From: Sister MARY IWEANYA

Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:17 AM
To: milanka@206tours.com
Subject: 206 Pilgrimage tour

My name is Sister Mary Iweanya of the Daughters of Divine Love. I am one of the pilgrims of May 10th - 19th , 2009 Pilgrimage with 206 Tour led by Monsignor Kenneth Steffen

I wish to cease this opportunity to express my feelings about the pilgrimage. It was  an experience of  a lifetime for me which I will always remember and cherish for the rest of my life. With Monsignor as our spiritual leader for the pilgrimage it brings to light when Christ was on earth with His disciples He went about doing good, curing peoples' diseases, listening to them and making their concerns His.  Monsignor was just exactly like that for us the pilgrims. We were  nourished with the word of Christ with his daily mass and Homily. He was able to to reach out to all races by our daily participation  in the Rosary in different languages of the pilgrims. Each and every one of us were  celebrated in our own specific vocation in life. The two consecrated nuns among the pilgrims were remembered in a very special way. The couples and the singles were also celebrated in a very special way. In fact each day of the pilgrimage was a day of thanksgiving to God. Monsignor also extended his goodness even to the beggars in the streets of Lourdes and  Fatima.  In fact there is  something in him that attracted  people to him because all the while on pilgrimage, people from different parts of the world were streaming to him for blessing, advice and the Sacrament especially that of reconciliation. The Pilgrimage programs and sacramentals he gave from his own pocket allowed us to recollect upon our beautiful pilgrimage. We the pilgrims  in his group all felt like brothers and sisters from the same womb.

Our pilgrimage guide Juan Carlos also is a very wonderful man. He has the patience of Job and he was able to put up with us  for those ten days. With that we, the Pilgrims named him Saint  Juan Carlos of Salamanca. I wish at this point to recommend Monsignor Kenneth Steffen  as the leader for many more pilgrimages because he is a wonderful spiritual leader.

Thank you for giving me an opportunity of a life time to travel with your wonderful 206 Pilgrimage Group.  I will never forget it and I will pray for you and your pilgrimage ministry.

Sister Mary, DDL

From: Jeffery Bennis
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 8:43 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Lourdes- MAY

The Tour guide did a fantastic job. Jesus was his real name. He went out of the way for everyone. He is from Spain. I would highly recommend him again

From: LINDA PIETRASZEK
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 8:52 AM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Greece: In the Footsteps of St. Paul - MAY


DEAR RINDA, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST.PAUL PILGRIMAGE.
THIS WONDERFUL HOLY AND PRAYERFUL TRIP HAS MADE A POWEFUL IMPACT ON MY PRAYER LIFE. FR. JOHN TINO WAS A GIFT TO US ALL. WE WERE VERY BLESSED ON THIS PILGRIMAGE. MASS EVERYDAY PRAISE GOD. ALL THE GUIDES WERE EXCELLENT AND OUR CONNECTING FLIGHTS WERE EASY TO REACH. PENNY ABB WAS SUCH A VERY GOOD FRIEND... MAY GOD BLESS HER, AS WELL AS THE OTHER PILGRIMS LIKE FAMILY . THIS JOURNEY TO GREECE AND TURKEY WAS THE BEST EVER. THANK YOU 206 TOURS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR PEOPLE.
PEACE AND PRAYERS LINDA PIETRASZEK

From: M. Garcia
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 10:57 PM
To: Kanidinc Rinda; Meyer, stefanie
Subject: Fatima, Lourdes and Spain, May '09

Hello Rinda and Stefanie.
I am a little late in sending this to you, but I just wish to thank you for giving us the opportunity to enjoy such a wonderful pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and Spain last month - May 10-19. My mother and I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed ourselves; everything about the trip was first rate: the organization, the transportation, the hotels.
We must commend our tour guide, Juan Carlos, who kept us on schedule, was very helpful with answering questions, and was very friendly and up beat.
Most of all, we were absolutely thankful for our spiritual director, Msgr. Kenneth Steffen, who was, in our opinion, truly a blessing to be with on our pilgrimage. He is such a kind and generous person who made each one of us feel special. His outgoing and caring personality shone throughout our trip. He was the key that brought everything and everyone together because he let us know that God was with us, present in each one of us. We pray that our paths will cross again.
This pilgrimage was a blessed experience which we will never forget. Looking forward to the next one!
Thank you,
Maria and Teresita Garcia
Edison, NJ

