10 – 17 January 2018

Led by the Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin

A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

St Mellitus College has now grown to become one of the largest theological

colleges in the Anglican Church worldwide with 210 ordinands in training, and over

650 people currently taking its programmes. It is widely thought to be one of the

most innovative and exciting places to study theology and ministry in the UK.

St Mellitus College is offering a unique opportunity to friends and supporters of

SMC and its related organisations, St Paul’s Theological Centre and Alpha, to go on

an educational pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This pilgrimage, led by Bishop Graham

Tomlin, is being offered to an invited group of supporters. Graham is a very

experienced guide to the Holy Land, having written about it and led many tours

over the past twenty years.

We will take time to support and encourage the local Christian community, visiting

some Christian ministries around Bethlehem. Graham will be joined by an expert

local Christian guide.

The tour, organised for us by McCabe Pilgrimages, is planned for 10 – 17 January

2018, when the weather can be a little cooler, but at a time when the sites are

quieter and away from the heat of summer. Visits will include the Sea of Galilee,

Capernaum, Nazareth, Nablus, Jerusalem and Bethlehem with free time for

relaxation and reflection. We will spend time around the Old City of Jerusalem and

sail on the Sea of Galilee. The Holy Land is unique in offering so many highlights

and contrasts in such a compact area. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and

promises to be a wonderful and spiritually enriching week together.

Please be aware that the tour will involve some steps and walking on sometimes

steep and rough ground in the desert, though taken at a gentle pace. Participants

do need to be reasonably mobile and prepared for a good deal of walking each

day. Advice and guidance will be given by the tour leader and the guide as we

travel.

A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land for friends of St Mellitus College

The cost of this tour is based on sharing a twin-bedded room with private

facilities. We stay in two family owned and managed hotels. In Jerusalem, the

three star Golden Walls Hotel overlooks the Old City walls and is within walking

distance of the Holy Sepulchre. In Tiberias, we stay at the four star Ron Beach

Hotel in a wonderful situation right on the lakeside. The tour is on a full-board

basis with buffet breakfast, lunch and table d’hôte evening meal included daily.

Touring is by air-conditioned coach and we will be accompanied by a local guide

who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel

check-ins etc. All entrance fees are included, as well as airport and security

charges. Flights are on British Airways between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv.

A complimentary visa is issued on arrival in Israel.

The cost of the tour including fights, transport, tour guides and full board

accommodation, is £1795 per person. In addition, we are asking for a donation of

a minimum of £500 for the work of St Mellitus College. The amount of £500

qualifes for Gift Aid. This makes the total combined cost of the trip and the

donation £2295.

Extras are: the travel insurance (if required, £59 for those up to 74 years old, and

£89 for those over 75 years old ) and a supplement of £395 if you prefer a single

room (see additional information in the ‘Travelling Alone’ section towards the end

of this brochure).

You should make sure you have insurance, but you may have an annual policy or

prefer an alternative to ours (quoted above). Any special requests should be noted

on the booking form. A deposit is payable at the time of booking with the balance

payable eight weeks before departure. Your final documents will be sent to you

approximately two weeks before departure.

McCabe are very experienced operators in the area and the security situation is

constantly monitored. The British Foreign Office Travel Advice is always followed

and the normal rules for refunds are followed.

Tour Information

We travel on British Airways from Heathrow to Tel Aviv on flight BA 165

departing at 08:05 hours and arriving at 14:55 hours. Transfer on arrival to our

hotel in Jerusalem. Four night stay at the Golden Walls hotel close to the Old City

and the Biblical sites we will be visiting.

We drive to the Mount of Olives where we have a panoramic view of the walled

city. As we look across the Kidron Valley we see the Golden Gate, the Dome of the

Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We begin at the Dome of the

Ascension and then walk down to the Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit Chapel

continuing to the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. We enter

the walled city and finish our morning by the Pool of Bethesda and Church of St

Anne. After lunch at the Ecce Homo convent (where we view the Lithostrotos), we

visit the City of David excavations. We will then continue to the Yad Vashem

Holocaust Museum (note: parts of the site close at 5pm, but other parts remain

open until later). After dinner, there will be an optional walk around the City Walls.

