Holy Land Pilgrimage

[Nap66]

I would like to take a pilgrimmage to the Holy Land this year. Has anyone who visited the Holy Land have any recommendations on what sites to see, itineraries, good travel companies, etc. I would really like to be on a group trip with other Catholics and preferably a priest or other religious member. I see that Jesus’ tomb was just reopened and I would really like to see that.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[EricF]

I am not sure about their Holy Land trips, but Proximo Travel was outstanding when we went to Italy with them. Delivered everything promised.

 

[BartholomewB]

I would really like to be on a group trip with other Catholics and preferably a priest or other religious member.

I believe it’s quite common for parishes to arrange group tours or pilgrimages. Your own pastor, or another priest he has appointed to do the job, will then celebrate Mass for your group at all the main stops, such as Nazareth, Capernaum, the Church of the Primacy of Peter and so on, in Galilee, and the Holy Sepulcher and other churches in Jerusalem.

 

[EricF]

Yes, this is correct. Proximo travel is a company that specializes in Catholic travel. If you don’t have enough for your own group, they will happily put you with another. It is how my wife and I first saw Italy. Met some great new friends that way.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

NAWAS Travel is another one that provides trips to parishes. I have gone on 3 trips with them. They’re pretty good, although sometimes you are kind of rushed through the sites and on to the next thing, but that is true of all group tours. A parish where I attend Mass frequently is having a Holy Land trip next year. The priest gets to go for free and he also receives some kind of a fee from the travel agency for promoting the trip, that he then uses to fund the parish youth programs, so I am helping the church while having a vacation myself.

Edited to add, we always have Mass almost every day at some historic church, although sometimes we get a really awesome space in the church proper and other times we get what looks like a basement under repairs. The weirdest one was a cathedral in Budapest where the Mass was not even in the Cathedral but in some church space they had rented and set up with an altar, seats etc. under a pizza parlor across the street.

 

[EricF]

In Assisi, we had mass in a tiny chapel in the monastery behind the Basilica of St. Francis. Our group was small and it was really nice. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Nap66]

Thanks for the info everyone. I can’t wait to go and will spend the next few months researching everything. I see 206 Tours does many pilgrimmages to the Holy Land. Anyone use them?