+1 (800) 653-0017
hello@canterburypilgrimages.com
Your Chaplain
The day has arrived, and we depart the United States on an overnight air journey to Greece.
Today we arrive in Greece at Athens International Airport (ATH). Upon arrival we will be met by our guide and driver who will bring us to our hotel for dinner and rest. Overnight Athens. D.
Today we explore Athens, a city where ancient and biblical history meet. We will visit the Acropolis, seeing among other things the Propylea, the Erechtheum, and the Parthenon. We will also visit nearby Mars Hill, where St. Paul famously preached the Gospel to the philosophers of Athens, as recorded in Acts 17. We will have free time in the city’s Plaka District—the oldest neighborhood in Athens—lying in the shadow of the Acropolis, filled with shops, cafés, and historic landmarks. Overnight Athens. B, D.
Today we visit Ancient Corinth. St. Paul lived and ministered in Corinth for an extended period of time. Here we will see the pavement inscription mentioning Erastus, the Archaeological Museum, the Forum, the Temples, and the famous bema where St. Paul appeared before Gallio. Overnight Athens. B, D.
This afternoon we board our flight from Athens to Izmir, Turkey. Upon arrival, we are met by our local guide and continue on to the coastal town of Kusadasi. Overnight Kusadasi. B, D.
Today we visit ancient Ephesus—one of the best-preserved and most impressive ancient cities in the world. St. Paul lived and ministered here for several years, and St. John is also believed to have spent his final years nearby. We will see the ruins of the city, including the theater where a riot broke out against St. Paul and his message. We then drive to the nearby hills to visit the simple stone house believed to be the Virgin Mary’s final home. Overnight Kusadasi. B, D.
Today we take a boat to the island of Patmos, where St. John was exiled and received the visions that became the Book of Revelation. We will visit the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse, where tradition holds that John wrote down his revelations. We return by boat to Kusadasi. Overnight Kusadasi. B, D.
The day begins with a journey north to Pergamum, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. We will see its towering acropolis and the ruins of the Red Basilica, once a temple to pagan gods and later converted into a Christian church. We continue to Izmir—ancient Smyrna—where the early Christians were commended for their faith amid persecution. Later this evening, we board our flight from Izmir to Athens. Overnight Athens. B, D.
This morning we depart Athens and drive north to Kalambaka, where we will visit the Meteora Monasteries, perched atop towering sandstone pillars. These monasteries—whose name means “suspended in the air”—were founded by monks seeking solitude, safety, and closeness to God. The first hermits arrived in the area as early as the 11th century, and by the 14th century, monastic communities flourished here, transforming the cliffs into havens of prayer. Overnight Kalambaka. B, D.
Today we journey to northern Greece to visit ancient Philippi. We will see the stream where Lydia put her faith in Our Lord and was baptized, the ruins of the ancient agora where St. Paul was charged, and the prison where it is believed he was held until an earthquake broke it open. We continue to Kavala—biblical Neapolis—where St. Paul first set foot on European soil. We will enjoy the port area and see a mural commemorating his arrival. Finally we will make our way to Thessaloniki, where St. Paul preached until he stirred up a riot. Overnight Thessaloniki. B, D.
With a renewed sense of pilgrimage and an invigorated love of our Catholic faith, we say farewell to our fellow pilgrims as the pilgrimage comes to a close this morning.
