This morning, make your way to your local airport for your flight(s) to Mexico City. You will begin your stay with the holy sacrifice of the Mass either at the hotel or a church, depending on the time of arrival. Tonight, you will have the pleasure of meeting and enjoying dinner with your fellow pilgrims.

Today you will go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. This Shrine was built in response to Our Lady’s request to the apparition’s seer, St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. When St. Juan relayed her request to the bishop, he asked for a sign. Our Lady provided St. Juan with culturally significant flowers that miraculously bloomed in the middle of winter on Tepeyac Hill. When the seer returned to the bishop with his cloak (til-ma) full of flowers, he poured the flowers on the floor, revealing a stunning image of Our Lady which many studies have proven could not have been made by human hand. Upon arrival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you will cele-brate Mass as you marvel at the brilliantly colored basilica made in her honor. Following Mass, you will have the opportunity to kneel in front of St. Juan’s tilma, on which Our Lady’s image was miraculously imprinted. We will continue to San Juan Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to mythology, this site was chosen to be the center of the universe and thus became a prominent political and religious center from the second century to the ninth century. While in San Juan Teotihuacan, you will enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the archaeological zone. While on this tour, you will view the pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and local art markets. Your in-credible day will culminate with a delicious dinner and returning to the hotel.

After breakfast, we will enjoy a scenic drive to what is often regarded as Mexico’s most beautiful city: Puebla. Our journey will take us to elevations exceeding 10,000 feet above sea level, offering breathtaking views of two majestic peaks—an active volcano and a snow-capped mountain. Along the way, we will visit the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Ocotlán, built in 1541 on the site where the Virgin is said to have appeared to Juan Diego, requesting the construction of a temple in her honor. The church is notable for its striking white mortar façade and towers, and a richly adorned Baroque interior. During our visit, you’ll have the chance to see the well of miraculous holy water. The Virgin of Ocotlán remains one of the most significant Marian pilgrimage sites in Mexico. We will celebrate Mass at this sacred site. We will then continue onto Tlaxcala to visit the Church of San Miguel del Milagro, where, on April 25, 1631, St. Michael the Archangel appeared to Diego Lázaro. Lunch is included. After lunch, we will visit the Church and Convent of San Francisco in Tlaxcala, the oldest religious complex on the American mainland, dating back to 1521. An inscription on the pulpit attests to its historical importance:“Aquí tuvo principio el Santo Evangelio en este Nuevo Mundo. Primer púlpito de Nueva España.” (“Here, for the first time, the Holy Gospel was preached in the New World. The first pulpit of New Spain.”) In the afternoon, we will continue onto Puebla. Free time to enjoy Puebla’s charming historic downtown. Dinner and overnight.

Today we will begin our city Tour with a visit the Cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the Church of St. Dominic to admire the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary built in 1690. This is an outstanding example of Mexican Baroque, with dazzling use of gilded stucco and onyx stonework. Then we will see the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, where you will view the incorrupt body of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, patron saint of travelers. Born to Spanish peasants, this field worker is a model of simplicity and chastity. Though he grew to accumulate a lot of wealth as a farmer, he distributed his goods among the poor and became a Franciscan brother at the age of 72. He collected alms for the friary and was charitable to everyone he met for 25 years, earning him the name “Angel of Mexico.” You will have time to venerate his body, miraculously incorrupt since his death in 1600. Afterward, you will enjoy a traditional poblano lunch and mole tasting at a local restaurant. This afternoon you will have time in Puebla’s largest traditional handcraft market, El Parián, to shop its colorful glazed pottery. You will then return to Mexico City. Dinner and overnight.

This morning after breakfast you will depart for the Holy Family Church, where you will view the urn of the Jesuit martyr, Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro. During the Mexican Revolution, Fr. Pro was exiled from Mexico due to the great amount of religious persecution. Yet he bravely returned to Mexico and was aided by a underground group that helped him hide from the authorities. He assisted many individuals with their spiritual and temporal needs during the persecution. Although he helped many, he was eventually arrested and killed. His final words before the firing squad were “Viva Cristo Rey!” which translates to “Hail Christ the King!” At The Holy Family Church, you can venerate this saint’s relics and pray for his intercession. We will also celebrate Mass here and visit the small, yet inspiring museum dedicated to Fr. Pro’s life, mission, and sacrifice. We will continue to the Church of Santo Domingo (closed on Mondays) which stands on the same site where the first temple was built after the settling of the Dominicans. In this church, you will see several chapels, and you will have the opportunity to pray the rosary in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Another chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Covadonga, a Spanish devotion (patroness of the Asturian Immigrants), and another is dedicated to The “Jesus of the Rebozo.” This church is also significant for the historical characters buried here, such as Francisco Vazquez de Coronado. Next, we will have lunch near the city center before continuing towards the Church of San José del Altillo to see the crypt where Blessed Conchita Cabrera is buried. Blessed María Concepción Cabrera Arias de Armida, known as Conchita, was a model of holiness as a wife, mother, widow, grandmother, and founder. Because of the depth of her writings, Conchita is recognized as a great mystic of the 20th century. In addition to her great volume of writings, Conchita founded several apostolates under the banner of “Works of the Cross.” Pope Saint John Paul II declared her Venerable on December 20, 1999, and Pope Francis confirmed a miracle that was attributed to Conchita on June 8, 2018. She was beatified in Mexico City on May 4, 2019. Time for prayers and personal devotions will be provided. Your day will conclude with another delicious dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, we will head to the Church of the Fifth Apparition, where the Blessed Virgin Maria de Guadalupe appeared to and healed Juan Bernardino, St. Juan Diego’s uncle. Healing him of the pox, for which there was no cure for the natives. Our Lady told St. Juan: “Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you…Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.” Here you can find a well of healing water that locals drink from. You can pause at the well and reflect on the consoling words of our Mother Mary. We will celebrate Mass. You will enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant before we return to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for one last prayer before the miraculous image of the Mother of God. You will have time for leisure and fun during our farewell last dinner out completed with live Mariachi music.

This morning, you will make your way to the airport for your return flight(s) from Mexico City to your destination. If time permits we will return to the Shrine to bid farewell to Our Lady.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.