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The Old City of Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is to the right, and the Mount of Olives in the background. Our accommodations for the first four nights will be on the Mount of Olives.

This is in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Tradition says that this is the exact spot of the birth of our Lord Jesus

The 2008 J2A Holy Pilgrimage has been in the planning since late winter of 2007. Once again, our J2A group will be going to the Holy Land. Plane tickets are purchased, and the itinerary is generally sketched out (see below). There is much excitement among the entire J2A group. The pilgrims include. The J2A leaders are Lisa Dollendorf and Cliff Post. Fr. Earle will also be on the pilgrimage.

We'll keep this page updated as we receive more information. It is also our plan to post daily reports and photos from the Holy Land.

Here are the major components of our very busy itinerary:

Friday, June 27
Depart Buffalo late afternoon aboard Delta Airlines

Saturday, June 28
Arrive in Jerusalem at about 5:00 in the afternoon
Check into our accommodations on the Mount of Olives
A brief orientation of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

Sunday, June 29
Holy Eucharist at St. George's Cathedral (Arabic service)
Bethlehem - Shepherds' Field and Church of the Nativity
Dheishah - a Palestinian Refugee Camp
Beit Jala - ancestral home to Ian's great grandparents
Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial) - if time

Monday, June 30
The Mount of Olives - Bethphage, Hosanna Road, Gethsemane
Mount Sion - The Cenacle, Dormition Abbey
Walk the Rampart around the Old City
Free time in the Old City

Tuesday, July 1
The Stations of the Cross
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Western "Wailing" Wall
The Dome of the Rock
Free time in the Old City

Wednesday, July 2
A day in the desert
Climb Masada
Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls)
Jericho
Float in the Dead Sea
Wade in the Jordan River
Travel to Nazareth

Thursday, July 3
Nazareth - Church of St. Gabriel
Nazareth - Basilica of the Annunciation
Cana
The Sea of Galilee
Capernaum
Mount of the Beatitudes
Heptapagon

Friday, July 4
Banais (north of Nazareth)
Springs of the Jordan River
Renew Baptismal Vows

Saturday, July 5
Mount Tabor (Transfiguration)
Caesarea Maritima - Crusader ruins
Jaffa - Crusader ruins
Flight departs Tel Aviv at 11:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 6
Flight arrives in Buffalo at 9:45
We should be in time for Coffee Hour

Control them, O God,
       gently, pervasively, irresistibly, increasingly,
       so that they walk the pilgrim way
       steadily, and in a sure light.
Control them, O God,
       so that they neither dally nor disobey,
       nor slip aside, nor stand still, nor sink down.
Control them, O God,
       by the pulse of your Presence,
       by your brightness around them.
Control them, O God,
       by the spur of spiritual longing
       after your holy praise,
       after the image of your Son.
Control them, O God,
       so that they move onward and upward
       with a song and melody in their hearts.
And then, O God, change control into embrace,
       lest they ever deny your truest will,
       so that they cannot forget or fall away,
       so that the world cannot entrap them
       and steal their glory.
Amen.

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This site was last updated 07/01/10