Travel to the Holy Land with The Catholic Foodie
Join Jeff Young, The Catholic Foodie and Fr. Kyle Sanders on a Food Meets Faith Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Registration for my next pilgrimage to the Holy Land is now open! The pilgrimage will be from February 26 to March 8, 2015. Fr. Kyle Sanders, a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will travel with me as the Spiritual Director.
I want to invite you to grow in faith together with me around the table of the Eucharist and around the dinner table in the Holy Land.
Register before August 1, 2014 and you will receive a free autographed copy of my soon-to-be-released cookbook: Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications.
TO REGISTER: CALL SELECT INTERNATIONAL TOURS AT 1-800-842-4842.
See full itinerary below. You can also download it.
In addition to experiencing (and celebrating Mass at) all of the traditional pilgrimage sites, you will also be treated to a deliciously “foodie” buffet of events that will include:
- Sailing on the Sea of Galilee before touring Kibbuz Kinnert, the famous shop with little dates (and date honey!) harvested on the kibbutz
- Renewing your marriage vows in Cana of Galilee, the site of Jesus’ first miracle where he turned water into wine
- Visiting and touring a winery in Bethlehem
- Learning about biblical food and discovering what the biblical way of dining can teach us about our meals today
- Visiting a local family restaurant in Bethlehem where you will join in the preparation of the day’s meal with The Catholic Foodie and local chefs
- Sharing a celebratory meal in Bethlehem prepared by the Chefs for Peace and Jeff Young, The Catholic Foodie, in an open kitchen
- Shopping with local chefs in the most famous open air market in Israel
- Attending cooking classes that will highlight Middle Eastern cooking styles
- Dining at a restaurant that reportedly has the best hummus in Israel (and you get a copy of the recipe!)
- Traveling to Nazareth to visit Mary’s Well and the Church of the Annunciation
- Traveling to the ancient city of Jericho and going for a swim in the Dead Sea (more like “float” in the Dead Sea!)
- Visiting Jerusalem and praying the Stations of the Cross on the original Via Dolorosa
- Visiting the Mount of Olives, Mt. Zion, and the Empty Tomb of the Virgin at the Church of the Assumption
- Journeying to Ein Kerem and Emmaus, where Jesus met the disciples on the road after his Resurrection, and enjoying a delicious farewell dinner with your fellow travelers
- And much more!
Jeff Young “The Catholic Foodie” Invites You to Pray and Break Bread Together in the Holy Land!
What an incredible opportunity to grow in faith around the table of the Eucharist and the dinner table as well!
Here’s the itinerary for the pilgrimage:
February 26 Day 1 – DEPART USA
February 27 Day 2 – Arrival Tel Aviv – NAZARETH- Our Christian guide welcomes us and assists us with luggage and board-ing the bus for a drive to Jaffa where we have a chance to have a relaxing lunch and time to stretch our legs. A short drive takes us to Caesarea Maritima to see the port from which St. Paul sailed. Following a coffee break at the port we depart for Nazareth and a night of well deserved rest. Buffet dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Nazareth. (D.)
February 28 Day 3 – CANA – NAZARETH— The day starts with a visit to Mt. Carmel to see Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine and celebrate Mass. We continue to Cana of Galilee for the Renewal of Wedding Vows. In Nazareth, we visit Mary’s Well, the Church of the Annunciation and the Museum next door. After lunch, which is included today, we visit an Israeli cooperative Kfar Kedem where we learn to bake bread, make goat cheese and see how olive oil is pressed from local olives. Buffet dinner at the hotel. Overnight 2 nights in Nazareth.(B. L. D.)
March 01 Day 4 – THE SEA OF GALILEE – Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee before a tour of Kibbuz Kinnert, where we learn about life on a kibbutz. Visit their famous shop with little dates harvested on the kibbutz. Sample date honey and perhaps buy a small jar to add to your roasted duck or turkey when you get back home. We celebrate Mass at Mt. of Beatitudes. Before lunch we watch a demonstration of the traditional preparation of St. Peter Fish (tilapia). In the afternoon we visit Jesus’ home town Capernaum. In Tabgha, at the Church of Multiplication Jeff will give a talk about Biblical Food. We end the day at River Jordan for Renewal of the Baptismal Blessing. Open buffet dinner awaits us at the hotel. (B. L. D.)
