A Spiritual Journey to Greece:
In the Footsteps of St. Paul & the Early Christians
April 3-15, 2025

Under the guidance of
Fr. Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. – Loyola Marymount Jesuit Community, Los Angeles, CA
and
Ms. Gail Gresser, M.A. – Vincentian Lay Formation, Daughters of Charity

Click here for the
Full-Color Brochure and Detailed Itinerary

Learning about Early Christianity in Ancient Greece:

Preparatory Zoom Workshop of Nov. 7, 2024 - Overview of Our Pilgrimage, Ancient Geography, and Paul's Life (Fr. Felix Just, SJ)

PPT Slides & Video Recording of Zoom Presentation by Fr. Felix:
- PPT Slides
- Video Recording
Webpages & Handouts:

Pauline Geography - see especially Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia (Minor)
Pauline Chronology - overview of the main phases in the life of the Apostle Paul
The Acts of the Apostles - structural outline and introductory materials
Pauline Maps - PPT presentation (copyright restricted access)

Preparatory Zoom Workshop of Dec. 12, 2024 - Western & Eastern Christianities (Fr. Alexei Smith)
- PPT & Video Recording of Presentation by Fr. Alexei (coming in Dec.):
  - PPT Slides
  - Video Recording
- Webpages & Handouts:
Preparatory Zoom Workshop of Jan. 23, 2025 - Paul’s Travels & Letters I (Fr. Felix Just, SJ)
- PPT & Video Recording of Presentation by Fr. Felix (coming in Jan.):
  - PPT Slides
  - Video Recording
  Webpages & Handouts:
Preparatory Zoom Workshop of Feb. 6, 2025 - Paul’s Travels & Letters II (Fr. Felix Just, SJ)
- PPT & Video Recording of Presentation by Fr. Felix (coming in Feb.):
  - PPT Slides
  - Video Recording
  Webpages & Handouts:
  - Social Aspects of the Pauline Churches
  - 1 & 2 Corinthians
  - Ephesians
Other Helpful Websites:
- Wikipedia: Paul the Apostle
- Britannica: St. Paul the Apostle
Printed Resources:
- Pope Benedict XVI. Saint Paul. Ignatius Press, 2017.
- Ronald D. Witherup. 101 Questions & Answers on Paul. Paulist Press, 2003.
- N. T. Wright. Paul: A Biography. HarperOne, 2020.
- Jerome Murphy-O'Connor. St. Paul's Ephesus: Texts and Archaeology. Liturgical Press, 2008.
- Clyde E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish. A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey. Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Modern Tourist Guidebooks: many choices, esp. Blue Guides, Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommer's, etc.

OUR 15-DAY ITINERARY:

Some Overview Maps:
- Days 2-4: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JeW7EMv3RP8GZ9taA
- Days 5-8: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KxRHxu2MSKhAVRYN9
- Days 9-11 (Aegean Sea Cruise): https://maps.app.goo.gl/8DhCzFbTzuQxkGjJ6
- Day 12: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LZVoLGvCBdLgvEpt5
Day 1, Thursday, April 3: Depart the USA
- We depart Los Angeles en route to Thessaloniki with complimentary meals and beverages served aloft.
Day 2, Friday, April 4: Arrive in Thessaloniki
- We arrive at the Thessaloniki airport in the evening. We meet our Catholic Travel representative and transfer to our hotel. Dinner is included at our hotel (D).
Day 3, Saturday, April 5: Thessaloniki: Excursion to Philippi and Kavala
- After breakfast, we set out to Philippi, an ancient city built on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road between Rome and Byzantium (today’s Istanbul). In Philippi, Paul preached on European soil for the first time, helping develop a vibrant church there. The New Testament records Paul’s visits to the city during his second missionary journey (AD 49 or 50) and on two other occasions in the mid 50’s. He later sent at least one letter to the community. Of all the churches Paul founded, probably none was so dear to him as the one in Philippi (Acts 16:9-33).
- We celebrate Mass together near the river where St. Lydia is thought to have been baptized by Paul. The first person known to have been baptized in Europe, Lydia brought about the conversion of all her household and provided lodging and support for Paul and his co-missionaries (Acts 16:13–15).
- We also visit the ruins of a prison where Paul and Silas were held (Acts 16:23-40), the Agora (with its Theater), and a 5th century Basilica. We continue on to the nearby port of Kavala (Neapolis in Acts 16:11) for a late lunch on the seaside. We return to our hotel in Thessaloniki for dinner on our own this evening. (B, L)
Day 4, Sunday, April 6: Thessaloniki: Visit of the city
- After breakfast, we join with the local Catholic community at Holy Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate Sunday Mass. We then explore the ancient city of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), founded around 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon and named after his wife Thessaloniki, a half-sister of Alexander the Great. At the time of Paul’s arrival, Thessaloniki had a population of about 200,000 people and served as an important economic and political hub of the Roman Empire.
- Around AD 50 Paul, Silas, and Timothy spoke at the city’s chief synagogue and sowed the seeds for Thessaloniki’s first Christian church, made up of Jews and Gentiles. The Christian missionaries were eventually expelled from Thessaloniki, but Paul wrote two letters to the new Thessalonian church, probably around AD 51.
- We visit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Demitrius, named for a 4th century Thessalonian Christian martyr, as well the Church of Hagia Sophia, dating from the 8th century. It is one of the oldest standing churches in Thessaloniki and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We take time for lunch on our own and to enjoy watching the life of the city at Aristotelous Square, viewing the Rotunda of Galerius, used as a church for over 1200 years, and the Arch of Galerius built in AD 298-299. This evening, dinner is included at our hotel. (B, D)
Day 5, Monday, April 7: Thessaloniki / Veria / Vergina / Kalambaka
- After breakfast and checkout this morning, we celebrate Mass at a local Catholic church. Then we travel to Veria (Berea), a major place of worship for 1st century Romans. It was also home to a Jewish community where Paul and Silas went after leaving Thessalonica (Acts 17:10-15), before facing resistance once again.
- After lunch on our own, we travel to Vergina and the Museum of the Royal Tombs, containing the burial cluster of Philip II of Macedon – another UNESCO World Heritage Site. After our visit, we continue to Kalambaka, where we check in to our hotel for dinner and the evening. (B, D)
Day 6, Tuesday, April 8: Kalambaka: Visit of the Meteora Monasteries
- Today we visit the breathtaking Greek Orthodox monasteries of Meteora. Derived from the Greek word meteorizome, meaning “to hang in the air,” the structures seem to do just that. The complex of monasteries, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, still houses monks and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home of superb icons, old manuscripts, and unique spiritual mosaics and frescoes. After our visit to two of the monasteries, we have time for lunch on our own and to explore the village. We bring the experiences of the day with us as we gather before dinner for Mass at our hotel. (B, D)
Day 7, Wednesday, April 9: Kalambaka / Delphi / Athens
- This morning, after breakfast and checkout, we depart for Athens, stopping first at Delphi, one of the most significant religious sanctuaries of the ancient Greek world, considered home to the god Apollo and the most famous oracle of antiquity. The oracle, always a woman over 50 who abandoned normal life, lived in seclusion in Delphi to be able to serve the many who came to seek spiritual guidance. After our visit, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before continuing on to our hotel in Athens for check-in and dinner. Mass will be celebrated tonight in our hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 8, Thursday, April 10: Athens: Visit of the Agora & Parthenon Athens: City Tour