From: J. Nobles
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:11 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Greece - May

our 206 fr coryer trip to greece may 1 thru 11 was absolutely marvelous. even the daily reading at mass were st paul in the venue that we ourselves were visiting!!! it was spiritually moving. our guide john ventiroso was exceptionally knowledgeable and shared all this wisdom with us every step of the way, we also loved our bus driver, petras who always had a smile for us. thank you for a memorable trip and yes i'd certainly like to go with your group again.

love jeannine nobles

From: Mike Regan
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:08 PM
To: rinda@206tours.com
Subject: Re: Greece: In the Footsteps of St. Paul - MAY

Dear Rinda;
I had a very good Pilgrimage in Greece. I would like to say it was one of the best trips I have experienced. Fr John was great (the best) with Mass every day and his homilities were right on.. Everyone in the group was very friendly and considerate of each other. Penny was a great group leader.. Everything was excellent; the people, the hotels, the guide Athena, the bus driver, and even the weather.. Thank you very much for everything..
Sincerely, Mike Regan

From: Fr. Nicholas Zientarski
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 9:55 AM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: France pilgrimage

Dear Rinda,

Just wanted to send a quick note that the pilgrimage to France went very very well and we were all very blessed by God in many ways throughout this past week. I'll give a more detailed review when I get more settled, but for now know that everything went extremely well. God bless and be well.

-Fr. Nick Zientarski

From: Paul Miozza
Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 7:26 PM
To: stefanie Meyer
Subject: Fatima, Spain and Lourdes - May

Hi Stefanie,

Wow!!! Best vacation ever, that's all we kept saying, so I said to my wife how can we pray every minute of the day and say this is the best vacation ever. Answer ------ Monsignor Kenneth C. Steffen - most holy man we ever met. What a spiritual leader - he should be a bishop. Without preaching, he explained things that we heard all our lives but never understood. He passed out pamphlets and religious cards that emphasized what the itinerary was for that day. He gave blessing to individuals, to singles, to those who were widowed, to member of religious orders. And renewed marriage vows (which was a highlight of the trip). He never left anyone out, what a caring and compassionate man. Please let us know when Monsignor Steffen does another trip because we are very interested in going with him again. He generates a lot of love from Christ. He kept us happy all the time.

Carlos the driver was great. Juan Carlos our tour guide, who we appointed as Saint Carlos on the last night, was better than a mother hen. . He kept his eyes on all 29 of us. He is definitely in the right profession. He is patient, caring and did all the worrying for everyone. He made sure we were happy all the time.

Now for the tour - Imagine 300,000 people gathered at Fatima, Portugal to celebrate the anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to three children. Then visit where they lived, where they are buried and everywhere in between. Imagine seeing the beautiful cathedral/churches of Spain. Let's celebrate Mass in the chapel of St Ignatius home. Imagine Lourdes, France where 17,000 members of the military from around the world gathered. We were greeted by 40 of them from the United States Armed Forces. Why don't we take a healing bath? Pray at the Grotto where Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette, visit all the places in between. We did!!!

Could we be lucky enough to celebrate daily mass at all these wonderful churches and have this very holy man lead you. Yes, Monsignor Kenneth C. Steffen

How about the 29 tourists who were all complete strangers when we began this pilgrimage, and after just 10 days together, we are all now special friends in Christ. Credit - Monsignor Kenneth C. Steffen and Juan Carlos.

It was sad when most of us parted after Lourdes.

My wife and I continued on to Medjugorje. We stayed at Family Pansion of Ivanka & Natasa Pandza. She was a great host and a fabulous cook. She was extremely caring and make sure we always had more than enough to eat. We would love to stay there again.

