Graces of Eastern Europe

Graces of Eastern Europe
PRAGUE • CZESTOCHOWA • KRAKOW • BUDAPEST • ZAGREB
ITINERARY
A magnificent journey through Eastern Europe’s great cities and
heartlands steeped in our Catholic heritage of past and present.
DAY 1: DEPART FOR THE CZECH
REPUBLIC
A 16 DAY PILGRIMAGE | PRAGUE TO ZAGREB
FROM
$7,090
AUD
poland
germany
FULLY INCLUSIVE*
2 Czestochowa
OR
Prague
Auschwitz
Wadowice
3
czech rep.
FEATURING:
• Prague (3)
• Czestochowa (2)
• Auschwitz
• Wadowice
• Krakow (3)
• Shrine of Divine Mercy
• Zakopane
• Budapest (2)
• Ludbreg
• Zagreb (2)
3 Krakow
Zakopane
slovakia
austria
2 Budapest
hungary
Venice
2
italy
Ludbreg
Zagreb
Adriatic Sea
Tyrrehenian Sea
H A R V E S T H I GH P O IN T S
1
3
Enjoy a gently paced 3 night stay in each
of Prague & Krakow to explore two of
Europe’s most beautiful cities.
Be blessed by the powerful graces of the
great Shrines of Divine Mercy and the
Black Madonna of Czestochowa.
2
4
Be truly inspired as we follow in the
footsteps of Pope St John Paul II
through Poland.
Discover Hungary’s magical capital
Budapest, stunningly linked by a series of
bridges over the beautiful Danube.
DAY 2: ARRIVE PRAGUE
Afternoon arrival into the golden city of
Prague famous for its Gothic and Baroque
architecture and ranked as one of the most
beautifully preserved cities in Europe. The
first special Mass of our pilgrimage will be
celebrated before dinner.
Prague overnight (D)
DAY 3: PRAGUE
Our pilgrimage begins today with a walking
tour of Prague. Visit St Vitus Cathedral,
the city’s most distinctive landmark which
houses the crown jewels and the tomb of
‘Good King’ Wenceslas. Continue on to the
Hradcany area and the Prague Castle.
Nearby we come to Prague Loreto, a
remarkable place of pilgrimage and artistic
monument. It was constructed in the 17th
century at the request of Baroness Katharina
von Lobkowitz as a tribute to the Holy
House of Loreto (Santa Casa) that witnessed
the solemn moment of the Incarnation. See
the many chapels, the clock tower with
its famous chime, the Treasury with its
beautiful Diamond Monstrance, and the
Santa Casa.
We celebrate Mass today at the Church of
Our Lady Victorious where we come face
to face with the Holy Infant of Prague.
This wax figure has an impressive record of
and celebrate Mass at one of the beautiful
local chapels or monasteries.
Czestochowa overnight (BD)
which remains the favourite boyhood shrine
of Pope St John Paul II.
Krakow overnight (BD)
DAY 6: CZESTOCHOWA
DAY 8: KRAKOW
miracle cures and is one of the most revered
images in the Catholic world.
Prague overnight (BD)
PILGRIMAGE
Czestochowa is home to the cherished
miraculous icon of Our Lady with the Child
Jesus, an object of veneration for centuries
(also known as the Black Madonna).
Attracting more than five million pilgrims
every year, Our Lady of Czestochowa is
recognized as one of the most visited places
of Christian pilgrimage in the world. This
morning we will celebrate a private Mass
before the image here in the ancient chapel.
Later we will tour the Basilica, Treasury,
Museum and Knights Hall.
A little free time this afternoon. An optional
visit to Jura Krakowsko, part of the Polish
Jurassic Rock Upland will be enjoyed as the
fit and able take a walk up the hill to the
ruins of the Gothic Castle of Olsztyn.
