August 20 31, Additional Information Contact The Rev. Matthew Mead at and

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1 A PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND August 20 31, 2018 This packet includes: Three page color brochure (pages 2-4) Background (page 5) Ground Details (page 6) Airfare & Insurance Details (page 7-8) Itinerary (pages 9-11) Information about Leadership (page 12) Registration (pages 13-14) Additional Information Contact The Rev. Matthew Mead at and About our Travel Agent Amanda Slattery, Travel Emporium, Inc ( Travel Emporium ), is our Travel Agent and is handling air travel and travel insurance for our group. Amanda has handled travel arrangements for numerous pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She is a Missioner for the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. She may be reached at

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5 BACKGROUND Pilgrimage We invite you to consider a pilgrimage to the Holy Land next August led by the Rev. Matthew Hoxsie Mead, Rector of Christ Church, Pelham. We are partnering in this pilgrimage with the Rev. Randy Alexander, who served as the 14 th Rector of Christ Church and currently serves as Rector of Immanuel on the Hill Church in Alexandria, VA. The opportunity to take part in the 2018 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is offered as part of Christ Church s 175 th Anniversary Celebration. Background This pilgrimage builds upon several recent presentations offered at Christ Church including a presentation by parishioner John Lent, Deputy Director of American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ), on the current plight of Palestinian Christians in Israel. John encouraged us to see the Holy Land for ourselves. Father Mead and Father Alexander invite you to join them for a once in a life time trip with members, alumni, and friends from Christ Church. Our Guide Our guide will be Iyad Qumri, a tour guide with over 20 years of experience, operating as Qumri Pilgrimages. The tour is intended to provide a sense of history and connection with the world Jesus inhabited. It will also allow us to connect with Palestinian Christian congregations. Qumri Pilgrimages is highly regarded. Their website is at Date We have reserved a pilgrimage for August 20-31, Size of Group & Number of Spaces The Pilgrimage is led by the rectors of Christ Church and Immanuel-on-the-Hill, and will include many parishioners from each parish. The trip is also open to the general public and is being advertised to the broader church and our local communities. The group is limited to a total of 45 people. Spaces are available on a first-come basis. 5

6 GROUND DETAILS Ground Cost The ground cost based on double occupancy is estimated at $2,300 per person with a limited number of single rooms at an additional $520. Air fare and trip insurance are not included in this estimate. Airfare is additional; please see below for details. NOTE: Prices may be changed slightly depending on the size of the group. Ground cost includes: Accommodations Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Transportation in comfortable deluxe bus Guide s fees All entrance fees to sites listed in itinerary Israeli and Palestinian speakers Portage at all hotels Tips for restaurant and hotel staff Tip for our Guide Bus driver tips Farewell dinner in Guide s home Ground cost does not include: Airfare, medical or flight insurance, overseas calls, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. $150 Early Reservation We ask members of Christ Church and Immanuel-on-the-Hill who want to guarantee a space before the Pilgrimage is open to the public to submit a payment of $150 per person by November 1, 2017, payable to Christ Church or Immanuel-on-the-Hill with the memo notation of "Holy Land Pilgrimage". $600 Deposit The full $600 deposit is due when along with the Registration Form. Deposit is payable to Christ Church, with the memo notation of "Holy Land Pilgrimage". Deposit is nonrefundable unless the pilgrimage is cancelled by Iyad Qumri. 6

7 AIR & INSURANCE DETAILS Information about Air Transportation Pilgrims are advised to join our group flight, which will ensure that all NYC area Pilgrims arrive in the Holy Land at the same time. Father Alexander is making separate arrangements for Pilgrims travelling from DC or Virginia. If you choose other air transportation, you must make your own arrangements to meet up with the full group and/or the guide. NEW YORK Pilgrims: The flight from Newark/Liberty is a nonstop flight to Tel Aviv. o United Airlines from Newark/Liberty to Tel Aviv Depart Flight 90 from Newark: Monday, August 20, 10:50pm Arrive in Tel Aviv: Tuesday, August 21, 4:20pm o United Airlines from Tel Aviv to Newark/Liberty Depart Flight 91 from Tel Aviv: Friday, August 31, 11:10pm Arrive in Newark: Saturday, September 1, 4:10am o Roundtrip Estimated Airfare EWR-TLV: $ Group Airfare must be purchased through Christ Church. The airfare price is guaranteed by the airline, but taxes may change until tickets are issued. Airfare is nonrefundable once tickets have been issued. DC/VIRGINIA Pilgrims: If you are travelling/connecting from DC/Virginia, please contact Father Alexander. Father Alexander is making arrangements for Pilgrims travelling from DC or Virginia. 7

