St. Paul Mediterranean Cruise 2022 (limited cabins available on request)

Visit the "2nd Holy Land" 10 Biblical Sites in Greece & Turkey

13 October 2022 to 23 October 2022



You can watch the full length Pilgrimage below or download it here.


Journal

Cruise 10 Comments & Farewells

At the end of our amazing cruises and pilgrimages it is always nice to hear what the folks thought of the experience. Enjoy!


About the Pilgrimage

Our popular St. Paul Mediterranean Pilgrimage Cruise and “Seminar at Sea” is now open for registration. We visit 10 biblical sites!! Cabins are limited – first-come, first-serve. Already over 1/2 full.

We only do this Mediterranean Cruise every two years.

Check out what popular priest Fr. Larry Richards said about our cruise when he joined us:

Contact our Reservations Team at 866-557-2364, or write them at FootprintsOfGod@ctscentral.net.

Fr. Chris Alar update: UNHAPPILY Fr. Chris is no longer able to join the cruise. He and us are both very sorry.

The cruise line is requiring vaccination at this time. They do not anticipate a change in this policy during 2022. However, we are still hoping this may change. 

But we have one of our favorite priests lined up and Mass every day at spectacular sites. Fr. James Conlon is one of my favorite homilists and pilgrimage priests. He is pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The prices include airfare and the daily biblical excursions ashore and meals – and ALL tips!

Steve & Janet Ray designed the detailed itinerary themselves to maximize biblical and Catholic learning and fun.

For an interactive map, a full itinerary of the 10 biblical sites we will visit and a lot more, click HERE .

Remember that this is not just a pilgrimage and a cruise but also a “SEMINAR AT SEA.” We have several afternoons free on the ship. Steve will give his popular talk “The Life of St. Paul,” Fr. Conlon (one of my favorite homilists ever) will give talks as well. We have much to share on this voyage on the Seas of St. Paul! Steve will also be sharing at each of the biblical sites along the way.

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Explore 10 Biblical Sites in Greece and Ephesus with Steve & Janet Ray on their Mediterranean pilgrimage cruise and “Seminar at Sea” in the Footsteps of St. Paul

 

 

Steve Ray Land & Sea Pilgrimage Itinerary (tentative and subject to change)

Day 1,  Thursday, October 14 — Depart USA overnight flights

Day 2, Friday, October 15 — Arrival in Athens

Transfer to hotel, Mass (TBA), dinner and overnight

Day 3, Saturday, October 16 — Athens

Brief panoramic city bus tour including the Parliament building with the marching guards. Mass at Cathedral of St. Dionysius. Guided tour of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. Climb Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the Athenians and hear Steve’s talk on Paul’s methods of evangelization (Acts 17:16-34). Enjoy lunch on your own along the tree-lined pedestrian street. depart for Pireaus, 5:00 PM cruise departs.

Day 4, Sunday, October 17 — Thessaloniki/Veria  8:00-8:00

Tour Thessaloniki (Acts 17:1-9), a city St. Paul addressed in two of his epistles. Visit the White Tower, Church of St. George, statue of Alexander the Great and the churches of St. Demetrius (and St. Sophia time permitting). Celebrate Mass at the Thessaloniki Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and hear Steve’s brief talk on Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians. Lunch on our own before the 1-hour drive to Berea where Paul preached and the Bereans “studied the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:10-15). Steve’s talk on “Sola Scriptura”. Dinner on the ship.

Day 5, Monday, October 18 Kavala/Philippi  08:00-04:00

Visit Kavala (Neapolis in Acts 16:11) where Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy first set foot in Europe. Travel to Philippi, where Paul first preached the Gospel on European soil (Acts 16:12ff.). Celebrate Mass outdoors on the river’s edge where Paul baptized Lydia, his first European convert. View the beautiful Orthodox Church of St. Lydia. Sit in the Roman theatre for Steve’s talk “What Must I Do To Be Saved” (Acts 16:30-31). Tour Ancient Phillipi where Paul and Silas preached and see the prison where they were imprisoned. Stop to walk on the actual stones of the Egnatian Road Paul walked on. Late group lunch at Orea Mitilini Restaurant. Visit the mosaic of Paul’s visit near the restaurant. Dinner and overnight on the ship.

Day 6, Tuesday, October 19 —  Istanbul  09:30-8:00

Magnificent panoramic view as the ship arrives in Istanbul, one of the world’s greatest historical cities. Formerly Constantinople, the center of the Eastern Roman Empire and home to five of the Ecumenical Councils. Istanbul sits astride the continents of Europe and Asia and here East meets West. We visit the Blue Mosque where we’ll learn about Islam. Then to the gem of Istanbul, St. Hagia Sofia the largest church in Christendom for 1000 years. Visit Church of St. Irene. Mass at Holy Spirit Cathedral in Istanbul. Lunch at Hamdi Turkish Restaurant and free time to visit the exotic spice market. Board ship for dinner and free time.

Day 7, Wednesday, October 20 — Dikili/Pergamon  12:00-8:00

Morning Mass on the ship, talks from speakers, free time and lunch aboard ship in the morning. Depart for our tour from the port city of Dikili (our port) to Pergamon, one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:11; 2:12-17). Visit the Acropolis and the Asklepion, one of the best-preserved ancient sites in Turkey. Steve’s talk at Pergamum. Dinner and evening free aboard the ship.

Day 8, Thursday, October 21 — Kusadasi/Ephesus. 8:00-11:30

Port in Kusadasi then drive to Ephesus (Acts 19). Visit the House of Mary and celebrate Mass there. Tour the ancient city of Ephesus including the 24,000 seat theatre for Steve’s talk on Paul in Ephesus. Group picture at Celsius Library. See the ancient toilets, the billboard and the temples. Visit ruins of St. Mary’s Church, home of the 3rd Ecumenical Council for Steve’s talk on “Mary, Mother of God.” Exquisite outdoor lunch and experience the ancient art of rug making with opportunities to purchase rugs. Visit the tomb of St. John the Apostle in the ruins of St. John’s Church. Return to the ship for Steve’s “Life and Teaching of St. Paul” and enjoy the beautiful sights of the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner aboard ship.

Day 9, Friday, October 22 — Island of Patmos  7:00-6:30

Disembark on the Island of Patmos, a “Sacred Island” for Christians. St. John received his apocalyptic vision of Revelation while in exile on this island (Rev. 1:9). We will visit the cave and the monastery of St. John followed by outdoor Mass overlooking the bay. Optional visit to the mountaintop to visit the Monastery of St. John. Free time and lunch on your own in the quaint village—or return for lunch and free afternoon on the ship. Seminar talks including a talk by Fr. James Conlon late afternoon. Dinner on the ship.

Day 10, Saturday, October 23 – Athens/Ancient Corinth

Depart from the ship. Drive along the beautiful coastal road to Corinth, home to Paul for 18 months (Acts 18:1-22). Cross over the amazing Corinthian Canal dug between two seas. Guided tour of the streets of Ancient Corinth walked by St. Paul. Outdoor Mass at the Bema (Judgment Seat) where Paul was presented for judgment. See the amazing Erastus Stone (Rom. 16:23) and hear Steve’s talk “We Can Trust the Bible.” Shopping at Temple of Apollo Gift Shop. Lunch as a group at the Isthmia Bridge Cafe. Return to Athens in the afternoon for free time and dinner at a local restaurant (includes a glass of wine or beer) and overnight in Athens.

Day 11, Sunday, October 24 — Return to the USA