A Catholic Pilgrimage Tour to Italy

October 16, 2023 – Monday
NEW YORK / ITALY
We gather at New York’s JFK Airport for our overnight flight to Italy, arriving in Rome the following day. Meals are served on board our transatlantic flight.

October 17, 2023 – Tuesday
ROME / ASSISI
Today we arrive in Rome, where we are met by our Pilgrimage Tours’ tour director who will remain with us until the end of our tour. From the airport we drive north through the Umbrian Hills to the medieval town of Assisi, home of Saint Francis. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

October 18, 2023 – Wednesday
ASSISI
This morning we awake in Assisi, where we will enjoy a full day visiting the important sites in the life of the “gentlest of all saints”. We begin our day with a visit and celebration of Mass in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built to enclose the tiny Church of the Porziuncola, St. Francis’ place of prayer and where he consecrated Clare as the Bride of Christ. We will next visit the Basilica of St. Clare, the foundress of the Poor Clare nuns, and see the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis in San Damiano. Following free time for lunch in Assisi’s historic center, we will visit the Upper and Lower Basilicas of St. Francis, with its wonderful frescoes by Cimabue and Giotto. Later in the afternoon, we will ascend the hill leading to San Damiano to pray in the place where Francis wrote the “Canticle of the Sun”. The remainder of our day is free for personal exploration. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

October 19, 2023 – Thursday
ASSISI / NORCIA / MANOPPELLO / SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
Today we bid farewell to Assisi and drive to Norcia, the birthplace of Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism. In Norcia we will visit St. Benedict Square, where we will find a statue of St. Benedict and see the façade of the Monastery of St. Benedict, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 2016. From here we continue along the Adriatic coast to the town of Manoppello. Here we will visit the Sanctuary of the Holy Face, housing the “Veil of Veronica” that was used by Jesus as he carried His cross to calvary. Following Mass at the shrine, we continue on to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of Padre Pio, who lived, labored and died here in 1968. Here we will learn of the extraordinary life and reputation for sanctity of the Franciscan Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

October 20, 2023 – Friday
SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO / MONTE SANT’ANGELO
Our day begins with a visit and celebration of Mass inside the Church of Santa Maria dell Grazie, where Saint Pio celebrated Mass for many years. We will also visit the Saint Pio Church and the beautiful mosaic crypt that houses a glass reliquary containing Saint Pio’s body. In the afternoon we drive to nearby Monte Sant’Angelo, one of the most ancient of Christian shrines, dedicated to the Archangel Michael who appeared here in the 5th and 8th centuries. We return to San Giovanni Rotondo where the remainder of our day is free to explore the grounds and institutions Padre Pio helped to build. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

October 21, 2023 – Saturday
SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO / MONTE CASSINO / ROME
This morning we drive to Monte Cassino to visit the Benedictine Abbey set high atop a mountain. The abbey was founded by Saint Benedict of Norcia in the 6th century. The abbey has been destroyed four times, most recently during World War II, but still serves as home to the Benedictines. Following Mass at the Abbey, we continue on to Rome, where upon our arrival, we check into our hotel. Following dinner, we enjoy an evening panoramic sightseeing tour of “illuminated Rome by night”, culminating with a walk to the world-famous Trevi Fountain. Overnight in Rome.

October 22, 2023 – Sunday
ROME
Following breakfast, we embark on a full day’s worth of sightseeing beginning with a visit to the first of the four major basilicas in Rome, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, where the Apostle is buried. We will next visit the ancient Catacombs of St. Calixtus, passing by the ancient Appian Way, the traditional pilgrims’ route followed by Peter and Paul. Following Mass at the Catacombs, we arrive in St. Peter’s Square for the Holy Father’s Angelus blessing. Following free time for lunch, we drive to Capitoline Hill, where we will enjoy a view of the ancient Roman Forum and see Constantine’s Arch, the Arch of Titus, the Circus Maximus and the world-famous Colosseum. Later in the afternoon we visit the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Pope’s cathedral church where relics of both Peter and Paul remain under the main altar. Here we will see its impressive statues of each of the Apostles. From here we cross the street to visit the Church of the Scala Santa. Here we see the Holy Staircase of 28 marble steps (now covered in wood) which is believed to be a staircase from Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem and brought to Rome by Saint Helen in the 4th century. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

October 23, 2023 – Monday
ROME
Our day begins with a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the most important church in the world devoted to Our Lady. Here we celebrate Mass where Mass has been celebrated every day since the 5th century. Following Mass, we will visit Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Church of the Holy Cross), which house pieces of the True Cross. Following free time for lunch and shopping in Piazza Navona, we will visit the Pantheon as well as the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which houses the tombs of Saint Catherine of Siena and the great early Renaissance painter Fra Angelico. Next, we will visit the Church of the Gesu’, mother church of the Jesuit Order, which contains the remains of its founder Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Late afternoon we enjoy free time in Piazza di Spagna, where we will find the Spanish Steps. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

October 24, 2023 – Tuesday
ROME
This morning we arrive at the Vatican for a celebration of Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. Following Mass, we enjoy a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, where we see a young Michelangelo’s wonderful Pieta followed by a visit to the Tombs of the Popes in the Vatican Grottos. Following free time for lunch near St. Peter’s Square, we will visit one of the great art collections in the world, the Vatican Museums. Our tour culminates with Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel, which was recently restored to its original splendor. This evening we enjoy our “farewell dinner” at Ristorante La Carovana. Overnight in Rome.

October 25, 2023 – Wednesday
ROME / NEW YORK
Following breakfast, we transfer to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino for our return flight home. Though our pilgrimage draws to a close, its blessings and memories will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer to the Lord.