- After breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of St. Dionysius, named for the patron saint of Athens – a judge who was converted by Paul (Acts 17:34) and later became bishop. We enjoy a tour of the ancient city of Athens, visiting the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Temple of Zeus.
- We walk to Plaka for lunch on our own and some time for shopping. In the afternoon we visit the Agora, where Paul preached to the Athenians. According to the Acts of the Apostles (17:16-34), while he was waiting for his companions Silas and Timothy to arrive, Paul was distressed to see Athens full of idols. His sermon at the Areopagus, the high court in Athens, is the most dramatic and most fully reported oration of his missionary career. We return to our hotel for dinner and the rest of the evening. (B, D)
Day 9, Friday, April 11: Embark on Cruise: Port of Lavrio / Mykonos
- After breakfast and checkout, we transfer to the port of Lavrio, where we board our awaiting ship. Lunch is served on board. Our cruise this afternoon will take us to the island of Mykonos. We celebrate our Mass today on the ship, remembering the journeys of Paul. Upon arrival in Mykonos, we are free to explore this picturesque island. Our dinner is aboard our ship. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Saturday, April 12: Cruise: Kusadasi / Ephesus / Patmos
- This morning we dock at Kusadasi, Turkey, where we board our motor coach for an included shore excursion to Ephesus. In ancient times, Ephesus was the capital of the Province of Asia [Minor], a very large city with a major harbor. Silt from the local rivers has placed today’s shoreline more than four miles west of where it was in Roman times.
- St. Paul lived in Ephesus around 53-56 AD. While here, he wrote letters to Galatia, Philippi, Corinth, and other early Christian churches. On our shore excursion, we visit the great theatre where St. Paul addressed the crowds (Acts 19:29) and the site of the riot from which Paul escaped. We also visit the ruins of an early 4th century Christian church with a baptistery and bishop’s residence. Named the Church of the Virgin Mary, it was the site of the AD 431 Third Ecumenical Council, which named Mary “Theotokos”, that is, “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.”
- Early Christian tradition identified John the Apostle with Ephesus. We visit the Basilica of St. John, built by Justinian in the 6th century, which houses the tomb of St. John. Christian tradition has also associated Ephesus with Mary, mother of Jesus, being cared for by John, “the disciple whom he loved” (John 19:26). We visit the peaceful House of Virgin Mary, believed to be her last residence, sacred to both Christians and Muslims. Here we celebrate Mass.
- We return to our ship for lunch and continue our journey to Patmos, often called the Jerusalem of the Aegean. On our included shore excursion we visit the island’s Monastery of St. John, dating from the 11th century, and the grotto where tradition says John wrote the Book of Revelation. Back on board our ship, dinner is served. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Sunday, April 13: Cruise: Crete and Santorini
- Early this morning we arrive in Crete, where Paul stopped and visited before his death. Titus, a Gentile (Galatians 2:3) who was led to faith in Christ by Paul, was placed by Paul in charge of the church he founded here (Titus 1:12). We can explore the island on our own or purchase a shore excursion on board.
- Our Palm Sunday Mass will be celebrated on the ship. After lunch on board, we continue on to the port of Santorini, where we have some time on our own to explore this scenic island. Dinner is served on board. (B, L, D)
Day 12: Monday, April 14: Disembark from Cruise: Port of Lavrio / Corinth / Athens
- We arrive in port early this morning to find our motor coach waiting for us. From here, we travel to Corinth, where Paul spent at least 18 months preaching to the Jews and Gentiles and working with the missionary couple Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-28). The site of the lower city is overlooked by an Acropolis (“upper city”), which houses the remains of the Temple of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Paul’s trial by Gallio took place in the Agora (the city’s central market). The Christian community in Corinth was dear to Paul, but also caused him much grief and prompted him to write at least four letters. We celebrate an outdoor Mass in the Agora, followed by lunch at a local restaurant.
- On our way back to Athens, we stop briefly at nearby Cenchrea, site of a vibrant early church, where Paul’s trusted co-minister Phoebe was a leader. We continue to Athens and check in to our hotel, where we enjoy our farewell dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 13: Tuesday, April 15: Return to the USA
- Very early we transfer to the airport for our return flight to the USA.

Note: While no changes are anticipated, there might be occasions when it becomes necessary to make certain alterations to this itinerary.

Arrangements made by
Catholic Travel Centre, Burbank, CA

A Spiritual Journey to Greece: In the Footsteps of St. Paul & the Early Christians April 3-15, 2025

Learning about Early Christianity in Ancient Greece:

OUR 15-DAY ITINERARY:

A Spiritual Journey to Greece:
In the Footsteps of St. Paul & the Early Christians
April 3-15, 2025