Pilgrimage to Franciscan Italy October 2021

Pilgrimage to Franciscan sites in Italy

October 16-25, 2021

with Fr. John Loughnane and Sr. Dymphna

Day 1 – Saturday – Depart from Boston for Rome.
Dinner and breakfast are served on board.

Day 2 – Sunday – Arrival in Rome
Meet your Italian Tour Escort and transfer to your first-class hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon to relax or explore
the city independently. Your tour escort will suggest some sights or walks for you to enjoy. This evening you
will gather for Mass and then return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 – Monday – Classical Rome
This morning we will begin with Mass and a visit to the Church of San Francesco a Ripa, which is located in
the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. This is the first church in Rome dedicated to Saint Francis and is where
he stayed when he visited Rome. You can see the cell where he slept and the rock that he used as a pillow. It is
also the burial place of several notable Franciscans, including Saint Charles of Sezze and Blessed Ludovica
Albertoni, whose tomb is adorned with one of Bernini’s masterpieces, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. Afterward
you will enjoy a panoramic tour of Rome which will include a stop for photos at the Roman Forum, and a visit
inside the magnificent Colosseum, one of the greatest wonders of the world. You will also see the Spanish
Steps, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and have time to visit the Piazza Navona.  Dinner and overnight in
Rome.

Day 4 – Tuesday – Christian Rome
This morning we will depart for a sightseeing tour of a lifetime! We will begin with Mass and a visit to the
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 St John in Lateran, which is the former
residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377; and St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the
remains of St Paul under its main altar. We will have the opportunity to climb the Scala Santa, or “Holy Stairs,”
which were the actual steps leading up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem upon which Jesus
walked during His Passion. You will also see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus, Chapel
“O’Domine Quo Vadis?” the remains of imperial tombs, Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St
Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 5 – Wednesday – Rome (Papal Audience at the Vatican – if available)
Today is truly a day that will be on your mind for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to
attend the weekly Papal Audience and Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Francis. Following the audience,
we will visit the Vatican Museums, a group of impressive galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring
relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. Throughout the tour, you will cover The
Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms, and the magnificent Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s famous ceiling
and mural of the Last Judgment. Afterward we will enter the largest church in Christendom, St Peter’s Basilica
which is 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 at Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bernini’s amazing bronze canopy. Dinner and overnight in
Rome.

Day 6 – Thursday – Ovieto and Bolsena
This morning we will depart for Assisi, stopping in Orvieto and Bolsena along the way to see and venerate the
Eucharistic Miracle, that was to inspire Pope Urban IV to proclaim the Feast of Corpus Christi! In 1263, a
visiting priest stopped in Bolsena to celebrate Mass at Saint Christina’s Church. He had begun to doubt that the
Eucharist was really the Body and Blood of Christ; however, the priest was shocked when the host began to
bleed right after the prayer of consecration. Unable to hide this fact, he interrupted the Mass and went to nearby
Orvieto, where Pope Urban IV was in residence. After a thorough fact-finding investigation, the Pope ordered
that the miraculous host and the linen altar cloth (Corporal) stained with blood to be brought to Orvieto and
placed on display. We will visit the Cathedral to see the Eucharistic Miracle and visit the Church of Saint
Christina in Bolsena where the miracle actually took place. We will arrive in Assisi in the afternoon and check in to our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Day 7 – Friday – Assisi
After breakfast, we celebrate mass and 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 his 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 café 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, she followed
the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Day 8 – Saturday – La Verna – Sienna
This morning you are off to La Verna Monastery, founded by St. Francis after he received the Stigmata in La
Verna. We will view the cave that was St. Francis’ cell, the chapel over the site where he received the Stigmata and the entire monastery complex. After lunch, we will travel 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 the incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the
Basilica of St. Dominic before returning to Assisi for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 – Sunday – Assisi
This morning we will head to Monte Subiaso to visit Eremo delle Carceri, the secluded hermitage site where St.
Francis and many Friars spent long days in isolation and prayer. Here you will visit the small cloister, the small
friary, the Chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena, the Oratory of Saint Mary, and the Cave of St. Francis. Return to
Assisi for lunch and free time for last-minute shopping and to explore the charming town. Farewell Dinner and
overnight in Assisi.

Day 10 – Monday – Return to the USA
Early departure to Rome Airport for our return flights to the USA
Price: $3,999 per person, based on Double Occupancy from Boston
(Private rooms available for an additional $850)

Price Includes
• Airfares – Round trip airfare from Boston
• Hotel Accommodations – First Class Hotels with Porterage
4 nights in Rome, 4 nights in Assisi
• Meals – Breakfast and Dinner Daily (Wine & mineral water with dinners)
• All transportation via Air-conditioned Motor Coach with Bottled Water available for purchase onboard
• Tour Guide – Professional English Speaking Guides
• Entrance Fees – Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary, Whisper Headsets where needed
• Mass and all Spiritual Activities Coordinated by Fr. John

Book Here

You can make a $500 deposit and reserve your spot today by clicking the book here link above.  Or call us at (800) 715-6670.

Optional Travel Insurance Available– highly recommended