From ancient cities where the Apostle Paul preached, to sacred sites where early Christians worshipped, each day has been filled with spiritual reflection, awe-inspiring landscapes, and meaningful encounters.

Read on to discover what our pilgrims have been up to as they trace the footsteps of saints and apostles, celebrate Mass in remarkable locations, and deepen their connection to the roots of our faith.

Day 1

We began our pilgrimage by journeying out to Ancient Corinth, where the Apostle Paul spent nearly two years preaching the Word of God and guiding many to faith.

In the afternoon, we explored the heart of Christian Athens. The tour included the Acropolis and the Areopagus, where St Paul delivered his famous sermon about the identity of “the Unknown God” (Acts 17:15-34). We also visited the Ancient Agora and the Plaka (Old Greece) before taking in the grandeur of the Parthenon.

Day 2

Today, we visited the fascinating Acropolis Museum, built to house every artifact found on the rock of the Acropolis and the surrounding slopes.

Day 3 

We spent some time today marvelling at a unique phenomenon of nature – 24 perpendicular rocks where 600 years ago Byzantine monks chose to worship God and build their Monastic community of Meteora. We visited some of these living monasteries and viewed the extraordinary collection of priceless religious frescoes and other treasures that make this a remarkable visit.

Day 4

Today we journeyed north by coach to Berea (modern Veria). We had an outdoor Mass where the “Bema” – an impressive monument to Paul is located. This monument is believed to incorporate the steps from the original synagogue from which he preached the gospel to the Jews, who welcomed the word of God and began to study the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-12). We then headed to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, founded in 315 BC, and where St Paul preached during the winters of 49-50AD and wrote the two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians.

Day 5

Today, we followed the ancient path of the Apostle Paul to the historic city of Philippi, named after Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Following this, we visited the Baptistery of Lydia for a beautiful outdoor Mass on the River Zygaktis and renewed our Baptismal vows.

Day 7

Today we visited the Cave of Revelation, where God chose to reveal to St John the mysteries of the last book of the Bible – the Apocalypse. Here we celebrated Mass overlooking the beautiful city of Patmos. Following this, we ventured up to the Convent of Zoodochos Pigi that housed icons dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

Day 9

After sailing to Turkey from Greece, we made our way to Kusadasi, where we visited the ancient ruins of Ephesus (most famous of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev 2:1–7)) where St Paul spent more than two years in the course of his third missionary journey. We celebrated Mass at The House of the Virgin Mary, where it is said Mary spent the latter years of her life. We also visited the ruins of the Christian Basilica where the Third Ecumenical Council took place in 431AD, and where Our Lady was proclaimed “Mother of God”.