Day 1 – Journey to the Holy Land

Day 2 – An Introduction to Jerusalem

Day 3 – Holy Sepulchre, Israel and Museum & Bethany

We begin our morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We then continue

to West Jerusalem and the Israel Museum where we view a model of ancient

Jerusalem and see the Dead Sea Scrolls (which are housed within the Shrine of

the Book). We have lunch at the Notre Dame Centre. In the afternoon we drive to

Mount Zion where we call at the Cenacle (Upper Room) and St Peter in Gallicantu

(the High Priest’s house). We end the afternoon either at the Western (Wailing)

Wall, the holiest site for Jews, as the Sabbath begins, or there will be an optional

visit to the Garden Tomb.

We will visit the Holy Sepulchre in the early morning to witness the variety of

liturgies. After breakfast, we have the (optional) opportunity to walk down to the

Western Wall and the Temple Mount to visit the Dome of the Rock and el-Aqsa

Mosque. We then leave Jerusalem and spend some time enjoying the stillness of

the desert. We drive north through the West Bank. We stop in Nablus at Jacob’s

Well and have a late lunch at the Samaria Restaurant in Sebastia. We continue

through the West Bank to Tiberias.

Day 5 – The West Bank

The Programme

We drive around the Sea of Galilee to Magdala (Migdal) which we visit. We then

continue to Nazareth where we visit excavations under the Convent of the White

Sisters. We have lunch at the Holy Land restaurant. In the afternoon we visit St

Gabriel’s (Orthodox) Church (Mary’s Well), the Synagogue Church and the Basilica

of the Annunciation.

Today we visit the sites associated with Jesus’ life around the Sea of Galilee. We

sail across the lake to Kibbutz Ein Gev on the eastern side of the lake. We then

call at the site of Kursi (the parable of the Gadarene swine). From Kursi we drive to

Gamla and then on to Capernaum, the base of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. We

continue to Mensa Christi (where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his

resurrection). We then drive up to the Convent of the Beatitudes for lunch. Here,

we visit the church and garden which commemorate the Sermon on the Mount.

After lunch we celebrate the Eucharist on the shores of the lake at Tabgha beside

the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. The remainder of the afternoon is free to

draw together strands of our pilgrimage and relax around the hotel.

Day 6 – Narareth

Day 7 – The Lakeside Ministry

Day 4 – Bethlehem

We cross into Palestinian territory as we journey to Bethlehem visiting Herodion

en route. We visit the Fields of the Shepherds in Beit Sahour. We will also visit

the Tent of Nations where we have lunch. In the afternoon call at the Basilica

and Grotto of the Nativity and St Jerome’s Caves. During the day there will be the

opportunity to shop at an olive wood co-operative.

We leave Tiberias and drive to the Mediterranean coast and the Roman capital of

Caesarea, where we visit the restored amphitheatre and the aqueduct. After an

early lunch at Cafe Port beside the sea, we continue to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel

Aviv for our homeward flight British Airways BA 164 which departs at 16:35

arriving back at London Heathrow Airport at 20:10 hours.

Day 8 – Homeward Bound

This programme is provisional and subject to change, dependent on timings and accessability at the time of the tour.

St Mellitus College Trust – A Company Limited by Guarantee; Registered in England (Number: 4546328); A Registered Charity (Number: 1094157); Registered Office: 24 Collingham Road, London SW18 1SQ.

Many of our passengers travel alone and object to expensive single room

supplements. McCabe Pilgrimages will accept individual bookings on a ‘guaranteed

share’ basis. We charge the basic price and accommodate you with a person of

the same sex also requesting shared accommodation. If we do not find someone

to share with you, you will be accommodated in a single room at only 50% of the

usual single room supplement. For single travellers who do require single

accommodation this should be requested when booking and, if available, the

normal supplement will be payable.

Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the time of

this pilgrimage. If you need a new passport apply early as there can be

considerable backlogs at the passport offices. A visa is issued free of charge on

entering Israel and there are currently no further requirements for entering the

Palestinian territories. If you are holding a non-British passport, or require further

advice, please consult the McCabe Pilgrimages office on 020 8675 6828. No

inoculations are required. We do, however, advise you to consult your doctor

regarding your own personal requirements.

Travelling Alone

Passports, Visas and Health

AITO Quality Statement

McCabe Pilgrimages is a member of the Association of Independent Tour

Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators

and encourages high standards of quality and service. McCabe abides by the

Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can

be viewed on www.aito.co.uk. Visit the website to find out more about the

Association or call 020 8744 9280.

Our Pilgrimage

on 0845 606 9966. This Insurance is underwritten by ERV. ERV is authorised by the

Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BAFIN – www.ba n.de) and the

Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to limited regulation by the Financial

Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

It has been specically designed so that it covers all McCabe holidays; protecting

you in full if you have to cancel and providing you with the very best and most

effective protection if you are unfortunate enough to require medical attention

whilst away.

A unique feature of the policy is that you will not need to call a medical help line

to discuss health issues. Most pre-existing health conditions are covered as long as

your doctor agrees that you are t to travel.

Standard exclusions apply and are listed on the summary document. Please check

that you are not affected by the Main Health Exclusions. You will not be covered

for any ongoing tests or treatment of an undiagnosed condition, or for any

terminal illness, or if you claim as a result of a condition arising within the past

twelve months.

Please note: you will pay an excess of £1,000 on any claim that results directly

from a pre-existing medical condition. In our experience, very few claims result

from pre-existing medical conditions. With this policy you are covered with no

declaration of health required.

A full policy wording will be sent to you with confirmation of your booking, or ask

us and we will send you a copy now. Full details are also on our website. If you

would like more information or are unsure of any details, please call Global Travel

Insurance Services Ltd for further advice on 01903 235 042. This insurance is only

available to people who reside permanently in the UK and is valid for travel up to

31/12/2018.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd for McCabe

Travel Ltd, an Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd,

authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our status can be

checked on the FCA Register by visiting www.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA

The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin is Bishop of Kensington and President of

St Mellitus College. Graham was a curate in Exeter, Chaplain of Jesus College

Oxford, and Tutor in Historical Theology at Wycliffe Hall, where he eventually

became Vice Principal. In 2007 he became the first Dean of St Mellitus College,

a position he held overseeing its growth until 2015. He mainly teaches historical

theology, particularly specialising in the Patristic and Reformation periods.

He is the author of many articles and several books, including ‘The Power of the

Cross: Theology and the Death of Christ in Paul, Luther and Pascal’ (Paternoster

1997), ‘Walking in His Steps: A Guide to Exploring the Land of the Bible’ (2001), ‘The

Provocative Church’ (SPCK 2002), ‘Luther and his World’ (Lion 2002), ‘The

Prodigal Spirit’ (SPTC 2011), ‘Looking Through The Cross’ (Bloomsbury 2014) and

most recently, ‘The Widening Circle – Priesthood as God’s way of blessing the world’

(SPCK 2014).

Graham is married to Janet and has two grown-up children. He is a keen follower

of various kinds of music and sport, especially football, rugby and cricket.

Tour Leader

Our Pilgrimage

To make a reservation, please complete the enclosed booking form and send it

with a deposit of £200 per person plus the insurance premium (if this option is

taken) to the address below. Please make cheques payable to ‘McCabe

Pilgrimages’.

Make a Reservation

sophie.francisco@stmellitus.ac.uk

020 7052 0588

This tour is organised for us by McCabe PilgrimagesMcCabe Pilgrimages – A Company Limited by Guarantee; Registered in England (Number: 2741092); A Registered Charity (Number: 1020058); Registered Office: 11 Hillgate Place, Balham Hill, London, SW12 9ER.

Sophie Francisco

St Mellitus College

24 Collingham Road

London, SW5 0LX

info@stmellitus.ac.uk

St Mellitus College, 24 Collingham Road, London, SW5 0LX

stmellitus.ac.uk