Pilgrimage is an adventure in group travel?
You are invited to join us. This pilgrimage is for all who want to see the Holy Land as a member of a Christian Pilgrimage Tour. We are not going as tourists but as pilgrims. Our tour includes regular opportunities for worship. We spend considerable time interpreting sites in light of the Holy Scriptures. To enjoy this spiritual adventure, you will need to be amenable to group travel. Group travel means respecting fellow travellers such as endeavouring to be on time for departures, to try to ensure that the quieter members of the group are able to ask their questions, and looking for ways to assist the group as a whole to get the most of the pilgrimage.
Who joins our tours?
While most of us who will be travelling together would describe ourselves as Christians, this is not a requirement. To get the most of our pilgrimage you should be comfortable in a group travel setting where conversations about Christian belief is part of the tour. We will be visiting Old and New Testament sites in the Holy Land in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Most sites we will visit are of primary interest to Christians although we will also visit some important locations of a more Jewish or Muslim nature - such as the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Masada (site of the Jewish last stand during the Roman Legions in AD 70). We also visit places of general or historic interest such: The Dead Sea and (often) Yad Vashem (Museum of the Holocost). Wherever we go, our local Tour Guides along with Bishop Terry, and Canon Hodge will give interpretation of the places we visit from a Christian perspective.
Our groups are usually eclectic group of pilgrims from across Canada and the USA. Often most of our group are Anglicans, although we usually welcome some participants from of other faith traditions. Because Canon Vicars and Bishop Terry are well known in the Diocese of Huron we usually have a good number from that diocese. For about 14 years Vicars served in the Diocese of Fredericton and both he and Bishop Terry have friends around the Anglican Communion. Some in our groups are friends of friends who were on earlier pilgrimages or have heard about us from some of our rather limited publicity. Over the years I have been invigorated by the wonderful groups of people that God has brought together on our pilgrimages.
Walking
Pilgrimage bus-tours involve a significant amount of walking. Some days, such as our Old City and Via Dolorosa day or the site visit to Petra in Jordan can involve 10,000 steps. Other days are more like 4 to 5000 steps. In many places the footing is uneven -- either gravel in archaeological sites or old, worn cobblestone in urban streets.
You don't need to be an athlete -- but you need to know that walking is involved. Good footwear is a must. You only need to participate to the extent you feel able. The bus is usually nearby, the driver never leaves the bus. You can take a break when you need to or return to the bus.
You are invited to join us. This pilgrimage is for all who want to see the Holy Land as a member of a Christian Pilgrimage Tour. We are not going as tourists but as pilgrims. Our tour includes regular opportunities for worship. We spend considerable time interpreting sites in light of the Holy Scriptures. To enjoy this spiritual adventure, you will need to be amenable to group travel. Group travel means respecting fellow travellers such as endeavouring to be on time for departures, to try to ensure that the quieter members of the group are able to ask their questions, and looking for ways to assist the group as a whole to get the most of the pilgrimage.
Who joins our tours?
While most of us who will be travelling together would describe ourselves as Christians, this is not a requirement. To get the most of our pilgrimage you should be comfortable in a group travel setting where conversations about Christian belief is part of the tour. We will be visiting Old and New Testament sites in the Holy Land in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Most sites we will visit are of primary interest to Christians although we will also visit some important locations of a more Jewish or Muslim nature - such as the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Masada (site of the Jewish last stand during the Roman Legions in AD 70). We also visit places of general or historic interest such: The Dead Sea and (often) Yad Vashem (Museum of the Holocost). Wherever we go, our local Tour Guides along with Bishop Terry, and Canon Hodge will give interpretation of the places we visit from a Christian perspective.
Our groups are usually eclectic group of pilgrims from across Canada and the USA. Often most of our group are Anglicans, although we usually welcome some participants from of other faith traditions. Because Canon Vicars and Bishop Terry are well known in the Diocese of Huron we usually have a good number from that diocese. For about 14 years Vicars served in the Diocese of Fredericton and both he and Bishop Terry have friends around the Anglican Communion. Some in our groups are friends of friends who were on earlier pilgrimages or have heard about us from some of our rather limited publicity. Over the years I have been invigorated by the wonderful groups of people that God has brought together on our pilgrimages.
Walking
Pilgrimage bus-tours involve a significant amount of walking. Some days, such as our Old City and Via Dolorosa day or the site visit to Petra in Jordan can involve 10,000 steps. Other days are more like 4 to 5000 steps. In many places the footing is uneven -- either gravel in archaeological sites or old, worn cobblestone in urban streets.
You don't need to be an athlete -- but you need to know that walking is involved. Good footwear is a must. You only need to participate to the extent you feel able. The bus is usually nearby, the driver never leaves the bus. You can take a break when you need to or return to the bus.