Episcopal Diocese of
Western Massachusetts

Led by
The Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson &
The Very Rev. Jim Munroe

Local Guides
Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri

Proposed Itinerary

12-Day Pilgrimage

May 11-23, 2022

Updated on March 10, 2022

May 12-17 Saint George’s Guest House

May 17-20 Sisters of Nazareth

May 20-23 Saint George’s Guest House

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, DAY 1: DEPART USA

On our way to the Holy Land

THURSDAY, MAY 12, DAY 2: ARRIVE TEL AVIV

We arrive in Tel Aviv and are met by our guide, Canon Iyad Qumri. We are transferred to Jerusalem.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House, Jerusalem

Tel: 972-2-6283302

Fax: 972- 2-6282253

FRIDAY, MAY 13, DAY 3: HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM / HERODIUM

Introduction. In the morning we will drive to Mt. Scopus, which overlooks Jerusalem, to get an overview of some of the biblical sites we will be visiting. Lunch. Then we drive to Herodium some 12 km. south of Jerusalem, a hill shaped like a truncated cone that rises 758 m. above sea level. Herodium was the palace-fortress built by King Herod. It still has a breathtaking view, overlooking the Judean Desert and the mountains of Moab to the east, and the Judean Hills to the west.

Dinner & Overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SATURDAY, MAY 14, DAY 4: OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

Walk the Cardo in the Old City to the Constantinian Entrance to the Church of the Resurrection and to the Holy Sepulcher. Lunch. Holy Sepulcher Cont…

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SUNDAY, MAY 15, DAY 5: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / WORSHIP AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH / ISRAEL MUSEUM

We depart for the Western Wall, we will visit the Dome of The Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. St. Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. Sunday Eucharist at Saint Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

MONDAY, MAY 16, Day 6: SHEPHERDS’ FIELD / BETHLEHEM

Depart for Shepherds’ field to visit the caves. Lunch in Bethlehem. Church of the Nativity is located in Manger Square. It is the oldest church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326.

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

TUESDAY, MAY 17, DAY 7: Judean desert / JERICHO/ NAZARETH

We will drive to the Wadi Qelt before sunrise to get the feel for the desert. Eucharist in the Judean Wilderness. From there we go to Jericho to hike up the Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho. 20-minute meditation on Mt of Temptation. Lunch. We begin our trip up the Rift Valley to Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel.

Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

Tel: 972-4-6554304

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, DAY 8: SEPPHORIS / CAESAREA PHILIPPI

In the morning we drive the short distance to Zippori (Sepphoris), where we explore the excavations of the Roman/Byzantine city. Lunch. Depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias): ‘And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am ? “

Dinner and overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

THURSDAY, MAY 19, DAY 9: SEA OF GALILEE / JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM / MT. OF BEATITUDES

Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinnereth). We begin at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows; then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We will participate in a silent walk down Mount of Beatitudes with Eucharist. Lunch is by the Sea of Galilee, where we will also take a short boat ride, followed by a visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church, and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy.

Dinner and overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

A treat you will not want to miss!!!!

FRIDAY, MAY 20, DAY 10: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH

Depart for Burqin, where Jesus encountered ten lepers on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth (Luke 17:11-19). From there we drive to Nablus to visit St. Photini, the Greek Orthodox Monastery. Photini (“Light”) is the name given to the Samaritan woman with whom Christ spoke at the well. The church is built over Jacob’s well, which is still functioning. Lunch in Taybeh, the only fully Christian town, in the fourth century the Emperor Constantine and his mother St. Helena built the church of St. George in the village, and the ruins of the church are still found there. We will also visit the brewery.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SATURDAY, MAY 21, DAY 11: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE

Together, we will walk the Palm Sunday Procession in the early morning, stopping at Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit (“the Lord wept”), where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. Afterward, we will walk to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. We will have lunch at the Qumris.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SUNDAY, MAY 22, DAY 12: AT SAINT GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL

Sunday Eucharist at Saint George’s Cathedral, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch. FREE AFTERNOON.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – An Israeli Perspective

MONDAY, MAY 23, DAY 13: WAY OF THE CROSS & EMMAUS

Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross together. After breakfast we depart for Emmaus Nicopolis, where we celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church.

FREE AFTERNOON

Transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for our return flight to the USA