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, [email protected] 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 ([email protected] 315-286-4450).
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