St Paul

A Pilgrimage to Malta
by The Immaculate Conception Church, Bicester

malta2

Introduction

St. Paul spent several months on the island of Malta on his final journey to Rome and martyrdom and as a result Christianity flowered here and has always been an integral part of the character and culture of the Maltese community. In the middle-ages Malta made an ideal headquarters for the Knights of St. John when they were expelled from Jerusalem and they undoubtedly stamped their mark, evident in the impressive architecture in the cities and their fortresses. Experiencing the effects of these religious influences on Malta is not difficult as the small size of the island lends itself to exploring at a leisurely pace and in addition there are the added attractions of a temperate climate, the sea and the comfort of English being so widely spoken!

‘They made us all welcome by lighting a huge fire because the weather was cold.’
ACTS 28.2

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE - MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER

Heathrow - Malta

Check in at Heathrow Airport for our 10:50am scheduled flight to Malta. On arrival, we transfer to the 4-star Santana Hotel, Bugibba, near St. Paul’s Bay.

DAY TWO - TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER

Valetta

In the morning we visit Malta’s capital city, Valetta. We concentrate first of all on visiting the churches. Firstly, St. Paul’s Shipwreck Church, one of the oldest churches in Valetta. We may view the paintings of Attilio Palumbi, portraying episodes in the life of St. Paul, as well as two important relics, an armbone of St. Paul and a piece of the column on which he was beheaded. We visit St. John’s Cathedral, where Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Beheading of John the Baptist hangs in the Oratory. Afterwards, we visit the Grandmaster’s Palace, and the Wartime Experience. We shall then walk to the Upper Barraka Gardens for a wonderful view of Valetta harbour. Mass will be celebrated during the morning. Lunch will be at choice, and the afternoon will be at leisure to explore or shop in Valetta, before we return to our hotel.

DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY 27TH OCTOBER

Rabat and Mdina

After breakfast we drive to Mdina, the Roman capital of the island, which predated Valetta by several centuries. We visit the Archbishop’s Cathedral, co-cathedral with St. John’s in Valetta. It is believed to stand on the site of the Palace of Publius, who was Roman Governor at the time of St. Paul’s visit, and who subsequently became the first Bishop of Malta. We can have a superb view of the islands from the ramparts of Mdina, including St. Paul’s Bay, where he was shipwrecked. We will then visit Rabat, where we shall see St. Paul’s Church and the grotto where Paul is said to have lived and preached after his shipwreck, as well as the early Christian catacombs.

DAY FOUR - THURSDAY 28TH OCTOBER

Blue Grotto & Fishing Villages - Valetta

In the morning we take a trip by boat to see the famous Blue Grotto. From here, we continue by coach to the Village of Zurrieq, one of the oldest in Malta. We visit the 17th century church of St. Catherine, which contains wall paintings by Mattia Preti, who also painted the interior of St. John’s co-cathedral in Valetta. We also visit some of the picturesque fishing villages along the coast before returning to our hotel.

DAY FIVE - FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER

Gozo

After breakfast we travel by coach and then cross by ferry to the peaceful island of Gozo separated by a five-mile wide channel from Malta. It is very different from Malta itself, greener, more rural and very relaxing. We visit the charming capital of Victoria, including the citadel and the 17th century cathedral of the Virgin Mary. After lunch, which is included in a local restaurant, we leave the capital, and drive to the most important place of pilgrimage on the island, Ta’ Pinu Church, named after Pinu Gauci, a wealthy man of great devotion, who lived in the 17th century and restored the church, which is dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. We also visit the Ggantija temples, and finally the marvel that is the church in the village of Xewkija, which has a dome third in size only to St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. Return to Malta by ferry in the late afternoon.

DAY SIX - SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER

Malta - Heathrow

After a morning at leisure in Bugibba, in the afternoon we transfer to Malta Airport for our return flight, arriving Heathrow at 7:25pm.

Travel Dates and Cost:

25th October 2010 - 30th October 2010
Six Days
£599

Book now

Terms of Payment:

Deposit of £120 per person on booking (plus the insurance premium if the cover we offer is required).
Final payment due two months before the departure date.

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

Scheduled flights on Air Malta: Heathrow – Malta - Heathrow, U.K. and Malta airport taxes, 5-nights accommodation in shared twin-bedded rooms with private facilities at Santana Hotel in Bugibba, 5 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 5 dinners, excursions by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary, guided tours by a fully-licensed English-speaking guide as per the itinerary and religious services.

EXTRAS:

Travel insurance: Adults at £28.50, Children 2 - 18 years old at £14.25. Single room supplement at £70 per person for 5 nights (limited number of single rooms available). 4 lunches, drinks and souvenirs. Transfers within the U.K.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:

Catholic

OTHER PILGRIMAGES IN The Journeys of Saint Paul