Our tour guide Snjezana Zovko (snow white) was fabulous she took us on tour each day. We climb Apparition Hill (twice) and Cross Mountain. We attended daily mass and said the rosary at St James Church. The highlight of our visit was on the last night at 10:00 PM we climbed Apparition Hill. We were present when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the visionary Ivan.
We could not see Mary, but we could definitely feel her presence.
This was the best tour of our life - thanks 206 tours. We thought at time it took longer than necessary to receive our documentation. We would like to especially thank Stephanie Meyer for all her hard work in keeping our stress level low, and getting us advance seating on our flights. She has chosen the right job and is an excellent customer service person. We think she deserve a pay raise.

Thanks Reverend Monsignor Kenneth C. Steffen (keep us informed of your trips). Thanks Carlos and Juan Carlos. Thanks Natasa and Snow White. Special thanks to all of the 29 tourists who became our friends.

Love to all Pauline and Paul Miozza

From: Mr. and Mrs. Mays
Date: Sat, 30 May 2009 09:27:52 -0400
To: Rinda Kanidinc<rinda@206tours.com>; <stefanie@206tours.com>
Subject: Re: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes and Rome - May

This pilgrimage was amazing! Our spiritual director, Monsignor Kenneth Steffen, was one of the holiest priests my husband and I have ever met. He always had time to speak with and care for those in our group, as well as, strangers that we met along the way! He made sure that all of us had a special blessing during the trip in a very special way. I loved that he said Mass even on the day of arrival after a long day/night of travel! He must have spent many hours preparing for this pilgrimage. Monsignor appeared to be tireless! Such energy and so caring! Even though we spent only eight days with him, I feel like I have known him for ever. I pray it is God's will that I get to go on another pilgrimage with him again!

Juan Carlos Tejeda was an excellent tour guide. He took care of us like we were family. In fact, we adopted him and by the end of the trip, we all decided he should be canonized St. Juan Carlos of Salamanca. He kept us all on schedule and organized, in spite of ourselves. And he was very knowledgeable about all of the places we visited and I appreciated the movies he provided while en route. We wish him much success and hope our paths cross again.

Our accommodations were excellent. I particularly loved the Grand Hotel Moderne in Lourdes and the Hotel Michelangelo in Rome because of their great location!!!! But the other hotels were just as beautiful! All of our meals were delicious, full breakfast buffets in all locations and three course dinners every night. And service in each of the restaurants was impeccable!

The bus transportation was very comfortable. It is very important that we were NOT packed in like sardines. And Juan, our driver, was very accommodating!
Check in and luggage control was flawless. Transportation to and from all airports was on time. It was always a relief to see the 206 sign when we got off the plane.

We made so many great friends on this pilgrimage, that when we left for Rome, and some left for home, we were hugging each other like we had been friends for years, not just days. Some pilgrims left with us from Toulouse to spend a couple of days in Rome. Father Edwin Paniagua was our spiritual director in Rome. He did a great job in the short time we were in Rome (two days). One night, he took a few of us by public transportation to see more of the city, including the pantheon, and to buy some gelato! On our last day, he took us to see the convent started by Mother Teresa in the area of the Vatican. The guide, Antonio, that we had for the Vatican Museum and the four Basilica's the next day, was the best we have ever had. This was the third time we have toured these sites and we learned a lot of new information this time, thanks to Antonio. Please continue to enlist the assistance of both Fr. Edwin and Antonio going forward! We did not see much of Karin, but when we did, she was very helpful and kept everything organized and on schedule. She also got us in to the Papal audience in a most efficient manner.

This was our 2nd pilgrimage with 206 Tours and God willing it will not be our last. Please keep up the good work. Thank you, Sefanie for confirming our reservations and responding to our questions in a timely manner! You will always be our first choice for a Catholic pilgrimage!

