Greece

Greece holds a singular place in the story of the early Church. It was here that St. Paul first brought the Gospel to European soil, preaching in the marketplace of Athens, founding churches in Philippi and Thessaloniki, and writing several of the epistles still read at Mass today. Our pilgrimage follows his path across the Greek mainland before continuing aboard a four-day cruise through the Aegean, visiting the islands and ancient cities that shaped the spread of Christianity in its first century.

Athens

• Cathedral of St. Denis, site of our opening and closing Masses
• The Acropolis and the Parthenon, rising above the city
• Areopagus Hill, where Paul delivered his address to the Athenians (Acts 17:16-34)
• The ancient Agora, where Paul reasoned daily with the people of the city
• The historic Plaka neighborhood, with time to explore on our own

Thessaloniki, Philippi & Northern Greece

• Thessaloniki, Philippi & Northern Greece
• The Holy Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Thessaloniki
• The Rotunda of Galerius, in continuous use as a church for over 1,200 years
• Philippi, where Paul first preached the Gospel on European soil
• The river where St. Lydia, the first recorded convert baptized in Europe, received the faith
• The ruins of the prison that held Paul and Silas
• Veria (ancient Berea), whose people searched the Scriptures daily to test Paul’s teaching (Acts 17:10-15)
• The Royal Tombs of Vergina, burial site of Philip II of Macedon and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The monasteries of Meteora, built atop towering rock pillars in the 13th and 14th centuries

A 4-Day Greek Isle Cruise

• Mykonos, with Mass celebrated aboard ship
• Ephesus, where Paul lived and wrote to the churches of Galatia, Philippi, and Corinth
• The House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John, Ephesus
• Patmos, where tradition holds that St. John wrote the Book of Revelation
• Rhodes, the island of the Knights of St. John
• Crete, where Paul’s companion Titus led the church Paul founded
• Santorini, with time to explore this scenic island
• Corinth, where Paul spent eighteen months and later wrote at least four epistles