Pilgrimage to Greece & Turkey in the Steps of Saint Paul Under The Spiritual Direction Of Fr. Michael Gazzingan

Today we board our flights to Turkey with meals and beverages served aloft.

Welcome to Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople’ Upon arrival, we are welcomed by our Holy Land Travel Center representative. After visa formalities, we head to our hotel for a welcome reception.

This morning we head to the Sultanahmet district. This World Heritage-listed district is crammed with historic buildings and atmosphere to keep you enthralled for days. Full day visits to the Topkapi Palace; overlooking the Sea of Marmara and containing numerous chambers, courtyards, and royal treasures; the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque, with its six minarets and thousands of blue tiles; and the historic Hagia Sophia, now a museum, converted to a mosque from a Christian Basilica after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Next, we see the Hippodrome and the Obelisk brought from Egypt.

This morning we will have time to visit the Grand Bazaar for shopping. The Grand Bazaar is an amazing place – literally a maze of streets. It is one of the largest undercover bazaars in the world and is even divided into areas like the leather section, or the rug section.

Today we depart Istanbul for Kavala, Greece. Meet our new Greek guide and driver and continue on through our tour of Greece.

Today we visit Kava la, which occupies the site of ancient Neapolis and Philippi (Acts 16:12-40, Phil.), that today lies as a major archaeological site near Krinides where St. Paul and St. Silas were imprisoned after St. Paul’s first sermon in what we today call Europe.After visiting the ruins of the great Acropolis, the Market Place, Theatre and Forum, we continue to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

This morning we visit the Rotonda, St. George Church, one of the oldest constructions in the city, the church was built at the end of the 4th century by the roman emperor. We will read today from the Acts 17:1-9 and “Letter to the Thessalonians”.This time period will become more alive to us as our visit will include the Galerius Arch, built a little before 305 AD in commemoration of Galerius·s victory over the Persians in 297. Next is the most beautiful basilica in the city St. Demetrius where Saint Paul was imprisoned, tortured and buried. We then visit Veria, one of Paul’s stops, where a Byzantine mosaic commemorates his preaching. We check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning we leave Veria and continue to Kalambaka, a town near the Meteora Monastery. Later this afternoon we will visit the Grand Meteoran Monastery (Transfiguration of Christ), the most beautiful Byzantine monastery. The word Meteora means literally ‘hovering in the air’ as all the monasteries were built on top of the high rocks. Monks have been recorded living in these caves since the 11th century. The Church of the Transfiguration is the best known of the Mon­asteries and is built upon the highest rock, founded by Athanasios the Meteorite, a well-known figure in Orthodox monasticism. We con­tinue to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Today we’ll leave Athens early in the morning for Piraeus and at 11:00 a.m. sail into the Aegean Sea. Our first island is one of the islands belonging to the Cyclades group of islands. This mountainous island of Mykonos has about 400 churches and is famous for its picturesque white houses and the island’s trademark, the charming windmills. Mykonos has a unique architecture of Byzantine and Western characteristics. Next, we will visit the Church of Panagia Paraportiani (Greek for Our Lady of the Side Gate) on the main square Cathedral and an old Catholic Church and many boutiques and taverns along tiny, paved streets. Return on board of the ship.

This morn­ing you will arrive at the Turkish port city of Kusadasi. From here you will travel to Ephesus, where the Blessed Virgin Mary lived with St. John in a small house on the hill behind the city. Here you will have Mass before traveling down to the ancient city where you can walk the marble roads rutted by wheels of countless chariots and pass the ruins of architectural masterpieces . It is here that St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and where he was arrested and cast out of the city. In the afternoon you will visit the island of Patmos, where St.John wrote the apocalyptic Book of Revelations. On our excursion we will visit the cave where he lived, now the site of a monastery housing priceless icons and manuscripts.

Today is the last day of the cruise. Pilgrims, at their own lei­sure, can enjoy visiting Heraklion on the Island of Crete, as well as Fira, the capital of the Island of Santo­rini. The Cruise Ship offers excursions which you can purchase onboard if you want a more structured tour of either island.

Today we disembark our cruise ship, and we will be visit­ing and exploring the city of Athens (Acts 17: 16-34). Acropolis with Parthenon the greatest monument of antiquity, dedicated to the goddess Athena, from here one can see Areopagus (Areias Pagos = Hill of Ares) visited by Pope John Paul II, the same hill where St. Paul gave his famous sermon of “Unknown God”. Our pilgrimage will continue with a drive to Corinth first across the Corinthian Canal, started by roman emperor Nero and then to one of the oldest towns of Greece, where St. Paul came after he left Athens and after a stop at the ancient Corinth (18: 1-18; Cori.) we again meet with St. Paul, here he re­mained for one and a half-year. We will be visiting a marketplace where the Apostle preached to the Cor­inthians, the Temple of Apollo and the Corinth Museum.

Today we board our return flights home with memories and keepsakes that will last a lifetime.