Best regards,

Dale and Linda Mays

From: Mr. and Mrs. Rossy
Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:15 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: The Holy Land - May

Dear Rinda,
Our pilgrimage to the Holy Land was such a beautiful experience! All the Holy Sites were true conversion experiences. Our tour guide Samie was excellent and we appreciated his thorough explanations and historical information. All our Masses were held in special locations. The Mass held in the tomb was unforgettable. Father Patrick Crowley's gifts from the Holy Spirit were so uplifting. We were blest to have him! Helen took excellent care of all of us. She helped us feel safe! God bless all of you for all your efforts in making our pilgrimage in the footsteps with Jesues very unique and special.
Peace and all good,
Yolanda and George Rossy

From: Marie Georganakis
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 1:42 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: The Holy Land - May

Rinda,

The Pilgrimage to the Holy Land was an unbelievable experience. There are no words to express the experience. The guide (Sami) and bus driver (Eed) were to of the nicest people. Sami was so knowledgeable about all the sites we went to, and the whole area in general. Everything was so well planned out and we did get to see so many sites.

Thanks again for a great tour

Marie Georganaki

From:  Patricia Galeaz
Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 12:21:18 -0500
To: Rinda Kanidinc<rinda@206tours.com>
Subject: Fatima, Spain and Lourdes - May

Rinda,

I want to commend 206 tours for the excellent tour and tour guide that we had on my trip to Fatima, Portugal; Spain; and Lourdes, France. But I especially want to commend you on you're choice of spiritual leader, Monsignor Kenneth C. Steffen.  When the group was all together, Msgr Steffen handed out little booklets of the places and shrines we would visit on the pilgrimage.  Undoubtedly, Msgr's preparation before the trip was extremely thorough!  There were no hesitations when anyone asked questions regarding the individual places that we visited!

Not everyone is that well-versed on the various subjects and places!  All the pilgrims on the trip spoke very highly of Msgr Steffen and would definitely want to have him lead another pilgrimage!  The time and work that Msgr spent in preparation for the pilgrimage was definitely very extensive!  Msgr Steffen also showed so much kindess in dealing with each individual on the pilgrimage!  No one felt left out or slighted. 

Msgr had special blessings for married couples, single persons, medical persons, religious persons, widow/widowers to name a few of the special  blessings he had during the trip.  No one was omitted from a special blessing!  I have never witnessed such caring and thoughtfulness from a priest before!  Everyone wants to keep in touch with Msgr Steffen.  That alone should tell you how everyone feels about him as the spiritual director of this trip and for future trips.  

Juan Carlos Tejeda was also an excellent tour guide!  His patience with all individuals was amazing.  Juan Carlos was very prepared for the pilgrimage.  If he did not know of something that you asked about, he would find out about it and then inform you.  He is very pleasant and easy to deal with and be in his company.

Juan, the bus driver, was pleasant and easy to be around.  But every time we got in and out of the bus, we had to tell him to lower the steps of the bus down!  That should be automatic.  At 5'1", I was definitely not the shortest, but it was a BIG step down if the steps were not lowered!

The hotels were always fine except for a couple times.  It was much more crowded with three in the room and there was no space to move around in the room as the beds took up all the room.

I would definitely take another 206 Pilgrimage with Msgr. Kenneth Steffen as Spiritual Director!  He makes the trip very special to each and every pilgrim!

Thank you for you're help and guidance,

Patricia Galeaz

_________________________________

From: Msgr. Kenneth Steffen
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 5:25 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Fatima, Spain and Lourdes - May

Milanka, Rinda,

It was great pilgrimage.
All the members of the pilgrimage grew closer together and established ties among each other.  They were very caring towards one another Juan Carlos did an excellent job.  He was very conscientious about caring about the needs of the pilgrims.  He would stay behind to make sure everyone was taken care of.  He especially was very solicitous towards pilgrim who was suffering from MS and had to take dialysis.  He made sure she was cared for. He was very patient with everyone.  At he end of the pilgrimage we raised him as a candidate for canonization and we referred to him as Santa Juan Carlos de Salamanca.

