with Fr. Vincent Dufresne

Day 1 - Mon, Sept 14th -USA - Venice - Depart USA.

Day 2 - Tues, Sept. 15th -Venice - Padua - Upon arrival we board our motor coach and we’re off to Padua, home of St. Anthony, patron of lost things. We can stop along the way for lunch and take a short tour of the city before checking in at our hotel. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner and overnight in Padua. (D)

Day 3 - Wed, Sept. 16th -Padua - Full day excursion to Venice - After breakfast we embark on a day trip to magnificent Venice, only 25 miles from Padua. Visit and have Mass at the Basilica of San Marco and tour the Doges’ Palace. There will be time for lunch and the afternoon will be free to explore and enjoy this charming city built atop 118 tiny islands before gathering again in St. Mark’s Square for the return journey to Padua. Overnight in Padua. (B)

Day 4 - Thur, Sept. 17th -Padua - Florence - After breakfast we head to Florence. A paradise for art lovers, Florence drew to itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. Begin with Mass in the church of Sta Maria Novella followed by lunch (on your own) in the Piazza della Signoria before beginning our guided walking tour. We will see the magnificent Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotte’s Bell tower, The Baptistry’s heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise", the Duomo museum, St. Lorenzo and Medici Chapel, the Basilica of St. Croce which is, perhaps, the most beautiful Gothic church in Italy and St. Marco Convent. Continue on to Assisi for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Day 5 - Fri, Sept. 18th -Assisi - After breakfast we will have Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis. Afterwards we will tour the 13th century Basilica and see many of the saint’s possessions and a series of frescos depicting his life. Vist the Church of St. Clare and explore the quaint hilltop town which still retains some\thing of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St. Francis began his ministry. Overnight in Assisi. (B)

Day 6 - Sat, Sept. 19th - Assisi – After breakfast we visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica where St. Francis spent most of his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St. Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. Here we visit the Chapel Portiuncola, the thornless rose garden, and the cave where he retired for prayer. Attend Vigil Mass tonight or Sunday morning Mass with local Parish. Overnight in Assisi. (B)

Day 7 - Sun, Sept. 20th -Assisi - Today after breakfast we set out for San Damiano, a favorite retreat of Francis and his followers-St. Clare founded the order of the Poor Clares here. We will hike to the Porta Cappuccini where there will be signs pointing us toward the Eramo, 4 km away, and a climb of some 250 meters. We’ll pass some vendor stations (yes, we can get a coffee or bottle of water here), then we’ll hit a complex of buildings built around the cave of St. Francis. Much of this complex was here six hundred years before Francis was born. No visit is complete without the (possibly) head jarring peek into the tiny cave Francis was known to retreat to occasionally-and when you get out, look for the old tree carefully propped up, reputed to be the very tree holding the birds St. Francis preached to. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Assisi. (B,D)

Day 8 - Mon, Sept. 21st - Rome - After breakfast we board our bus for Rome. Upon arrival in Rome we will enjoy a Panoramic Tour including stops at famed Coliseum and the Roman Forum. After checking into our hotel we will walk to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in Christendom 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. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Rome. (B,D)

Day 9 - Tue, Sept 22nd - Rome - Today, after breakfast, begin with mass at St Peter’s Basilica, then we visit the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See the 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. This afternoon will be free for shopping and exploring the Eternal City. Overnight in Rome. (B)

Day 11 - Thur, Sept. 24th -Rome -This morning after breakfast we depart for a sightseeing tour of a lifetime! We will see so many important cultural and monumental sights around Rome including three major Basilicas: 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 Basilica of the St. John in Lateran, is the former residence of the Popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377. St Paul Outside the Walls, where we will have mass and which houses the remains of St. Paul under its main altar. We will also see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus, and the catacombs where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. Farewell Dinner and overnight in Rome. (B,D)

Day 12 - Fri, Sept. 25th -Rome - USA - Depart from Rome for our return flight to the USA.

* Joe & Joy Lowe *

(225) 278-7234