By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Bishop Larry Silva will lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land next year, May 22-June 4, that promises to be a powerful spiritual experience with visits to dozens of biblical sites and sacred historic places.

“A Journey of Faith to the Holy Land with Bishop Larry Silva” will include trips to Nazareth, Cana, the River Jordan, Solomon’s Gate, Bethesda, Caesarea, Emmaus, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane and the sites of Jesus’ birth, baptism, miracles and sermons, Transfiguration, passion, death and resurrection.

Special activities include a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, Mass in St. Peter’s house in Capernaum, renewal of marriage vows at Cana, a drive through the Judean Hills, floating on the Dead Sea, a Galilean style lunch and a cultural folklore show.

Mass will be celebrated at a different historic church every day of the tour.

The pilgrimage is being organized by Seawind Tours and Travel, the same company that arranged the pilgrimage to the canonization of St. Damien in Rome last year, and the beatifications of Father Damien and Mother Marianne in 1995 and 2005 respectively.

Seawind is also offering an optional three-day trip extension to Cairo, Egypt.

The group will leave Honolulu on Sunday, May 22, and arrive in Israel on May 24. The pilgrims will stay at the Leonardo Plaza Tiberias hotel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, from which they will explore Mount Tabor, Mount Carmel, Nazareth, Cana and other neighboring places.

On May 29, the group moves to the Leonardo Plaza hotel in Jerusalem, and will visit many of the Gospel locations of Jesus’ public ministry, including the dungeon where he was held before his trial and the Cenacle, the site of the Last Supper.

Old Testament locations are also on the itinerary, including King David’s tomb, King Solomon’s stables and other historic ruins.

The Cairo extension, June 2-6, has limited availability. It includes visits to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, the Mohamad Ali Mosque, the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, the great pyramids in Giza, the Sphinx and the Old Coptic Church.

The primary tour, which includes the roundtrip airfare from Honolulu to Tel Aviv, costs $5,839 per person, based on double occupancy. The price includes taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change by the airlines. It also includes hotels, ground transportation, most meals, admissions and activities, donations to all churches where the group will celebrate Mass, group gratuities, airport and hotel porterage, tour guides and a pilgrimage tour jacket.

The tour with the extension to Egypt is $7,515 per person, based on double occupancy.

Also available is a land-only option for those who arrange their own air travel to and from Tel Aviv. That costs $4,345 and is not offered with the Egypt extension.

Detailed tour information will be available on the tour website, www.seawindtours.com/holylandtour. For more information, call Seawind Tours and Travel at (808) 949-4144 or e-mail holylandtour @seawindtours.com.