The other guides who were with us also were very competent and knowledgeable about their subject matter.  I was especially impressed with them as it was evident that they interwoven the spiritually element into their explanations.  I was especially impressed with Blanca(Avila) who extremely knowledgeable about St. Therese of Avila as many of the pilgrims were knowledgeable about St. Terese of Avila and her spirituality.  The tour director of Lourdes (I was not sure of her name) was extremely well informed.  I had been to Lourdes a few time before and she had reveal information that I had not heard before.

The hotels were beautiful and very accommodating.  I was especially happy that we stayed at Hotel Moderne Soubirous.  For many years I had walked by this boarded up hotel and thought how wonderful it be to stay here.  It has been richly restored with all the elegents and craftsmanship of the 1800's plus all the conveniences of the 21st century.   I noticed how all at the Hotel, from Franco Tedesco the owner to those who cleaned the rooms went out of their way to be of service to us.  There was a real sense of pride of the employees who served in this beautifully restored hotel.  You could feel the Soubirous spirit in the building.  The meals were delicious and well prepared and served.  It was wonderfully to see that this landmark hotel has not been torn down but has been restored.  It is great selection for future pilgrimages to Lourdes.  Another advantage of the Hotel was that it was so close to the Shrine that a person could walk there in a short period of time.  Thank you for the delicious 206 Tours cake they presented for us.  There were many powerful sharing in the pilgrimage of how the pilgrims were transformed in their experience.  We prayed for the 206 Pilgrimage Ministry during our prayer time.

Suggestions for next time.
Visit with the Carmelite Sister at the Incarnation Convent in Avila (at Alba de Tormes Sanctuary, we were able to meet with the Mother Superior and the sisters.)

Visit the Cenacolo Community for those who would be interested  in going while in Lourdes.  Lourdes is a place healing.
Sister Mary was such a wonderful addition to the pilgrimage. In fact one of the member had thought of being a nun due to her influence.

It was definitely a spiritual uplifting experience

Monsignor Steffen

From: Sandy Griffin
To: Javier
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:51 AM

Dear Javier,

I cannot believe that I am just now writing you after returning from my wonderful journey. I have been jet lagged and swamped at worked and have just now sat down to write. My trip was so amazing all thanks to you. You were so selfless in tending to every ones needs on the tour. I also want to thank your beautiful wife and mother for the wonderful lunch they prepared for all of us. My husband could not believe it all when he say the pictures. He is putting together a beautiful book for me thru shutterfly and I will be able to remember your entire family for ever including those darling boys Javier jr and Juan. I am a very sentimental person and I never forget anyone who has done something for me. I believe God brings people into your life for a reason. If we can ever do anything for your family just let me or my husband know. Thank you so much for everything. My pilgrimage was life changing.
Sincerely, Sandy Griffin

From: Paula Barr

Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:10 PM
To: kristin@206tours.com
Subject: Holy Land with Father Timothy Joyce

I am very pleased to inform you that the tour of the Holy Land was superb, I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank You,

Paula Barr

From: Helen Zec, Marian Travel Services
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 4:55 AM
To: Rinda; Milanka Lachman, CTC
Subject: Holy Land

Dear Rinda and Milanka,

Thanks for all your work in making this pilgrimage possible. Everything went well and everyone was satisfied. Our guide, Sami, was as good as in September. He is an excellent guide - always conscious of what the needs of the pilgrims are - very knowledgable and informative. Our driver, Eid, was a gem! A perfect gentleman and helpful in every way. The arrangements were great - no problems! I know this doesn't happen without a lot of work and thought - so I thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
You were in my prayers at all the Holy Sites.

