Enjoy a pilgrimage to the beautiful Mediterranean Island of Malta, a place where Christianity has a fascinating history of almost 2,000 years. The Apostle Paul brought Christianity to the islands around A.D. 60 when Paul was being taken to Rome to be tried as a rebel. However, the ship carrying him was caught in a violent storm and he was shipwrecked on the Maltese coast.  The site of the wreck is traditionally known as St. Paul’s Island and the welcome given to the survivors is described in the Acts of the Apostles (XXVIII) by St. Luke. On our journey, we will combine leisure time with following St. Paul and discovering some of the wonderful ancient sites of Malta. We will explore Valetta, and visit St. Pauls Cathedral where St. Paul converted Malta to Christianity as well as the stunning Mostar Cathedral and learn about the Mosta miracle. For groups travelling in October there is the option of enjoying the Birgu festival of lights! We will visit amongst other places Ghar Dalam, the Tarxien temples, ‘the silent city’ Mdina with its winding medieval streets and Rabat where we visit St. Paul’s Grotto. In Mellieha we will see the oldest Marion Grotto in Malta. We will combine our visits with some time spent relaxing and enjoying the serene atmosphere that Malta has to offer; taking time for prayer and worship on our journey including celebrating our daily Mass.

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Sample itinerary

LONDON / MALTA

Fly from London to Malta on a direct scheduled service. You will have one check in luggage and one hand luggage per person. Please note that a meal is not served inflight however you can directly purchase refreshments and snacks on-board the flight. You will be met at Malta airport by our representative and transfer to your hotel for check in, dinner and overnight stay.

PAULS BAY / MELLIEHA

After breakfast, we proceed to St. Paul’s Bay, where St. Paul was shipwrecked in AD60. St. Luke recounts in Acts 27-28 how Paul’s ship was lost at sea for two weeks during the winter storms. The ship was destroyed by the waves but all of the passengers made it safely to shore and were welcomed by the local people. We will view the uninhabited rocky islets where the wreck reputedly occurred before we visit the town of St. Paul’s Bay including St. Paul’s shipwreck church (also known as St. Pauls bonfire church) commemorating where the ship wreck survivors swam a shore and a bonfire was built for them. We will celebrate Mass in St Paul’s Bay at 11:00 hours. Lunch in the vicinity (not included). In the afternoon, we proceed to Mellieha where we visit the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Continue to the Sanctuary of Our Lady, the oldest Marion Shrine in Malta. The Sanctuary is located at the edge of a hill and has beautiful views over the Mellieha bay. The older part of the sanctuary still stands today dating back to the 16th century. The sanctuary also houses a remarkable collection of gifts, stories of miracles that have taken place, prayers and offerings of thanks from locals and visitors. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

MDINA / RABAT

After breakfast we will proceed to the early Christian Catacombs for a visit.  We then visit the Medieval city of Mdina and the first capital of Malta, also known as ’the silent city’ where the Apostle Paul resided after being shipwrecked. Celebrate Mass in Mdina at 10:00 hours. This is an extraordinary place, perched on the edge of a plateau 150 metres above the surrounding countryside. We will walk through the winding narrow streets to the bastions, which command a magnificent landscape of the island. We also visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. We then walk through Greek’s gate to Rabat to Fuori le Mura also known as St. Paul’s Grotto where he lived during his three month stay in Malta. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

MOSTA / BURMARRAD / FREE AFTERNOON / BIRGU FESTIVAL

After breakfast we proceed to Mostar Church, with its beautiful Dome and learn about the Mosta miracle and celebrate Mass at 09:00 hours.  We will also visit San Pawl Milqi, the site of a Roman Villa at Burmarrad and which is where St. Paul was given hospitality following his shipwreck. We then continue to Mellieha where we will have lunch (not included).  In the afternoon you will be free for relaxation / your own activities. This evening, we will attend the Birgu Festival. This is the festival of light for the 3 Old Cities. We will spend the evening walking around and enjoying the atmosphere by candlelight. There are many stalls to eat at (dinner not included this evening). At the end of evening we return to our hotel for overnight stay. 

VALETTA

After breakfast, we will visit Valetta, a UNESCO heritage site and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Valetta was built by the Knights of St. John and retains its 16th century elegance and charm.  We visit St. John’s Cathedral to view some of Malta’s treasures and hear about the Knights of St. John. We will also see the Carvaggio masterpiece, The beheading of St. John, and view the Grandmasters’ Palace. Before lunch, we will visit the upper Barracca Gardens and enjoy the breath-taking panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the three cities and will be there to watch the noon gun being fired. Lunch in the vicinity (not included) In the afternoon, we visit St. Paul’s shipwreck Church containing relics of St. Paul where we will celebrate Mass.  We then have free time in Valetta to look around at your own pace before we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

THE SOUTH OF MALTA

In the morning, we will celebrate Mass at 09:00 hours before we drive to the South of Malta to visit the Tarxien temples, the most complex of all temple sites in Malta dating from 3600 to 2500 BC consisting of four megalithic structures. The temples are renowned for their detailed carvings. Weather permitting there is also the option to visit the Blue Grotto via boat (as it is optional / weather dependent the cost is 8 euros per person and is not included) and the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk where we will have lunch (included). In the afternoon we will visit Ghar Dalam’s prehistoric caves. We then return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

THE ISLAND OF GOZO

After breakfast, we will proceed to the island of Gozo where we will visit Xaghra Grottos and the Church of Xewkija where we celebrate Mass. Lunch in the vicinity (not included). In the afternoon we visit Calypso’s Cave where we will enjoy the spectacular views over Ramla Bay and visit the Basilica of Ta’ Pinu, before we continue to visit the Citadel and the Cathedral in Victoria. We will then visit Dwerja with the azure windows and fungus rocks and view some of the beautiful coastline of Malta. Dinner and overnight stay in Malta.

MALTA AIRPORT / LONDON 

In the morning we will check out of our hotel after breakfast and proceed to the airport for our return flight to London 

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