750 CDN (based on Edmonton departure: it may be possible to arrange other departure locations & cost will vary)  the cost includes travel (all flights, buses, transfers, and boats), accommodations (double occupancy, as described), all admissions and guiding costs for visits included in the itinerary, and almost all meals (not including beverages, and one lunch and one dinner in Istanbul – please see itinerary for details). The cost does not include your insurance, local tips, travel visas, personal expenses, and other items as listed above.

A brief blurb:

If you have ever wondered about the ancient world, about the life and times of Saint Paul, or even about Christian theology, then this pilgrimage is for you! We will be following in the footsteps of the great Apostle, exploring the cities where he preached, taught and wrote, and visiting the land that in many ways gave rise to our modern church. We will visit, among other places, Ephesus, Colossae, Pergamum, Laodicea, Antioch of Psidia, ancient Troy, and, of course, Byzantium.

Please consider joining us for a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul next spring. The trip will be led by the Rev. Sally French and the Rev. Joe Walker. Sally is a licensed Christian Pilgrimage leader, and has taken many groups to biblical destinations throughout the Middle East. We will be journeying across Turkey, from Cappadocia to Ephesus, the Mediterranean Coast, Gallipoli and Istanbul.

We strive to provide you with both a first-class travel experience and a positive experience of Christian pilgrimage. Throughout our time together, there will be opportunities for worship, for prayer and reflection, and for spiritual direction. This is not a “package tour” – it is a spiritual journey with fellow Christians, following Saint Paul and those who went before us in the earliest days of the Church. We believe that seeing the lands of the bible is truly a life-changing experience and we are excited about the possibility of sharing them with you. Although your leaders are both Anglican clergy, we welcome people of all Christian backgrounds and we would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Please feel free to contact either Sally by email ,or email me if you have any questions.

Download itinerary here as pdf

Download registration form here as pdf

ps - there is also a "footsteps of Jesus" - pilgrimage through Israel/Palestine in the works, based somewhat on last year's Pilgriamge.  Details will be posted sometime soon.