The Great Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage: October 4-13, 2027

CATHOLIC JOURNEYS • A SPECIAL PILGRIMAGE

The Great Shrines of Italy

Rome • San Giovanni Rotondo • Lanciano • Loreto • Assisi • Siena

September 27 – October 6, 2027

Journey through Italy’s sacred places, following the lives of beloved saints and sharing moments of prayer, reflection, and fellowship.

Your Pilgrimage Guides

Join Greg Gully and Father Sergio on this journey through the Great Shrines of Italy.

YOUR JOURNEY AT A GLANCE

10 days • 8 hotel nights • Departure from New Orleans

Vatican treasures • Padre Pio • Eucharistic devotion • Marian shrines • Franciscan heritage

Pilgrimage Pricing

Land & Air

$5,995 per person

Based on double occupancy.

Land Only

$4,995 per person

Based on double occupancy.

Single supplement: An additional $1,250 per person for a private room.

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DAY 01 • Monday, September 27

Depart for Rome

Your pilgrimage begins

Depart the USA on your overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast are served aboard the transatlantic flight.

DAY 02 • Tuesday, September 28

Welcome to the Eternal City

Panoramic Rome • Piazza Navona • Trevi Fountain • Pantheon

Upon arrival in Rome, meet your tour escort and transfer to your first-class hotel. Along the way, enjoy a panoramic tour passing classical sights such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

Check in and take time to relax before gathering for dinner. Afterward, enjoy a walking tour through the historic center, stopping at Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Overnight in Rome.

DAY 03 • Wednesday, September 29

The Vatican & St. Peter’s Basilica

Papal Audience • Vatican Museums • Sistine Chapel

This morning, travel to Vatican City for the weekly Papal Audience and Blessing, subject to the Holy Father’s schedule.

Following the audience, visit the Vatican Museums and discover galleries filled with art treasures and expressions of faith collected over centuries. Your tour includes the Tapestry Gallery, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel, where you will see Michelangelo’s Last Judgment.

Continue into St. Peter’s Basilica, a magnificent destination for pilgrims from around the world. Admire Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s great bronze canopy, and take time to appreciate the beauty and spiritual significance of this sacred setting.

Before dinner, enjoy time at leisure to explore, shop, or relax at an outdoor café. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

DAY 04 • Thursday, September 30

Monte Cassino & San Giovanni Rotondo

Benedictine Abbey • The home of Padre Pio

Leave Rome and journey southeast through the Italian countryside. Stop at Monte Cassino to visit the Benedictine Abbey founded by St. Benedict in 529.

Set high on a mountaintop, the abbey has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, most recently after World War II. Reflect on the Benedictine tradition of prayer, work, balance, and moderation.

Continue to San Giovanni Rotondo, home of St. Padre Pio, arriving in time for dinner and overnight.

DAY 05 • Friday, October 1

Padre Pio & Monte Sant’Angelo

Padre Pio’s tomb • Sanctuary • Grotto of St. Michael

Visit the tomb of Padre Pio and tour the sanctuary. See the crucifix associated with his receiving the stigmata in 1918 and the confessional where he spent countless hours guiding pilgrims on their journey toward God.

Enjoy breathtaking views of the Gargano Peninsula as you travel to Monte Sant’Angelo and the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel. This ancient shrine, associated in Catholic tradition with apparitions of St. Michael, has welcomed generations of pilgrims, saints, and popes.

Take in panoramic views of the sea and surrounding countryside before returning to San Giovanni Rotondo for devotion and reflection. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

DAY 06 • Saturday, October 2

Lanciano, Manoppello & Loreto

Eucharistic Miracle • Holy Face • Holy House of Nazareth

Travel first to Lanciano to visit the site of the eighth-century Eucharistic Miracle. According to Catholic tradition, a monk who doubted Christ’s presence in the Eucharist witnessed the consecrated host and wine become flesh and blood.

