St. Thomas Episcopal Church
San Antonio, TX

Led by
The Rev. Mike Michie
Local Guides
Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri

Proposed Itinerary

12-Day Pilgrimage

August 18-29, 2023

Aug 19-21 Saint George’s Guest House

Aug 21-24 Sisters of Nazareth

Aug 24-29 Saint George’s Guest House

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, DAY 1: DEPART U.S.A

On our way to the Holy Land

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, DAY 2: ARRIVE BEN GURION AIRPORT / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM

Arrival to Tel Aviv you will be met by your guide, Canon Iyad Qumri, transfer to our accommodation in Jerusalem.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Tel: ++972 2-6283302

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, DAY 3: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / WORSHIP AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH / HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM

We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (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. Lunch. Drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Lecture of Islam

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, DAY 4: JERICHO / NAZARETH

Wadi Qelt early morning to watch the sunrise also get the feel for the desert, depart for Jericho to hike up Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho, Lunch, in Jericho before 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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, DAY 5: SEA OF GALILEE / JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM & BEATITUDES

Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows. We then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch is by the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy. Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

Dinner and overnight at Sisters of Nazareth

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, DAY 6: CAESAREA PHILIPPI

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

A treat you will not want to miss!!!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, DAY 7: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH

Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit the Brewery and the ruins of the 4th century church.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues- An Israeli Perspective

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, DAY 8: SHEPHERD’S FIELD / BETHLEHEM

We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, Lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds’ Field), ‘And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night’. Lunch, Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, DAY 9: OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE RESSURECTION

Group Photo. Briefing for the Holy Sepulcher. We then walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance of the Holy Sepulcher. Lunch, continue our visit to the Holy Sepulcher.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, DAY 10: WORSHIP AT SAINT GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL ISRAEL MUSEUM

Sunday Eucharist at Saint George’s Cathedral, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch, 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, AUGUST 28, DAY 11: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE

Depart for Beth-phage and Mt. of Olives walk down the Palm Sunday Road ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. Lunch, Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, this church was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied Jesus three times).

Dinner at the Qumris

Overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, DAY 12: WAY OF THE CROSS & EMMAUS

Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross. Later we depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church.

Afternoon at leisure

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