We shall fly by scheduled service from Gatwick to Thessaloniki and, on arrival, transfer to our hotel for a three-night stay. Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece a thriving, modern metropolis which is rich in history. The Christian community here was among the very first which St Paul established in Europe in the late 40s AD and it was to that community that he wrote the two letters.

Our guided tour of Thessaloniki will include the Pauline Preaching Stone, the Basilica of St Demetrius and the city walls built by Theodosius in the 4th Century AD, the museum and remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. We plan to celebrate mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Today we shall drive to Philippi, where Paul was imprisoned. We shall visit the site of the prison where his jailer was converted, and the Roman Forum where Paul was arrested for his Christian faith, and also the river where Lydia was baptised (possibly the first baptism in Europe) and the Orthodox Church dedicated to her. We shall then drive south to Kavala (Neapolis), the seaport where Paul landed in Macedonia. After lunch there will be some time free to explore this picturesque town, and we plan to celebrate mass in St Paul’s Church, Kavala before returning to Thessaloniki.
Paul preached in the synagogue of Thessaloniki for three Sabbaths and Acts 16 recounts that he and Silas were joined by some Jews and also by a great many god fearing people and Greeks. However, the Jews, full of resentment, stirred up a crowd, hoping to bring Paul and Silas before the People's Assembly. But Paul and Silas escaped and went to Veria (Berea in Acts 17).

This morning we are planning to celebrate mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Thessaloniki, before we leave for Veria, where a shrine witnesses Paul’s visit. Here, Paul found the local Jews more amenable than those in Thessaloniki, and many of them became believers together with many Greek women of high standing and a number of the men. When the Jews of Thessaloniki came to learn that the word of God was being preached by Paul in Beroea as well, they went there to make trouble and stir up the people. So the brethren arranged for Paul to go to the coast to catch a ship to Athens.
At this point we deviate from Paul’s route and make a detour taking in the Meteora and Delphi. After lunch at Veria we shall drive to Meteora and visit one of the thousand year old perched Byzantine monasteries. We shall stay overnight in Kalambaka.

We shall drive through breath-taking scenery to Delphi, situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, where we shall stay. There is no record of Paul having visited Delphi but it was an important centre of pilgrimage in his day. Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek and Roman world, when it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a Pan-Hellenic sanctuary, where every four years athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the four Pan-Hellenic games, precursors to the Modern Olympics. But Delphi was essentially a place of pilgrimage and worship and many Greek and Roman communities established Treasuries where they placed their votive offerings.

We shall spend the morning in Delphi and then drive to Athens via the important Byzantine Monastery of Osios Loukas. Osios Loukas, is an historic walled monastery, is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art, and has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Greece. The monastery was founded in the early 10th century by the hermit St. Lukas, whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day.
From Osios Loukas we shall drive to Athens and settle in at our Hotel which is centrally situated just behind the Syndigma (Constitution Square), close to the Acropolis and Plaka areas and a short walk from the magnificent neo-classical Cathedral of St Dionysius, which was built by the Bavarian Prince Otto when he became King of Greece following the Greek War of Independence.
Meals in Athens: During our three nights here evening meals are not included in the price and we shall be free to experience Greek gastronomy in the many restaurants near the hotel or in the Plaka area. For those who prefer to eat together in a group, each evening we shall reserve tables at a good but moderately-priced restaurant where we can chose what we want to eat from the menu.
When Paul arrived in Athens, whilst waiting for Silas and Timothy, he went to the synagogue where he debated with the Jews and the God-fearing. He also went to the market place (Agora) where he debated with anyone whom he met. These included a few Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who invited him to accompany them to the Areopagus (Supreme Court), which was sited on a rock adjacent to the Acropolis and was named Mars Hill by the Romans. His address, as reported in Acts 17, is inscribed at the foot of the rock. Few found his arguments convincing but there were some who attached themselves and became believers, among them one of the judges, Dionysios the Aeropagite, who became a bishop of Athens.

We plan to begin the day with mass in St Dionysios Cathedral. We then drive to Mars Hill and then on to the Acropolis where we shall have a guided tour of the Parthenon and the other monuments. The Acropolis represents the apotheosis of artistic development in the 5th century BC, the Golden Age of Pericles. From the Acropolis we shall move to the magnificent new Parthenon Museum where we can refresh ourselves in the elegant café overlooking the Acropolis before visiting the exhibits. One floor is dedicated to a reconstruction of the frieze of the Parthenon.
The rest of the day will be free. There is much to do and see in Athens. Information will be provided about interesting places to visit, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Museum A stroll of the area round the hotel has much to offer and includes Syndigma, where the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by the Evzones, the shops in Ermou Street and the neo classical buildings on Panepistimiou.
In the early evening we plan to meet in the hotel and to take the funicular to the top of Mount Lycavittos, the highest point in Athens, where we can take an aperitif whilst watching the sun set over the Saronic Gulf.

Today, we shall make an excursion to the ancient site of Corinth where Paul spent eighteen months, preaching to the Corinthians, and to whom he later wrote the first and second epistles. During his stay he met with Jewish refugees from Rome. Paul sought out two of them, Aquila and Prisca, because they were tentmakers like him and they became business associates. Aquila and Prisca also became key leaders of the young Christian church. Inevitably he offended some of the Jewish community who brought him before Gallio, the Pro-Consul of the Roman Province of Achaia, who refused to hear the charge.
On the way to Corinth we shall stop in the café adjacent to the Corinth Canal for a photo opportunity. We plan to celebrate mass on the site of the ancient city as there is no Catholic Church in Corinth. We visit the Temple of Apollo, the Agora and the Bema (Tribunal) where Paul was accused.

In the morning we plan to celebrate our final mass in the Cathedral of St Dionysios and leave the morning free for any final sight seeing and lunch before we transfer to Athens Airport for our return flight to London.