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

Upon arrival in Barcelona, we will be welcomed by our local tour manager and enjoy an overview tour of this Mediterranean city. This afternoon we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight. (D) Overnight Barcelona

We begin this morning at Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia: a magnificent, unfinished Roman Catholic Basilica of impressive proportions, one of the largest and most extravagant churches in the world. Continue to Sacred Heart, a magnificent neo-Renaissance Church built on the outskirts of Barcelona on a hill. Down by the coast we will have time for prayer at Santa Maria del Mar and the Barcelona Cathedral before exploring the colorful markets of Las Ramblas. The rest of the day will be for free time before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Barcelona

This morning we will take an excursion to Montserrat where we will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat, the spiritual heart of Catalonia and home to a dramatically set Benedictine monastery. For 700 years this Marian shrine has attracted thousands of pilgrims from around the world. We will also visit the Black Madonna of Montserrat, one of Spain’s most fervent devotions to the Blessed Mother. Return to Barcelona with the balance of the day free. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Barcelona

Depart Barcelona and fly to Venice. Upon arrival in Venice we will transfer to our hotel, our home for the next 2 nights. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Venice

We journey to the spectacular epicenter of Venice – St. Mark’s Square – around which Venetian life revolves. Called the “drawing room of Europe,” by Napoleon, the square gets its name from St. Mark’s Basilica, the stunning church where the body of St. Mark the Evangelist is buried. We have ample time to visit and pray in this intricately designed cathedral of 85,000 square feet, five domes, and beautiful golden mosaics. The famous Doges Palace awaits us next. Pure Venetian and built for the rulers of Venice, we wander its opulent halls before crossing the famous Bridge of Sighs. Dinner tonight will be on our own in one of the charming restaurants around the city. (B, Mass) Overnight Venice

Depart Venice today on the high-speed train to Rome. Upon arrival, we will check in at our hotel and enjoy a walking tour of some of Rome’s most famous cultural sites, including the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Rome

We begin our first full day in Rome with a tour through the peaceful Vatican Gardens. Then we enter the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass, followed by a tour of St. Peter’s including the Pieta and Adoration Chapel. Afterwards, we walk through the Vatican Museums which house artifacts from the around the world and Eucharistic art to prepare ourselves for the greatest masterpiece yet: The Sistine Chapel. Painted by Michelangelo, it has one of the most famous ceilings in the world under which popes are chosen to lead the faithful. One is always looking up at the masterwork of art that explains the theology of God. This is followed by free time to relax or explore other sections of the city. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Rome

Today we start in Santa Croce in Gerusalemme where we get a little piece of Jerusalem thanks to Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, who brought back relics of the True Cross and the inscription part of the cross. At one time, soil from Jerusalem covered the Basilica’s floor, so it truly was part of the Holy Land. After venerating these 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. Lastly, we’ll admire Michaelangelo’s magnificent statue of Moses inside St. Peter in Chains. 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. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Rome

This morning, 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. We then journey into the lives of the martyrs as we visit the Catacombs. Here Christians celebrated the Mass in secret and buried the martyrs, including several popes. Afterwards, it’s on to Rome’s lovely Trastevere District with medieval cobblestone streets and religious shrines decorating doorways. The main square is dominated by the 12th century Basilica di Santa Maria, a church full of classical wonders from glittering mosaics to the relics of the Holy Sponge and St. Apolonia. Our day continues with a visit to the Basilica di Santa Cecilia built atop her former home. One of the earliest martyrs of Rome, St. Cecilia survived a near-decapitation for three days and was the first saint whose body was found to be incorrupt. Tonight we will celebrate our farewell dinner. (B/D, Mass) Overnight Rome

Today marks the end of a marvelous experience as we transfer to the airport for the return trip home, filled with memories and graces of this pilgrimage that will last a lifetime. (B)