8 Airfare cancellation policy: Air tickets are nonrefundable once issued. Information about Travel Insurance Once you have submitted a Registration Form and a copy your Passport, our travel agent will give you quotes for Travel Insurance. You are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance. This is handled by Travel Emporium, see contact information above. Be advised that you will need to purchase travel insurance within 15 days of your deposit in order to waive the preexisting medical conditions exclusion. About our Travel Agent Amanda Slattery, Travel Emporium, Inc ( Travel Emporium ), is our Travel Agent and is handling air travel and travel insurance for our group. Amanda has handled travel arrangements for numerous pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She is a Missioner for the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. She may be reached at Disclaimer of responsibility: Travel Emporium, Inc ( Travel Emporium ), is only acting as intermediary and agent for the suppliers identified on this, or any accompanying documents in selling services, or in accepting reservations or bookings for services that are not directly supplied by Travel Emporium (such as air carriage, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, meals, tours, etc). Travel Emporium shall not be responsible for breach of contract, bankruptcy or any intentional or careless actions or omissions on the part of such suppliers, which result in loss, damage, delay or injury to any traveler, travel companions or group members. This pilgrimage is operated by the Reverend Matthew Mead and the Rev. Randy Alexander in conjunction with Canon Iyad Qumri. In common with other companies, Rev. Mead and Rev. Alexander act only as agents for the services of Canon Iyad Qumri, who has sole responsibility for arranging room accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, admission and restaurants. Iyad Qumri reserves the right, at his sole discretion, to make changes in the itinerary and is not responsible for expenses, loss of time, money or other incidents resulting from a change of tour scheduling made for tour members. The tour leader and the guide are not responsible for any losses or damages of personal property, injuries or unforeseen expenses incurred by any tour member. 8

9 ITINERARY Note: this itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of our guide. AUGUST AUGUST AUGUST Saint George s Guest House Sisters of Nazareth Saint George s Guest House MONDAY, AUGUST 20, DAY 1: DEPART USA On our way to the Holy Land TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, DAY 2: ARRIVE TEL AVIV We arrive in Tel Aviv and are met by our guide, Canon Iyad Qumri. We are transferred to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Saint George s Guest House Nablus Road 20, POB , Jerusalem sghostel@bezeqint.net (fax) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, DAY 3: HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM / HERODIUM Introductions, In the morning we will drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture. Then we will look at the many different Jerusalem, visit Herodium some 12 km. south of Jerusalem, on a hill shaped like a truncated cone that rises 758 m. above sea level, stood Herodium, the palace-fortress built by King Herod. It had a breathtaking view, overlooking the Judean Desert and the mountains of Moab to the east, and the Judean Hills to the west. Dinner and overnight at Saint George s Guest House Guest Speaker: Lecture on Islam THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, DAY 4: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / HOLY SEPULGHER We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of The Rock and the Al- Aqsa Mosque). St. Anne s Church and the pools of Bethesda, Lunch, Walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance to the Church of the Resurrection to the Holy Sepulcher Dinner and overnight at Saint George s Guest House Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues A Palestinian Perspective 9

10 FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, DAY 5: SHEPHERD S FIELD / BETHLEHEM We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, Lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds Field), And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night,lunch, Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity Dinner and overnight at Saint George s Guest House Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues An Israeli Perspective SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, DAY 6: JERICHO / NAZARETH Wadi Qelt early morning to get the feel for the desert, depart for Jericho to hike up Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho, 20 minute meditation on Mt of Temptation, Lunch in Jericho, drive through the Rift Valley to Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth Tel: Fax: SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, DAY 7: CHRIST CHURCH / SEPPHORIS / CAESAREA PHILIPPI Sunday Eucharist at Christ Church, meet Fr. Nael Abu Rahmoun. Lunch.Depart for Zippori, Sepphoris, where we explore the excavations of the Roman/Byzantine city, Caesarea Philippi (Banias) And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am? Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth MONDAY, AUGUST 27, DAY 8: JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM / BEATITUDES / TABGHA Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows, Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, we then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch, visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter s Primacy, Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth A treat you will not want to miss!!!! TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, DAY 9: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob s well where will tour the church and drink 10

11 from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit Taybeh, the only 100% Christian town in the Palestinian Authority, in the fourth century the Emperor Constantine and his mother St. Helena built the church of St. George in the village, the ruins of the Church are still found on a hill in the town. Taybeh is also the home of the only Palestinian brewery in the Middle East. Overnight at Saint George s Guest House WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, DAY 10: FREE DAY A free day to shop, revisit favorite sites in Jerusalem or to visit Masada, a fortified palace of Herod the Great which saw heavy fighting between Jewish rebels and Roman soldier s in 73 A.D. You may also wish to visit Yad Vashem site of the Holocaust Memorial, David s Citadel and David s Tower Dinner and overnight at Saint George s Guest House THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, DAY 11: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE Walk the Palm Sunday Procession. We will stop at Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city. It is known as Dominus Flevit [ Latin for The Lord wept ]. Afterward, we will walk to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations Dinner at the Qumris in Jericho Overnight at Saint George s Guest House FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, DAY 12: WAY OF THE CROSS / EMMAUS Stations of the Cross, Silent reflections at the Empty Tomb, Later in the morning we will depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church Transfer to the Tel Aviv airport 11