Love, Helen

From: LESLIE ALLGOOD
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 1:39 PM
To: stefanie@206tours.com
Subject: Hi

STEFANIE,
OUR TRIP TO PORTUGAL, SPAIN AND FRANCE WAS WONDERFUL! MAGICAL!
206 IS THE BEST! I LOVED JUAN CARLOS, HE IS A FANTASTIC GUIDE, SO NICE AND ACCOMMODATING, BUT MOST OF ALL PATIENT AND CARING.
MONSEINGER....WAS THE BEST! SO PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR FAITH AND FUNNY AND FUN! WE COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER SPIRITUAL LEADER.
MY FELLOW PILGRIMS ARE NOW MY FAMILY MEMBERS. JUST THE RIGHT NUMBER.SO KIND AND NICE. I MADE NEW LIFE FRIENDS.
MOST IMPORTANT MY FAITH GREW AND I FEEL EVEN CLOSER TO OUR LORD AND BLESSED MOTHER. MIRACLES HAPPENED FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS.
PAINS WENT AWAY AND WERE REPLACED WITH PEACE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH STEFANIE! I WILL FORWARD YOU SOME GREAT PHOTOS LATER!
YOUR FRIEND,
LESLIE ALLGOOD

From: Patti A.
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 14:04:09 EDT
To: <milanka@206tours.com>
Subject: Re: Lourdes & Fatima Pilgrimage with Fr. Mickey Bancroft

Dear Milanka,

Our Lourdes and Fatima Pilgrimage was a deeply moving experience. Thank you for all you did to make this trip such a remarkable journey! Our accommodations were spectacular, the food was superb, and we were truly welcomed guests at each location. Our group, diverse in age (from 13 to 85), quickly bonded and became a family.

In addition to the peace and holiness I found at Lourdes and Fatima, I thoroughly enjoyed our bus ride through Spain and our stops at Loyola and Salamanca. The opportunity to see the countryside and get a taste of Spanish spirituality, culture and art was wonderful.

We were so very blessed to have Fr. Mickey Bancroft as our Spiritual Director and Javier Gomez as our Tour Guide. Fr. Mickey and Javier are gentle, compassionate and generous men who truly live their faith and “walk the walk”. Throughout the pilgrimage, they set the example for us of “being Christ to each other”.

This was my second pilgrimage with 206 Tours and Fr. Mickey. Both have been profound spiritual experiences that I will forever remember. Fr. Mickey’s homilies are always a source of encouragement and inspiration; his words remain with me long after the celebration of mass has ended. His deep spirituality, along with his engaging personality, ensures the perfect balance of faith and fun.

For Javier, being a tour guide is clearly more than a profession; it is a ministry. He immediately endeared himself to our whole group, treating us as his personal guests/ friends rather than just “clients”. He consistently went well beyond his responsibility as a tour guide to make our pilgrimage both memorable and uniquely special. He is truly an asset and wonderful representative of 206 Tours!

Three times during the week the gospel reminded us that “it was not you who chose me, but I who chose you”, and that we are to “love one another as I have loved you”. It was no coincidence that we were all brought together on this journey in faith, trust, spirituality and friendship. I will always be grateful to Fr. Mickey, Javier and my fellow pilgrims for allowing me to see the face of God in them.

Sincerely,

Patti A.

Dear Milanka,

All of the time and effort put into the 2009 Holy Land Pilgrimage was well worth it.  The trip exceeded everyone's expectations, I believe.  At the least, it exceeded mine and I know that Fr. Tim was very happy overall and the comments I received from the pax were all more than positive.

Our guide, Joseph, did a splendid job.  His depth of knowledge and caring was extraordinary.  Ramzi, our driver, was cordial, friendly and highly competent.  The sites we visited were overwhelming in their Christian importance and the spiritual feelings that they invoked.  We were oftentimes moved close to tears by many of them.  For me, touching the slab that Jesus laid on, after His crucifixion, in the Holy Sepulchre brought a flood of emotions.

Our hotels were excellent.  The food was well-prepared and in abundance.  The staffs were friendly and competent.

The lady who had the kidney stone attack, finished the pilgrimage without further incident.  A huge thank you goes to Joseph for using his connections at the Nazareth hospital to get a quick diagnosis of her condition.

This was my first pilgrimage in 3 years due to illness.  I came home exhausted, but with a greater sense of connection with my lord Jesus Christ and my Church.

