EASTERN EUROPE
Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Prague
&
Passion Play in Oberammergau
(Passion Play presented only once every ten years)

Spiritual Director – Rev. Fr. Joseph Hoang

May 12-24, 2010

DAY 1, May 12 (Wednesday) -- Los Angeles, California/Warsaw, Poland
Our pilgrimage begins with a transatlantic journey from Los Angeles International Airport to Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Meals served in-flight).

DAY 2, May 13 (Thursday) -- Warsaw
We will arrive in Warsaw in the evening. There, we will meet our Tour Director and driver for a transfer to our hotel. Dinner at the hotel (BB, D).

DAY 3, May 14 (Friday) -- Warsaw - Lowicz Excursion
After breakfast, we will tour both banks of the Vistula River with our guide and hear about the tormented, often tragic, history of this important gateway city between East and West. The medieval Stare Miasto (Old Quarter) with its Market Square and 14th Century Cathedral of St. John is a masterpiece of post-war reconstruction. We will also view the “wedding cake” Palace of Culture and Science, the Neo-Classical Lazienki Palace, and the Marszalkowska residential development. At the Historical Museum of Warsaw, we will see a film which showed how the city appeared before and after the destruction of World War II. Then, in the afternoon, it's excursion time to the village of Lowicz. Here, you will enjoy a home-hosted dinner, served in stylish old Polish table service. Completing the atmosphere of this site are owners of the castle ruins: young married couples with uncommon passion. Their extraordinary skills and talents result in an amazing collection of regional paintings and jewelry. We will also be able to see a presentation of making cutouts from the colored paper so typical in Lowicz region. Farewell cannon shot. Return to Warsaw for overnight (BB, D).

DAY 4, May 15 (Saturday) -- Warsaw/Krakow
We will have two encounters with history on our southbound journey this day. First, Jasna Góra, the monastery near Czestochowa which withstood the repeated onslaught of overwhelming Swedish forces, during the religious wars of the 17th Century. Since then, its Black Madonna has been venerated as the “Queen of Poland”, and it has become the one of Poland’s national symbols and holiest relics. We will celebrate Mass here, then move on for an evening arrival in Krakow for dinner and overnight (BB, D).

DAY 5, May 16 (Sunday) -- Krakow - Lagiewniki Excursion
We start the day with a visit in the Sanctuary of Lord's Mercy and the congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. Holy Mass at the Sanctuary of Lord’s Mercy in the city's Lagiewniki District. After lunch, we will go on a half-day sightseeing tour of Krakow (for centuries, the residence of Polish kings). We will visit the Market Square, the 14th Century Jagiellonian University, St. Mary's Church, and the Wawel Royal Castle. In the afternoon, we will visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines. We'll then meet for dinner that evening at our hotel (BB, D).

DAY 6, May 17 (Monday) -- Krakow (Full Day Excursion)
We will visit the infamous former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as its on-site museum. This site remains a chilling reminder of the Holocaust. From there, we will continue to Wadowice, birthplace of Pope John Paul II, then it's on to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, with its Weeping Madonna holy picture. At the end of the day. we'll return to Krakow for dinner at a local restaurant (BB, D).

DAY 7, May 18 (Tuesday) -- Krakow, Poland/Budapest, Hungary
We begin the day by celebrating Holy Eucharist before leaving for Budapest (the most cosmopolitan metropolis of Eastern Europe). Our scenic journey will take us right through the heart of the mountainous and densely-wooded Slovakia, where the brown bear still roams in the wild. Once in Hungary, we will reach the wide-open valley of the Danube River. Soon afterward, we will arrive in Budapest, where we will check in and dine at our hotel (BB, D).

DAY 8, May 19 (Wednesday) -- Budapest
We will spend the day with a local expert, who will explain the history and sights of the liveliest and the most cosmopolitan cities of Eastern Europe. We will start at an ideal location, Castle Hill, in the heart of Buda (the portion of Budapest on the Danube's western bank). From the lacy lookout towers of Fishermen’s Bastion, we can enjoy a panoramic view of the sprawling city, home to more than one-fifth of the Hungarian population. The 13th-Century St. Matthias Coronation Church, the Citadel on Mount Gellert, and Heroes’ Square are also on the agenda. We'll celebrate Holy Eucharist in St. Matthias Church, and spend the evening enjoying a buffet dinner while taking a cruise along the Danube River (BB, D).

DAY 9, May 20 (Thursday) -- Budapest, Hungary/Prague, Czech Republic
We will spend the entire day traveling from Budapest to Prague, considered as one of Europe’s most attractive capitals. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the long drive, and take in the picturesque scenery along the way. We will reach our hotel in Prague at night, where we will check in and have dinner (BB, D).