Czestochowa overnight (BD)
DAY 4: PRAGUE
DAY 7: VIA AUSCHWITZ AND
This morning we cross the historical Charles
Bridge built in 1400 and continue on to
the Old Town area including Wenceslas
Square, Celetna Lane, Old Town Square
(with its random network of streets dating
back to the 13th century), the Town Hall
with the astronomical clock and Tyn
Cathedral.
Free time this afternoon.
Prague overnight (BD)
DAY 5: PRAGUE TO CZESTOCHOWA
Depart Prague this morning and journey
east into Poland through the lush green
countryside.
We stop for lunch and some time to wander
the picturesque village of Klodzko. See the
Gothic St John’s Bridge with its striking
statues and the fortress towering over the
town.
We reboard our coach and continue on to
Czestochowa where the fortress monastery
of the Pauline monks of Jasna Gora
(meaning Bright Hill) is located. We will
travel directly to our centrally located hotel,
WADOWICE TO KRAKOW
Departing Czestochowa this morning we
journey south and enter on a prayerful
encounter to Auschwitz where we mourn
the millions of people who were put to death
in this, the biggest concentration camp of
Hitler’s Nazism. Pope St John Paul II has
termed this place the Golgotha of the modern
world. We pray in the martyrdom bunker of
St Maximilian Kolbe and view his cell while
reflecting upon his selfless courage. After the
tour of Auschwitz, we will have Mass in one
of the beautiful town Churches.
Continue to Wadowice, the birthplace of
Karol Wojtyla (the recently canonised Pope
St John Paul II) where we enter his family
house and even the grounds where he used to
play Football! The central point of the town
is the market square with its Parish Church,
and the famous Baptismal basin where
Karol was baptized. Next to the church, we
find the saint’s birthplace and the nearby
Museum encompassing the former home of
the Wojtyla family.
En route to Krakow we visit the celebrated
Marian site of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska,
“This is my second Harvest pilgrimage, what
a wonderful experience. In visiting both Rome
and Poland I felt that I got to know the real
John Paul II. We saw where he was born and
where he started as a young priest. How blessed
we were to visit these places, I
have a deeper understanding
of the man who was Pope
John Paul II.”
Therese Kassouf
Auschwitz
Here in Krakow we bask in the two-fold
grace of Divine Mercy and Pope St John
Paul II who served as the city’s Archbishop.
Today we will enter the Wawel Cathedral
where in the crypt below Fr Karol was
ordained in 1946 and celebrated his first
Mass. View St Florians Church where we
will celebrate Mass, and where the young
Karol developed a flourishing underground
youth ministry at great risk.
Travel on to St Mary’s Church, University
and Market Square to experience one of
the most beautiful medieval city centres in
Europe.
Krakow overnight (BD)
DAY 9: KRAKOW
Our morning will feature an enthralling
tour of the famous Wieliczka Salt Mines,
the oldest operational mines in Europe and
dating back to the 13th century.
We come this afternoon to the inspired
Shrine of Divine Mercy where, between
1931 – 1938 Our Lord appeared to Sr
Faustina Kowalska (a Polish Sister of
Mercy) entrusting with her the mission
of spreading His message of merciful love
for humanity. During our visit we will
celebrate Mass at the shrine, and witness the
miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus
before venerating the tomb of St Faustina.
Finally we will visit the recently consecrated
‘Have No Fear’ John Paul II Shrine where
G R AC E S O F E A S T E R N E U R O P E
Infant of Prague
we can encounter ‘the person of John Paul
II, his thoughts, his spirit and his sanctity’
(Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz).
Krakow overnight (BD)
DAY 10: KRAKOW TO BUDAPEST
Depart south this morning to the resort
village of Zakopane where we will celebrate
Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Fatima,
built in thanksgiving of Pope St John Paul
II’s narrow escape from assassination on 13
May, 1981.
Continuing on from Zakopane we cross into
the Slovak Republic, through magnificent
alpine landscape into Hungary and en route
to the beautiful city of Budapest.
Situated on the opposite banks of the
Danube, the former cities of Buda and Pest
are linked by a series of graceful bridges.