Many thanks to all of the folks at your office and those on the ground in Israel for making this pilgrimage extra special. 

Now on the 2010 in Spain and Portugal.

GBY

Tom

From: Kim
Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 08:56:13 EDT
To: <milanka@206tours.com>
Subject: Lourdes & Fatima Pilgrimage w/Fr. Mickey Bancroft

Dear Milanka,

We just returned from our pilgrimage to Lourdes & Fatima last evening. You and your 206 team did it again; you organized yet another truly spiritual and magical experience.  From the beginning you showed us how truly special you are, when on the morning of our departure, you and your family were there to see us off.

We had a group of 33 pilgrims.  Our guide, Javier was and is a truly WONDERFUL humble man. (A true Gift from God) Anything that I could ever write or say about him wouldn't even begin to do him justice. He gave of himself 150%. He has a very generous, loving, humble heart and a gentle soul.  Javier made us all feel like family.  He was always very patient and helpful with us, especially to those who had special needs. (He went above and beyond at some points). Javier took this journey with us. He showed and shared his faith and knowledge with us. His devotion to his faith and the Blessed Mother is beautiful and inspiring. 

Our spiritual director, Fr. Mickey Bancroft (Sorry Mickey, you know I love you dearly, but I had to give Javier top billing in this letter) also was and is another of Gods precious Gifts to us.  Again, I cannot adequately express my thoughts or feelings here to do him justice; as his friend, he knows how I feel about him. He made this a truly Blessed pilgrimage.  His daily masses were wonderful and full of the Holy Spirit.  Fr. Mickey made sure to include as many of the Pilgrims as possible, as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Server and Cantor.  Fr. Mickey always had a ready smile on his face, was available to answer our MANY questions and always made sure to spend time with all the pilgrims. He made this a truly Blessed experience for us all.

Now, about the pilgrimage.  We spent the first two and a half days in Lourdes. Lourdes was a truly Holy and Blessed place for me. The Grotto, the Basilica’s, the candle light procession, the baths and hiking the Pyrenees, were for me the spiritual highlights of the pilgrimage.  After we left Lourdes (en route to Fatima) we traveled by bus to Loyola for a quick stop and tour of the Basilica de Loyola. We visited Salamanca (Javier’s hometown) for one day.  What an amazing & beautiful town. It is here where we saw Pilgrims traveling the Route of St. James, to Santiago de Compostela. Even though we only had the afternoon and evening there, we were able to see so much. Javier was wonderful; he was very excited and proud to show us his hometown. Our next stop, Fatima. One of the highlights of our bus ride to Fatima was the lunch break at a roadside pit stop. Javier surprised us with a picnic lunch with goodies he bought while we were in Salamanca.  That was a wonderful bonding experience.  We arrived in Fatima on Friday. We spent a day and a half there. We were able to see and do so much in that short period of time; the Chapel of Calvary, the town of Aljustrel (where the children lived), candlelight procession to pray the rosary and so much more.

We had a such a wonderful and spiritually enriching pilgrimage. I'm so looking forward to going to Oberammergau with 206 next year.

Thank you again for everything. Many Blessings to you ,your family and all at 206.

Warmest Regards and Blessings

Kim

"When we take one step toward God, he takes seven steps towards us."

From: "Costello, Edward "
Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 15:19:54 -0400
To: <milanka@206tours.com>
Subject:Costello message

Good afternoon Milanka,

I just came back from the Pilgrimage trip that Father Mickey attended. I wanted to let you know that Javier was absolutely wonderful. His insight and knowledge relating to religion, culture, and local history was impressive. However the most important attribute of Javier is his compassion for people. He made all of us feel as if we were family. You have found a gem in Javier.

I also wanted to comment on you and your company. Every last detail of my trip was well thought out and the Hotels you choose were great. You and your company are first rate. I have already recommended your company to others.