DAY 10, May 21 (Friday) -- Prague
We will have Mass at Our Lady Victorious Church, home of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Afterward, we will take in some sightseeing reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive capitals. On our tour, we will see the 1,000-year-old Hradcany Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Town, the Jewish ghetto, and the city's famous Astronomical Clock, which was once the envy of all Europe. Afterwards, you will have the choice of mixing with the locals in Wenceslaus Square, or relaxing at an outdoor restaurant. Then we will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant (BB, D).

DAY 11, May 22 (Saturday) -- Prague, Czech Republic/Oberammergau, Germany
Another full day of travel awaits us, as we take another scenic journey, this time from Prague to Oberammergau, Germany, 471 km (293 miles) away. We will arrive at our hotel, outside Oberammergau Village, in the evening.(BB, D).

DAY 12, May 23 (Sunday) -- Oberammergau Passion Play
Following breakfast, we will have free time for the rest of the morning. Then, in the afternoon, we take in the highlight of our trip: The Oberammergau Passion Play! This world-famous Passion Play has been performed by the villagers of Oberammergau, a tradition dating back to 1634.

The tradition dates back to a Bubonic Plague which ravaged Europe during the 1630s. The death toll among adults in the village rose from one in October 1632, to 20 by March 1633. The town folks vowed that if God were to spare them from the effects of the Plague, they would perform a play depicting the life and death of Jesus once every 10 years. Amazingly, by July of that year, the death toll subsided, when only one person died. As a result, the villagers believed they were spared by God, and the next year, they kept their part of the vow and presented the play for the first time.

The last passion play in the village was in 2000. Today. it is presented repeatedly over a five-month period on years ending in zero. The massive production involves over 2,000 performers, musicians, and stage technicians, all of whom are residents of the village. The play comprises spoken dramatic text, musical and choral accompaniment, and tableaux vivants. The tableaux vivants are a unique presentation, depicting scenes from the Old Testament using motionless actors, accompanied by verbal description. These scenes are the basis for the typology (the relationship between the Old and New Testaments) of the play. The tableaux vivants show King Ahasuerus rejecting Vashti in favor of Esther, the brothers selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt, and Moses raising up the bronze serpent in the wilderness. Each scene is presented as a prologue to a given scene within the play itself. The three tableaux mentioned are presented to the audience as prefiguring Christianity superseding Judaism, Judas betraying Jesus, and the crucifixion.

It can be said that the evolution of the Passion Play was about the same as that of the Easter Play, originating in the ritual of the Latin Church, which prescribes, among other things, that the Gospel on Good Friday should be sung in parts divided among various persons.

Audiences come from all over the world to see the play. Many come as part of a packaged tour, the first known example of which occured in 1870. Admission fees were first implemented in 1790. And since 1930, the number of visitors to this small Bavarian village has ranged from 420,000 to 530,000, when the Passion Play is presented.

There were at least two years in which the scheduled performance did not take place. In 1770, Oberammergau was informed that all Passion Plays in Bavaria had been banned, by order of the Ecclesiastical Council of the Elector, Maximillian Joseph, at the behest of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1780, the play was retitled The Old and New Testament. The new Elector, Karl Theodor, having been assured that the play was "purged of all objectionable and unseemly matter", approved the performance of the play. By 1830, the Catholic Church succeeded in halting the performance of all other Passion Plays in Bavaria, making Oberammergau the only village where it was still performed.

The First Act runs from 2:30 - 5:00pm, and the Second Act from 8:00 - 10:30. The Oberammergau play has a total running time of approximately seven hours, with a dinner served during intermission.

DAY 13, May 24 (Monday) -- Oberammergau - Munich, Germany/Los Angeles, California
After an early breakfast, we will transfer to Munich Airport, for our flight back home.

This rare chance to see the most famous of Passions is only $4630 per person*

THE RATE FOR THIS PILGRIMAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

• Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles
• First-class and Superior-class hotel accommodations (based on double occupancy)
• Passion Play tickets, and accomodations in Oberammergau
• Buffet breakfast & dinner daily. (BB, D)
• Sightseeing and admissions, as per itinerary
• All transfers and transportation by private, luxury air-conditioned motorcoach, with driver and guide
• Arrival meet-and-greet guide assistance, departure guide assistance
• Porterage (one baggage per person)

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT COVERED:

• Tips/Gratuities (Drivers, tour escorts, local guides, hotel staff, etc.)
• Personal items/shopping, drinks with meals and "extras" at hotels
• Lunches en route, unless otherwise posted
• Travel protection insurance

* Price subject to change. See Travel Terms and Conditions for details.

Would you like to take this pilgrimage? If so, please print out this booking form, and mail it to us (along with your deposit) today!

We also have a limited number of tickets available for the Oberammergau Passion Play itself, along with two nights accomodations. Click here for details!