12 PILGRIMAGE LEADERSHIP Iyad Qumri, Certified Guide Iyad is an experienced guide who brings in depth knowledge of the holy sites, Biblical history, and the contemporary life of the Holy Land. A Palestinian Episcopalian Christian, Iyad has guided pilgrims, including bishops, from Episcopal Dioceses of the United States. Iyad says, Pilgrimages are very different from tours. As we walk through the land where Jesus was born, lived, died and was resurrected, we will not only visit these sites but we will live them. The Rev. Randy Alexander, Pilgrimage Leader, Diocese of Virginia The Rev. J. Randolph Alexander, Jr. (Randy) is Rector of Immanuel-onthe-Hill Church, Alexandria, VA. In addition to his work at Immanuel, Father Alexander serves the diocese as a member of the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee, and a Deputy to the 79th General Convention. He previously served as Rector of the Parish of Christ the Redeemer in Pelham, N.Y. His first call was as Curate at St. John s Church in Larchmont, NY. Next he served as Assistant Rector at Old St. Paul s Church in Baltimore, MD, then as Assistant at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, London, England. Randy is married to the Rev. Patricia Phaneuf Alexander, and they have three sons: William, Peter, and Andrew. The Rev. Matthew Mead, Pilgrimage Leader, Diocese of New York The Rev. Matthew Hoxsie Mead (Matt) is Rector of the Parish of Christ the Redeemer, Pelham, NY. In addition to his work at Christ Church, Father Mead serves the diocese as Chair of the Budget Committee York, a member of the Commission on Ministry, and a Deputy to the 79th General Convention. Before coming to Christ Church Father Mead was Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Granite Springs, New York, from 2009 until 2015, and Curate for Liturgy and Education at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Times Square from 2004 until Matthew is married to Nicole DeCoursy Mead, and they have two sons: Liam and Nicholas. 12

13 REGISTRATION FORM Pilgrimage Leadership: Our local guide is Canon Iyad Qumri. Clergy organizers and leaders are the Rev. Matthew Mead, Rector of Christ Church, Pelham, Diocese of New York, and the Rev. Randy Alexander, Rector of Immanuel-on-the-Hill Church, Diocese of Virginia. PERSONAL INFORMATION Please print name exactly as it appears on your passport and please print or type Name Address Home Phone Cell Phone Passport Number Contact Person and phone number in case of emergency while you are traveling Important! Attach a photocopy of your passport to this registration form. Be sure that your passport is good for 6 months beyond the last day of the pilgrimage. $600 DEPOSIT (please check a box): The full $600 deposit is due when along with the Registration Form. Deposit is payable to Christ Church, with the memo notation of "Holy Land Pilgrimage". Deposit is nonrefundable unless the pilgrimage is cancelled by Iyad Qumri. I have already paid my $150 Early Reservation Payment, and I enclose an additional $450 for the full $600 Deposit. I have enclosed my $600 Deposit. FINAL PAYMENT is due by April 20, 2018 Land Cost Refund Schedule: April 22 nd May 22 nd % refund minus the deposit. May 23 rd June 19 th % refund minus the deposit. Any cancellation after June 19 th is nonrefundable You may include full payment with this form if you prefer. You must fill out the next page of this form. 13

14 PILGRIMAGE GROUND COST (please check a box): $2,300 (shared room). Rooming with $2,820 (single room limited availability) NOTE: Prices may be changed slightly depending on the size of the group. PILGRIMAGE GROUP AIRFARE (please check all boxes that apply): $ : DIRECT ROUNDTRIP FLIGHT between NEWARK and TEL AVIV United Airlines from Newark/Liberty to Tel Aviv Depart Flight 90 from Newark: Monday, August 20, 10:50pm Arrive in Tel Aviv: Tuesday, August 21, 4:20pm United Airlines from Tel Aviv to Newark/Liberty Depart Flight 91 from Tel Aviv: Friday, August 31, 11:10pm Arrive in Newark: Saturday, September 1, 4:10am Group Airfare must be purchased through Christ Church. The airfare price is guaranteed by the airline, but taxes may change until tickets are issued. Airfare is nonrefundable once tickets have been issued. I AM MAKING MY OWN AIR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS If you choose other air transportation, you must make your own arrangements to meet up with the full group and/or the guide. RETURN THIS REGISTRATION FORM, COPY OF YOUR PASSPORT, PLUS THE DEPOSIT TO: The Parish of Christ the Redeemer 1415 Pelhamdale Avenue Pelham, NY