See the contrast of the historic
Holy Land and the modern-day
Israel. Drive to St. Peter's
Church in Jaffa, go along
the coastal road to Caesarae
and view archaeological ruins
of this ancient Herodian and
Crusader port city, and onto
the Valley of Armageddon to
Nazareth. Visit Cana, where
Christ made his first miracle
during the wedding feast.
Experience a boat ride across
the Sea of Galilee or bathe
in the Dead Sea.
Take a view of the Old City
at the top of Mt. Olives.
Drive to Bethlehem, Church
of the Nativity. Enter the
Old City of Jerusalem from
the time of the Second Temple
and visit the Church of the
Visitation, Church of St.
John the Baptist and Yad Vashem
memorial, and many more. Come
and experience the magic of
this historical place of Israel.
Egypt
Explore one of the earliest
civilizations; visit the Valley
of the Kings and Medinet Habou
or the great pyramids and
the famous Sphinx. Enjoy the
sight of the Gold Coffin of
King Tutankhamen, made up
of some 450 pounds of solid
gold, admire the 40-foot statue
of Rameses II, or you may
want to see the oldest of
all pyramids. Cruise along
the famous Nile River and
focus on the Valley of Kings
and Valley of Queens where
pharoahs and nobles were buried
in magnificient crypts cut
into cliffs.
Don't miss the climb to the
top of Mt. Sinai (Mt. Moses)
and see a spectacular sunrise
across the Gulf of Aqaba,
a vast panorama of mountain
peaks, desserts, and the Red
Sea. Other attractions include
old Cairo, the Hanging Church
with its miraculous image
of Mary on a pillar, the Coptic
Museum and the Abu Serga Church,
where tradition says the Holy
Family lodged on their "flight
to Egypt".
Turkey
Imagine a striking landscape
of graceful minarets set amidst
ancient cities. A living museum
of breathtaking monuments,
honeysuckle-covered temples
and the weather-worn sculptures
of four thousand years of
history. An unspoiled world
of golden beaches and emerald
grasslands where the sweet
scent of pine forests rises
above the roar of hidden waterfalls.
Imagine experiencing all this
on one holiday.
Jordan
The mountains and desert of
Jordan radiate a wild and
desolate beauty all of their
own. It is these sun-baked
wadis and giant granite crags
that 'Lawrence of Arabia'
described in his 'Seven Pillars
of wisdom'.
Mexico
Discover the historic basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe the Roman Catholic Church that is the chief religious centre of Mexico, located in Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo, a northern neighborhood of Mexico City. The church was erected near the spot where two apparitions of the Virgin are said to have appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego in December 1531 and commanded that a church be built. The second apparition resulted in a painted image that became known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the entire incident did much to hasten the conversion of the Indians of Mexico to Christianity. In 1754 a papal bull made the Virgin of Guadalupe the patroness and protector of New Spain, and in 1810 she became the symbol of the Mexican independence movement when the patriot-priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla raised her picture to his banner.
Paris Lourdes Grotto
Make a pilgrimage to the town of Lourdes, noted for the miraculous grotto of Massabielle, the healing baths, impressive processions and where the Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous eighteen times.
Our Lady of Lourdes began on 11 February 1858, when Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year old peasant girl from Lourdes admitted, when questioned by her mother, that she had seen a "lady" in the cave of Massabielle, about a mile from the town, while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend.[1] Similar appearances of the "lady" took place on seventeen further occasions that year.
Our Lady of Fatima
Fatima is a town located 142 km (88 miles) North of Lisbon. Fatima is one of the most important catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Fatima's Sanctuary welcomes millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Fatima's fame is due to the Apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed by a miracle witnessed by 60,000 people known in the catholic world as "the day the sun danced".
Lady of Victorious (Sto Niño de Praga)
The history of this church is linked to the history of Prague itself. As it’s exterior still evinces the fact that it belongs to the early Baroque structures. It was actually the first Baroque church in Prague, built by Giovanni Maria Filippi in 1613 for the German Lutherans. Originally, the church was called the church of the Holy Trinity. It is said that the Infant Jesus of Prague (also knows as il Bambino di Praga) has miraculous curing powers and that it was the protector of the city against plague and the destruction in the war. The church now contains an exhibition of the presents that the Infant of Jesus was given along the centuries from history’s most famous personalities. The exhibition is comprised of about 80 different outfits, out of which the most valuable is a dress made and embroidered by Maria Teresa herself.
Basilica of Divine Mercy
The Basilica of Divine Mercy is located in Krakow's Lagiewniki District, south of the city centre. The modern 20th century church definitely pales in comparison with such ancient cathedrals as St. Mary's or St. Peter and Paul's, but where it fails the age test, it makes up in its size and modernity. But it's what inside that attracts most visitors, as it's the home of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, a sacrosanct painting depicting Christ as He appeared before a Polish nun in the 1930s. Thousands of pilgrims visit the church, where the painting is kept as well as the body of the nun.
Visit the miraculous image of BLACK MADONNA the large baroque monastery of Jasna Góra dominates a hilltop in Czestochowa and is always bustling with pilgrims and worshippers. As pilgrims approach the monastery, the most striking sight is the 106-meter belltower, reconstructed in 1906 (the bottom part dates from 1714). The focus of pilgrims to Jasna Góra is not the monastery, but the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is displayed in a altar in the Chapel of the Black Madonna. The icon shows a serious Mary holding the infant Jesus on her left arm and gesturing towards him with her right hand. According to tradition, the icon of Jasna Góra was painted by Luke the Evangelist on a tabletop built by Jesus himself, and the icon was discovered by St.
Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine and collector of Christian relics in the Holy Land. The icon was then enshrined in the imperial city of Constantinople, according to the legend, where it remained for the next 500 years.
