Italy Pilgrimage Memphis ·  January 2027

Our pilgrimage begins as we depart on our overnight flight to Italy. Meals and refreshments will be served aloft.

Upon arrival in Florence, we are met at the airport by our pilgrimage manager, who will be with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. Time permitting, we will celebrate Mass and then check in at our hotel, our home for the next two nights. Overnight Florence (D)

Florence is a city of masterpieces. We’ll enjoy a full day tour of this magnificent Renaissance city on the Epiphany. Florence celebrates the Epiphany with the “Cavalcade of the Magi”, a grand parade in the historical center that celebrates the Magi and gifts they brought to the baby Jesus. Then visit the Chapel of the Magi, the private chapel for the Medici family. Explore Dante’s House Museum, learning about the life and legacy of Dante Alighieri, whose Divine Comedy stands as one of the greatest works of Christian literature. Set in the poet’s own neighborhood, the museum offers a reflective space to appreciate how Dante’s vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise continues to shape Catholic imagination and Italy’s spiritual heritage. Overnight Florence (B, D)

We will depart Florence today and travel to Siena, where we visit St. Dominic’s, St. Catherine of Siena’s parish church where she attended daily Mass and went into ecstasy. The people of Siena wanted St. Catherine to be buried in her home church, but they were only able to procure her head, which is preserved for veneration in a reliquary in St. Dominic’s. Adjacent to the church is her birthplace and childhood home, which has been renovated throughout the centuries into a museum, including several chapels and a cloister. Visit the cell where she fasted and prayed, then experience a highlight of our day in the Basilica of St. Francis: venerating the Eucharistic miracle of Siena. Explore the majestic Gothic Cathedral of Siena, also known as the Duomo di Siena, built in the 13th and 14th centuries and dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. This evening we check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight Siena (B, D)

This morning we depart Siena and continue to Assisi, a town which welcomes you in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare into its peaceful interior. Upon arrival, we will begin in the Basilica of St. Francis, where the saint lies in rest and where we will celebrate Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis. Afterwards, we’ll visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, site of the Porziuncola, the tiny church in the woods where St. Francis began his ministry and where he consecrated St. Clare. This afternoon we’ll tour the Convent of San Damiano where the miracle of the Eucharist of 1240 took place and visit the chapel where Jesus spoke to St. Francis from the crucifix. Overnight Assisi (B, D)

This morning begins with Mass at the Basilica of St. Clare, after which we will view and venerate her incorrupt body. Then we will take a taxi up to Monte Subasio to L’Eremo delle Carceri (the Carceri Hermitage), the Saint’s favorite retreat. There are many caves here that St. Francis and his followers retreated to for seclusion and prayer. After some free time for personal prayer in this retreat-like setting, we descend to the valley once more for a wine-tasting experience. This evening we will enjoy dinner out on our own. Overnight Assisi (B)

Depart this morning for Orvieto where we journey by cable car up the hill to the city center. Here we visit the Chapel of the Corporal in the Cathedral and venerate the sacred Eucharistic miracle. See the steps of the Papal summer residence where Pope Urban IV held up the blood-stained corporal and announced his intention to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi. After Mass, continue to Rome to check into our hotel, our home for the next five nights. Overnight Rome (B, D)

Begin our first full day in Rome with a tour of St. Peter’s including the Pieta and the Adoration Chapel. We will venerate St. Simon’s relics which are buried under St. Joseph’s altar along with St. Jude. Afterwards, we walk through the Vatican Museums which house artifacts from around the world and Eucharistic art to prepare ourselves for the greatest masterpiece yet: The Sistine Chapel. One is always looking up at the masterwork of art that explains the theology of God. This afternoon, we will split up into small groups for tours of the Scavi – the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica, pending confirmation, followed by free time to relax or explore other sections of the city and enjoy dinner on your own this evening. Overnight Rome (B)

We begin today in Santa Croce in Gerusalemme where we find a little piece of Jerusalem thanks to Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, who brought relics of the True Cross and the plaque that hung on the cross. At one time, soil from Jerusalem covered the Basilica’s floor, so it truly was the Holy Land. After venerating the relics of Our Lord’s crucifixion, we climb the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs), which our Lord climbed on His way to His condemnation, followed by the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Afterwards, we continue to St. Clement Basilica, which houses an original fresco depicting St. Clement celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, giving us a picture of Eucharistic worship at the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. Finally, we proceed to St. Mary Major where we venerate the crib of Christ, view the famous icon attributed to St. Luke, and see inestimable artwork that makes Rome renowned throughout the world. Overnight Rome (B, D)

This morning we will attend the weekly Papal Audience held by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV (pending the Holy Father’s schedule). This afternoon, we travel to the last of the four major basilicas of Rome – St. Paul Outside the Walls. Though it was destroyed by a fire in 1823, it was originally built by Constantine in the fourth century over the site of St. Paul’s tomb and was rebuilt in the 19th century exactly as it was before the fire. After some time for prayer here, we visit the Tre Fontane, site of three fountains and three churches, where St. Paul was beheaded. We complete our day with a visit to the Capuchin Crypt (Bone Chapel). It is a subterranean ossuary consisting of several small chapels decorated with the bones of over 3,000 Capuchin friars as powerful meditation on death and the hope of the Resurrection. Overnight Rome (B, D)

This morning we enjoy a walking tour in the heart of Rome, including outside visits to the Colosseum and Forum, followed by the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain – where a coin thrown over your shoulder will guarantee you another visit to Rome. You will then have the afternoon free to explore sections of the city not on our itinerary, or perhaps revisit one of your favorite sites from earlier in the pilgrimage. This evening, we will enjoy a farewell dinner at Ristorante Abruzzi to celebrate the end of our Italian pilgrimage. Overnight Rome (B, D)

Our time steeped in the history and faith of Italy comes to a close. We transfer to the airport for our return flight home, cherishing all the wonderful memories and graces of this pilgrimage. (B)