Budapest overnight (BD)
DAY 11: BUDAPEST
Our tour today in Budapest begins with a
visit and Mass at the Basilica of St Stephen
which holds the mummified hand of
King St Stephen. Continue on to view the
decorative Parliament building, Heroes
Square, the 118 foot high Corinthian
column dedicated to the Roman Catholic
Church, the 13th century Church of St
Matthias and the Fisherman’s Bastion.
Finish our tour with a panoramic view of the
city from Gellert Hill.
Enjoy some free time this afternoon before
embarking on an enchanting dinner cruise
on the River Danube.
Budapest overnight (BD)
DAY 12: BUDAPEST TO ZAGREB
We farewell Budapest today before an
enthralling drive alongside tranquil Lake
Balaton known as the ‘Hungarian Sea’ being
the largest lake in Central Europe.
Stop to admire the Abbey of Tihany perched
on a peninsula reaching out into the lake.
Continue on this afternoon into Croatia and
onto the Shrine of the Eucharistic Miracle
of Ludbreg (1411) housed inside the
local parish Church of the Holy Trinity,
enshrined in a beautiful monstrance.
Celebrate Mass together in the lovely church
before the Eucharistic miracle, before
continuing to the Croatian capital.
Zagreb overnight (BD)
Zagreb overnight (BD)
DAY 14: DEPART ZAGREB
Today we depart Zagreb for our home
bound flights to Australia.
N.B. Pilgrims flying with Emirates or
choosing to join the Graces of Italy
pilgrimage will be transferred by coach to
Venice today.
DAY 16: ARRIVE AUSTRALIA
DAY 13: ZAGREB
This morning we enjoy a guided city tour
of Zagreb featuring the fortified historic
Upper Town including a visit to St Mark’s
Church dating back to the 13th century.
Continue on to St Catherine’s Church and
the Cathedral of the Assumption whose
twin spires are visible from afar. Nearby is
the Stone Gate, containing a shrine to the
Virgin Mary believed to possess miraculous
powers. Enjoy some time for lunch in this
beautiful old part of the city.
This afternoon we travel out to Croatia’s
National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bistrica
and home to a 15th century miraculous statue
of the Virgin Mary. Here we will celebrate
our final Mass. Take the opportunity to
TOUR
CODE
kneel before the black wooden figure of the
smiling Madonna with the infant Jesus.
PILGRIMAGE COMBINATIONS
ADD 12 NIGHTS
ITALY
Contact Harvest for more information
ADD 5 NIGHTS
RUSSIA
Contact Harvest for more information
SELECTED DEPARTURES ONLY ON THE ABOVE LINKS.
CONTACT HARVEST FOR MORE INFORMATION
2015 PILGRIMAGE DEPARTURES
FULL PACKAGE
TOUR ONLY
TOUR
Departs Australia
5GE01A Wednesday 17th June
5GE02A Thursday 17th September
Single Room Supplement
AUD*
$7290
$7090
$1190
CODE
Starts
Prague
Ends
Zagreb
AUD*
5GE01L 18th Jun
30th Jun
$4490
5GE02L 18th Sep
30th Sep
$4490
Prepaid Tipping Fund: $15 each day of tour
For our 2015 Pilgrimage Chaplains: Contact Harvest or visit www.harvestpilgrims.com/chaplains
* Full package based on departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth including all airline taxes & levies (subject to change).
Tour Only costs include local airfares between Start/End dates.
G R AC E S O F E A S T E R N E U R O P E
Budapest
Russia Pilgrimage
ADD TO GRACES OF EASTERN EUROPE (5GE02)
OR TREASURES OF NORTHERN EUROPE (5NE01)
Church not closed during the Communist
rule.
• Spend a day around Red Square,
mostly famous for the military parades
demonstrating to the world the military
might of the Soviet Union.
