Lourdes, Rome, Montecassino, San Giovanni Rotondo, Lanciano, Loreto, Sienna, Assisi
Pilgrimage to Shrines of Italy & Lourdes Map
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) ALL AIRPORT TAXES & FUEL SURCHARGES! One way flight from Rome
to Lourdes 11 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar) ~ 3 nights: Hotel Cicerone or Quirinale, Rome, Italy
~ 2 nights: Hotel Gran Paradiso, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
~ 3 nights: Hotel Giotto, Assisi, Italy
~ 3 nights: Hotel Moderne, Lourdes, France Transfers as per itinerary Breakfast and Dinner daily Wine with dinners Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Assistance of a professional local Catholic guide(s) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction Mass daily & Spiritual activities Luggage handling (1 piece per person) Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Day 1 - USA - Rome
Depart from New York, JFK or from your hometown for the overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Arrive in Rome Upon arrival in Rome you will be met by your driver and transfer to the hotel where you will meet the rest of your group. Relax and settle into your hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Rome
This morning we depart for a sightseeing tour entitled "Christian Rome" which includes: the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus; the Holy Stairs; the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377; St. Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St. Paul under its main altar; the Appian Way, the oldest road from Roman times; the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel; the ancient Baths of Caracalla; Arch of Drusus; Tomb of Celilia Metella; and the catacombs of St. Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. We will also enjoy a visit to the Trevi fountain. Dinner in Rome.
Day 4 - Rome (Papal Visit and Vatican Musuem tour)
Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (pending papal schedule). Following the audience visit of the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St. Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St. Peter's is the grandest of the world's churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican. Before dinner, we'll have some time at leisure, to explore.
Day 5 - Rome - Monte Cassino - San Giovanni Rotundo
We leave the Eternal City and head south, cross through the Roman countryside with its villas and vineyards, stopping at the Abbey of Monte Cassino, a beautiful town founded by St. Benedict in 529. Continue through the countryside heading east to Padre Pio‟s town of San Giovanni Rotondo, our base for the following two nights. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Day 6 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Monte Sant'Angel
After celebrating Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio, we tour the sanctuary, see the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. You will see the confessional where Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes, St. Francis and at least four other saints have knelt in prayer at this grotto, seeking the protection of St. Michael. A panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding countryside awaits you at this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity, a shrine consecrated by St. Michael himself in 490. Return to San Giovanni for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Lanciano - Loreto - Assisi
We will have breakfast at our hotel before we embark on a drive up the Adriatic coast to Lanciano where we will see the Eucharistic Miracle and celebrate Mass. We then continue on to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. More than 50 popes have made a pilgrimage to the house transported by angels to this hill in central Italy in 1294. Tradition has it that this is the house in which Mary first prayed the Magnificat, in which Jesus grew to manhood, and in which the Holy Family lived. We arrive in Assisi for dinner and overnight in Assisi.
Day 8 - Assisi
Visit the tomb of St. Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St. Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St. Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St. Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St. Mary of the Angels Basilica where St. Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. After stopping at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St. Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St. Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner.
Day 9 - Assisi - Siena
This morning we are off to the beautiful town of Siena, the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine and one of Italy‟s loveliest medieval cities. Here we will stroll the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy‟s finest squares and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous consecrated hosts that remained intact since 1730. View he incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the Basilica of St. Dominic. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 10 - Assisi - Lourdes
Early morning depart from Assisi for Rome or Florence Airport. Upon arrival in Lourdes transfer to your hotel. Relax or explore before dinner, followed by a candlelight procession before retiring. Dinner and overnight.
Days 11 & 12 - Lourdes
Today you will have Mass at the Grotto, enjoy a video presentation telling the story of Lourdes, and walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette. See Boly Mill where St. Bernadette was born and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette's impoverished family lived. Join your prayers with pilgrims from around the world as you pray for the sick, drink water from the miraculous spring or submerge yourself in the healing baths. Experience Christ's love as you walk the life-sized Stations of the Cross overlooking the holy Grotto. Kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto, in obedience to the request of the "Immaculate Conception." Evenings are for Blessed Sacrament Procession before dinner. Your role in the universal church will have new meaning as you join the candlelight procession (April through October only) and group rosary.
Day 13 - Lourdes - USA
After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we leave by motor coach for our return flights home.
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Travel Dates
Land Only (no airfare)
*Air & Land
# of Pilgrims
Please select your departure airport. If you are not departing from New York (additional fees may apply) For your local airport, please click on drop down menu below
Single Supplement/Private Room
$999
Land with Inter-European Flights
one-way Lourdes to Rome
(no international airfare or arrival/departure transfers are included)
Madonna of Loreto
Abbey of Monte Cassino
Holy House of Loreto
333 Marcus Blvd 