Continue to Manoppello, home of the Volto Santo, a revered image of Christ’s face on a delicate veil. Take time for prayer and contemplation before this image of the Holy Face.

Journey toward the Adriatic coast to Loreto, one of Italy’s great Marian shrines. Visit the Holy House and the Madonna of Loreto. Catholic tradition identifies the Holy House with the home of the Holy Family in Nazareth and recounts its transport by angels to Loreto in 1294.

Dinner and overnight in Loreto.

DAY 07 • Sunday, October 3

The Saints of Assisi

St. Francis • St. Carlo Acutis • St. Mary of the Angels • St. Clare

After breakfast, travel to Assisi. Celebrate Mass and visit the tomb of St. Francis in the great 13th-century basilica. Discover possessions associated with the saint and frescoes depicting his life.

Walk to the Santuario della Spogliazione to visit the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis, known as the “Millennial Saint.” Reflect on his deep devotion to the Eucharist and his use of technology to share his faith.

Visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, closely associated with St. Francis’s life, including the Porziuncola chapel and the rose garden. Explore the places connected with his prayer and ministry.

Stroll through Assisi’s medieval streets, with time to pause at an outdoor café overlooking the ancient Roman temple. Continue to the Basilica of St. Clare, foundress of the Poor Clares, to visit her tomb and venerate the San Damiano Cross. Tradition recalls that Francis heard Christ’s call to “rebuild my Church” while praying before this cross.

Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

DAY 08 • Monday, October 4

Prayer & Reflection in Assisi

San Damiano • Eremo delle Carceri • Time for personal devotion

Visit San Damiano, the small medieval church repaired by St. Francis after his experience before the San Damiano Cross. It later became the first home of St. Clare and the Poor Clares, and the place where Clare died in 1253.

Continue up the slopes of Monte Subasio to Eremo delle Carceri, a peaceful forest hermitage set among natural grottoes and caves where Francis and his early companions withdrew for prayer and contemplation.

This afternoon offers time for prayer, Confession, personal devotion, and exploring the hilltop town of Assisi. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

DAY 09 • Tuesday, October 5

A Pilgrimage to Siena

Eucharistic devotion • Piazza del Campo • Siena Cathedral • St. Catherine

Travel to Siena, birthplace of Sts. Catherine and Bernardino and one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis, home to consecrated hosts venerated in connection with the Eucharistic miracle of 1730.

Stroll through Piazza del Campo, the celebrated square where Siena’s Palio horse races take place. Visit the magnificent cathedral, dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption, and admire its Romanesque-Gothic architecture and works by artists such as Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini.

Explore the life of St. Catherine, co-patroness of Italy and Europe, with a visit to her house museum. Continue to the Basilica of St. Dominic to venerate relics of the saint, including her head and thumb.

Return to Assisi for a farewell dinner and overnight.

DAY 10 • Wednesday, October 6

Return to the USA

Departure from Rome

Depart early for Rome airport and your return flights to the USA.

What’s Included

• Roundtrip economy-class airfare from New Orleans, including one checked bag, for the Land & Air package.
• Eight nights of hotel accommodations with porterage and luggage handling.
• Breakfast and dinner daily, with wine and bottled water included at dinner.
• All airport transfers in Italy.
• Transportation as detailed in the itinerary by air-conditioned motorcoach, with bottled water available onboard.
• Professional English-speaking Catholic guides.
• Sightseeing and admission fees as described in the itinerary, with Whisper headsets where needed.
• Coordination of daily Mass and spiritual activities.

Complimentary Pilgrim Essentials

• Name and luggage tags
• Neck wallet
• Travel bag
• Catholic Journeys personal journal

Not Included

• Travel insurance — optional but recommended
• Gratuities for guides and drivers
• Excess baggage, seat assignment, or upgrade fees, if applicable
• Visa or ETIAS authorization fees, if applicable
• Personal expenses

Discover the Great Shrines of Italy

September 27 – October 6, 2027 • A journey of faith, prayer & fellowship

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