• View the Kremlin Wall, where from 1917
it became a tradition to bury Soviet heroes
by and in the wall. Leaders Joseph Stalin,
Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Chernenko and Yuri
Gagarin (the first man in space) are some of
the people resting here.
• Admire the charming Kazan Cathedral, a
faithful reconstruction after Joseph Stalin
had it demolished in 1936.
• Gaze up at the famous coloured domes of St
Basil’s Cathedral as it is commonly known
(now a museum), the official name being
“The Cathedral of the Intercession of the
Virgin by the Moat.”
• Pray before the 17th century miraculous
painting of the “Iberian Virgin” (said to
have healing powers) in the reconstructed
Resurrection Gate and the Iberian
Chapel.
A 5 NIGHT PILGRIMAGE
EXTENSION VISITING THE TWO
GREAT CITIES OF RUSSIA
FEATURING:
ST PETERSBURG (2 nights)
• Mass at St Catherine’s Basilica, the oldest
Catholic church in Russia.
• Explore St Isaac’s Cathedral designed to
hold 14,000 standing worshippers. The
dome of St Isaac’s is plated with pure gold
and is a dominant piece of the St Petersburg
skyline.
• Enter SS Peter and Paul Cathedral with its
landmark needle-thin spire – the highest in
the city and an unusual feature for a Russian
Orthodox Church. Inside are the tombs of
Peter the Great, Catherine the Great as well
as Nicholas II and his family. Next door
is the Trubetskoy Bastion and Prison, the
oldest building in St Petersburg which saw
its last prisoner in 1921.
• Be enchanted by the Grand Peterhof
Palace, a series of palaces, grottoes,
fountains, cascades and gardens sometimes
referred to as the “Russian Versailles.”
• Walk under the great colonnaded arms of
Kazan Cathedral (built to an enormous
scale between 1801 - 1811) whose design
was influenced by St Peters Basilica and
Bernini’s colonnade in Rome. The cathedral
houses the State Museum of Religious
History.
• Enjoy a visit to the Church of the Saviour
on Blood which features over 7,500 square
metres of mosaics, claimed to be more than
any other church in the world.
• Enter the Hermitage to view Leonardo’s
“Madonna Litta”, Titian’s “Penitent
Magdalene”, Canova’s sculpture “The
Three Graces”, “The Prodigal Son” by
Rembrandt as well as works by a hundred
other great masters.
• Sit back and enjoy a fabulous rail journey
from St Petersburg to the Russian capital
of Moscow - the most populous city in
Europe.
MOSCOW (3 nights)
• Visit the Church of Saint Louis des
Francais – this was the only Catholic
RUSSIA EXTENSION
Share Twin (plus best applicable airfare)
Single Room Supplement
$630
• Spend time in the Cathedral of the
Assumption or Dormition Cathedral with
its five Domes representing Christ and
the four Evangelists, the oldest and most
important church in the Kremlin. Within
its walls, coronations and installations have
occurred and the tombs of many patriarchs
are here.
• View the Ivan the Great Bell Tower – the
tallest building in all of Russia for almost
400 years. Ivan the Great ordered a bell
tower for the Archangel, Assumption and
Annunciation Cathedrals.
• Enjoy a visit to the Kremlin Armory
Museum to see the sumptuous collection of
jewellery, tableware and icons. A highlight
is the large case of Faberge eggs including
the famous Siberian Railway egg.
• Travel out to the town of Sergiev Posad
and the site of one of the holiest places in
all of Russia – the stunning Holy Trinity
St Sergius Lavra founded by St Sergius
of Ranonezh, (c.1321 – 1391) a monk
who from childhood seemed destined for
holiness. Come as pilgrims to pray before
the relics of St Sergius.
• Enter the Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception, the largest Catholic church in
Russia.
(COMMENCING ST PETERSBURG - 13 SEP)
$2790
Prepaid Tipping Fund: $15 each day of tour
G R AC E S O F E A S T E R N E U R O P E
OPTIONAL EXTENSION