Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Italy - October 2019

Today we will enjoy a full day tour of Rome including visits to
Church of the Gesù, St. Mary above Minerva, the Pantheon, St.
Louis of the French, and the Basilica of St. Mary Major where
we will celebrate Mass. Last, we will have an inside visit of the
Roman Coliseum before returning to our hotel. (B)

Today we will enjoy a full day tour of Rome including visits to
the St. Sebastian Catacombs, Basilica of St. Paul Outside the
Walls, St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, the Basilica of the Holy
Cross and the Spanish Steps. (B)

This morning we will return to the Vatican and celebrate Mass at
Saint Peter’s Basilica. We will then enjoy a full day tour of Rome
including visits to Santa Maria in Trastevere, St. Cecilia, St. Lawrence
Outside the Walls and the Cemetery of Campo Verano. (B)

This morning we will drive to the town of Nettuno. Tour the Old
Quarter and then celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady
of Grace and St. Maria Goretti which contains the tomb of St.
Maria Goretti. After lunch, we will return to Rome where the
balance of the day is free. (B)

Depart Rome this morning and drive to Cascia to visit the shrine
of St. Rita, see her incorrupt body, and celebrate Mass. We
will then continue on to Assisi, a town that welcomes us in the
spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare into its peaceful interior. This
evening we will enjoy dinner at a local winery. (B/D)

This morning we will take an excursion north to Siena, home of
St. Catherine. Our first stop this morning will be at the Basilica of
St. Francis where we’ll venerate the Eucharistic miracle of Siena.
Then we’ll visit St. Dominic’s, St. Catherine of Siena’s parish
church where she attended daily Mass and went into ecstasy.
Adjacent to the church is her home, which we’ll tour and see the
cell where she fasted and prayed. Then we’ll stroll the ancient
Gothic streets which converge on the Piazza del Campo, one of
the most beautiful squares in the world. After visiting Siena we
will return to Assisi for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

This morning we will 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 St. Clare began her religious life.
Then proceed to the Basilica of St. Francis where the saint lies
in rest, the Basilica of St. Clare, the Convent of San Damiano,
Chiesa Nuova and the Oratory of San Francesco Piccolino.
For those with the stamina, take a walk up Mount Subasio to
Hermitage of the Corceri, the Saint’s favorite retreat. (B)

This morning we will depart Assisi and drive south to Loreto
where we will see the Shrine of the Holy House which is said
to be the same house in which the Virgin Mary was born and
raised in Nazareth. This is where she received the visitation of
the angel announcing that she was the mother of Jesus and
according to tradition the home was transported by four angels
from Nazareth to its present resting place in Loreto. We will
then proceed to Lanciano, site of the 8th century Miracle of the
Eucharist, where bread and wine became real flesh and blood
– 1,200 years later, we will venerate this Body and Blood. After
Mass in Lanciano we will proceed to San Giovanni Rotondo, the
home of St. Padre Pio. (B/D)

This morning we will enjoy a tour of this quaint 11th century
town where the famous Padre Pio spent most of his life. Visit
the Capuchin Monastery where Padre Pio lived, the Church of
Our Lady of Grace, and the Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church which
was completed in 2004, and Padre Pio’s tomb. Next drive up
to Monte Sant’ Angelo for a breathtaking view of the Gargano
Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel.
This evening enjoy a farewell dinner back at our hotel. (B/D)

This morning we will depart San Giovanni Rotondo and drive
to Manoppello where we will visit the Basilica of the Holy Face
which contains an image on a thin veil which is known as the
Holy Face of Manoppello and has been reputed to be the veil
that covered Christ’s face during His burial and resurrection.
We will then return to Rome for overnight at a hotel close to the
airport. (B/D)

Following breakfast, we will transfer to the airport to catch our
return flight home. (B)