March 02 Day 5 – JERICHO – DEAD SEA– Depart for the ancient town of Jericho to see the Mt. of Temptation. We have time for shopping in Jericho and enjoy lunch in a family owned restaurant where the owners share stories of local traditions and methods of cooking. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit for this afternoon’s float in the Dead Sea. Time permitting we enjoy a visit with a local Bedouin family for tea and to learn about their traditional way of life. We begin our ascent to Jerusalem through the Judean Hills and are greeted with a Genesis Welcome. Buffet dinner at the hotel. Overnight Jerusalem 5 nights. (B. L. D.)
March 03 Day 6 – A DAY WITH THE CHRISTIANS IN BETHLEHEM + WINERY VISIT – We depart for Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas Mass at the Church of Nativity (St Catherine). Next we visit Manger Square, and Shepherd’s Field. Today, lunch is on your own in Bethlehem. As an expression of our solidarity with the local Christian population, we shop here to help support the local Christian families. Next we taste locally produced wines at the Bethlehem Winery, operated by Franciscan Monks, and maybe buy some bottles of Bethlehem Wine to take home as gifts. Tonight is a special experience as we enjoy “ Sharing the Bread” dinner in the homes of the local Christian families in Bethlehem , who welcome us to their homes and make us feel as if we were one of their own family. (B. D.)
March 04 Day 7 – OLD CITY JERUSALEM– Early this morning we pray the Stations of the Cross along the Way of the Cross and attend Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We continue with a visit to the Wailing Wall, the Temple Mount, Church of St Ann’s and Pools of Bethesda. Lunch is in the Old City at a restaurant where the group learns to make falafel- have your pen ready to copy the recipe of the Holy Land’s most famous dish back home. Tonight you meet the chefs from Chefs for Peace , a local non-profit founded by Muslim, Christian and Jewish chefs who tell us about their work and cook for us. (B. L. D. )
March 05 Day 8 – FOOD MARKET- COOKING CLASS – We celebrate Mass and then join several chefs from Chefs for Peace who will take us to the most famous food market in Israel, the Mahane Yehuda Market, where we purchase the ingredients needed for the afternoon cooking class. We cook together with the Chefs for Peace who share with us their secrets of the new and traditional Middle Eastern cooking styles. This is a participatory experience and everyone will cook and share a meal together. Part of the experience is learning about the work of Chefs for Peace toward lasting peace in the land of the Bible. (B. D.)
March 06 Day 9 – MT OF OLIVES – MT ZION – Start the day with a visit to Ascension Chapel and Bethpage where Our Lord Jesus Christ started His Palm Sunday walk. Stop at the Church of Pater Noster where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer. Then on to the Mt of Olives for a walk down Palm Sunday Road stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane and celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Agony. Visit the empty tomb of the Virgin at the Church of the Assumption. Lunch on your own in the Old City. Rest of the day is at leisure to explore Jerusalem on your own, visit a museum or shop. Tonight we enjoy a cocktail party just for our group in the wine bar atop of the Notre Dame hotel with beautiful views of old town Jerusalem. Buffet dinner is at our hotel. (B. D.)
March 07 Day 10 – EIN KEREM –EMMAUS- FAREWELL DINNER- Our day begins with a visit to Caiaphas Palace, the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu and the Upper Room where we talk about Biblical Food and what could have been served during the Last Supper. We visit Dormition Abbey. Continue to visit Ein Kerem, the Church of Visitation and Birthplace of St. John the Baptist. We stop in Emmaus for a prayer at the Crusader Church before the farewell dinner in Abu Gosh, the village known for the best hummus in Israel, where everyone will receive a copy of their secret hummus recipe. Depart for the airport and over-night flight home. (B. D.)
March 08 Day 11 – Arrival USA
TO REGISTER: CALL SELECT INTERNATIONAL TOURS AT 1-800-842-4842
Register before August 1st and you will receive an autographed copy of Jeff Young’s brand new book Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications and scheduled to be released November 1, 2014!