Footsteps of St. Paul Pilgrimage

This evening we depart Dallas for our transatlantic flight to Greece. During the flight enjoy dinner, movies, and breakfast before our arrival in Thessaloniki.  

Welcome to Greece! Upon our arrival we’ll meet our tour escort and see Thessaloniki, a city that is over 2300 years old. Celebrate Mass before we continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight. 

 After a restful sleep and breakfast, we begin the day by following the massive Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of Thessaloniki. Continue to the modern port city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis, where St. Paul, accompanied by Silas and Timothy, first set foot in Europe. St. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city was later renamed Christoupolis because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. We continue to Philippi where St. Paul delivered his first sermon in Europe (Acts 16:12-18) and baptized a woman named Lydia, the first Christian convert in Europe. Visit the excavated Roman forum and the prison where Paul and Silas were held. Celebrate Mass outdoor at Paul’s Baptistry. We continue to St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to St. Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. According to tradition, St. Demetrius was imprisoned and martyred on the site where the Basilica was built. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

 After breakfast we celebrate Mass at the Cathedral. We will then drive through Thessaloniki where Paul preached during the winters of 49-50 A.D. and see the remnants of the original Roman road that spanned the nation during Paul’s time. En route we will view the old city ramparts, the newly excavated Forum, and St. George Church. We then drive to Berea and see the ancient synagogue where St. Paul spoke. View the reconstructed steps of the bema and the newly placed mosaics of St. Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the “more noble” church (Acts 17:1-13). Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight. 

 This morning we celebrate Mass before we depart for Kalambaka. View the spectacular Meteora Monasteries perched precariously on top of hug columns of rock, some reaching over 1300 feet high, thereby giving rise to the name “Meteora,” which means “in the air.” We will have the opportunity to visit one of these incredible monasteries. It was in the 14 th century that the first Byzantine hermits sought refuge in the caves of Meteora and then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka. 

 After breakfast, we depart for Delphi, the center of the ancient world, famous far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. In this landscape of unparalleled beauty lie the ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo. We visit the religious center of the ancient Greeks and discuss how “extremely religious in every way” they used to be (Acts 17:22) and we imagine how difficult it was for St. Paul to convert the people to Christianity. In the museum, among other exits, we see the “Gallio inscription” which is a precise chronological anchor for the Book of Acts, which places St. Paul in Corinth in 51 AD and helps us to determine a timeline for St. Paul and his travels. Visit the museum then then a lunch break. Mass TBA. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Delphi. 

 This morning enjoy breakfast before we depart Delphi for Athens. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as we continue to Athens, the capital of Greece. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. We take a lunch break and then continue to the Cathedral to celebrate Mass. Check into the hotel for dinner and overnight. 

Begin the day in beautiful Athens and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral. “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way we are religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of our worship, I found also an altar with this inscription to an unknown God. What therefore we worship as unknown, this I proclaimed to you…” (Acts 17:22-23) We then begin to explore the city by visiting the world famous Acropolis and the ruins of the Parthenon, Erchteum and Propylea. We then view Athens atop Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians. (Acts 17:16, 22) Continue to the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the unknown soldier and the see the evzones in their picturesque uniforms guarding the Presidential Palace. Enjoy a lunch break and time this afternoon at leisure to explore Athens on your own. Dinner and overnight Athens. 

After breakfast we’ll celebrate Mass at St. Barbara Catholic Church. We then make our way to the Piraeus port to board our cruise ship. Enjoy the beautiful views of the Aegean Sea while you have lunch and dinner as we cruise to our first port-of-call, the quaint Isle of Mykonos, called the Island of windmills. Experience the waterfront lined with shops and cafes and the narrow cobblestone streets. Free time to explore on your own before returning to the ship for overnight. 

 We begin our day at the Turkish port of Kusadasi. We’ll then travel to Ephesus and visit the house of the Virgin Mary, where Our Lady lived with St. John, and celebrate a very special Mass in this holy place. Before we return to the ship, we see the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, where Paul spent many years. We then sail to the Island of Patmos and visit the Monastery of St. John built 900 years ago within strong fortified walls. We then continue to the Grotto of the Apocalypse where John wrote the book of Revelation. Enjoy a little free time before we board the ship. Dinner and overnight on the ship. 

 This morning we dock at Heraklion in Crete, the largest and most rugged of the Greek islands and where Paul and Titus visited in support of the early Church. We’ll celebrate Mass in the old town and then have time to explore on your own. Return to the ship for lunch and a relaxing afternoon before we arrive at the iconic island of Santorini with its white-washed houses, and narrow streets. Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and have time to explore on your own. Santorini sunsets are world famous for their breathtaking skies over the Aegean Sea and dramatic caldera cliffs. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight. 

 Morning disembarkation at Piraeus port and then depart for Corinth with a brief stop at the Corinth Canal, which separates Peloponnesus from the Greek mainland and connect the two seas, Ionian and Aegean. St. Paul preached and lived in Corinth for two years and founded the mostly Gentile Church in 50 A.D. We will visit ruins of the ancient city where St. Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. See the agora where St. Paul’s trial by Gallic took place, the Temple of Apollo, the Market Place, and the Bema, where St. Paul spoke to the Corinthians about Christ. Celebrate an outdoor Mass at the Bema. Late afternoon return to the hotel for dinner and overnight in Athens.

 After breakfast, we’ll go celebrate Mass and then have the day at leisure to explore Athens on your own. You may stroll in the old town Plaka or take a cable car ride to Mt. Lycabbetus and enjoy breathtaking views. Farewell dinner and overnight in Athens.

 This morning we say a fond farewell to Greece and our pilgrim family as we head back to the USA. We’ll take home memories and graces to last a lifetime.