Sincerely,

Ed Costello

From: G. & D. Cabeza
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 6:04 AM
To: rinda@206tours.com
Subject: Re: Rome, San Giovanni Rotondo and Assisi - MAY

Good morning Rinda:

We are back home and we are glad to say that everything went according to schedule. We had a wonderful trip with an excellent tour guide Vicenzo who was always with us, on time, professional, friendly and a skillful driver Miguele. Father Chris was always "looking after his sheep" and delivered beautiful homilies. He sings like an angel and is an excellent priest. Everybody liked him. And yes...we made it to the airport 3 hrs. before the flight!!.

From all the local tour guides, by far Anthony in Rome was the more knowledgeable and spoke perfect English.

Good choice of hotels close to the Shrines and excellent food specially at the Savoia in San Giovanni Rotondo. The food at the Hotel Gioto in Assisi was only a 2 stars compare to the Savoia with a 5 stars. The Michelangelo in Rome also had excellent location and good food. In reference to time off, we liked the fact that we had a couple of hours off at the end of the day to take a short nap or the young and active went back for more shopping around the hotel. In summary, not an overwhelming schedule and a small group made a big difference. We enjoyed having mostly young people in the group. We had good laughs and they were fun to travel with.

The memories that we have from Padre Pio and St. Catherine of Sienna will last forever.

Thank you again for a wonderful tour and we will contact you in the near future for other itineraries.

God Bless,

Guillermo and Denise Cabeza

From: J. Cutler
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 7:38 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Greece - May

Dear Rinda....Absolutely loved the entire trip. Our guide in Athens was the greatest. We had daily Mass with our spiritual director, Fr Coryer. All accommodations very good. Exhausted and having some jet lag today. We never knew what to expect on flight home on Olympics. We ate sandwiches just before being served a meal which was not announced. Very difficult to hear the announcements. But flight was on time and no problems with baggage. Greece is a beautiful country. It truly is necessary to have good walking shoes and stamina to walk up many hills.

Jackie Cutler

From: dulce v
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:56 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Lisbon, Fatima, Spain and Lourdes - April

Dear Rinda,

Thank you very much for welcoming us back home after a wonderful pilgrimage. The three of us, Carmelita Jocson, Leonor O'Sullivan and myself really enjoy our stay in the four countries and so many cities with all of us, pilgrims. We went to all the wonderful places we have not seen before. Everybody are so kind, friendly and nice. We were like a big family together, Father Caprio being our spiritual director. and Javier Gomez, our tour guide were so good, friendly, accommodating and we all love them. Javier is a wonderful guy and his family, who invited all of us to have lunch in their place at Salamanca, Spain. We will never forget what they did, and we're looking forward for another trip.

Thanks again, and have a nice day!

Dulce R. Villabona

From: Patricia Daniels
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:11 PM
To: Rinda Kanidinc
Subject: Re: Poland - May

Dear Rinda,

I arrived back home last night - tired but very excited and happy! Poland was the most beautiful country that I have visited so far! My son and I enjoyed every minute of the pilgrimage. We were with a small, lovely group of people. And our guide, Paulina, was terrific. She did everything in her power to make us comfortable. And she is so knowledgeable about everything! We learned so much from her. Our driver, Gregory, was also very kind and helpful to all of us. They made the trip so very much fun. I am already thinking about going back next year!

Thank you for all of the arrangements that you made for us. Everything was perfect!

God Bless You,
Patricia

Portugal, SPAIN, LOURDES PILGRIMAGE
APRIL 26-MAY 5, 2009.
Fr. Al Caprio, O.P.-Spiritual director

Overall the pilgrimage was successful and a blessed event. The (more or less) 25 pilgrims seemed to bond together and to form a pilgrim family.
Personally, I’m sorry to say that I was affected by lower back pain, which decided to act up because of the long and uncomfortable plane trip. Various pilgrims were very kind and considerate showing concern for me every step of the way. What kind and loving people!
As you well know, Javier is and was his outstanding self and was loved by all. During our visit to Salamanca, his mother and friends prepared the most wonderful paella meal for the whole group, which was tra