DAY 1: U.S.A. - EUROPE

Tour members will depart to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served aboard the flight.

DAY 2: ROME

Arrival in Rome and transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon we will have a guided tour of the ancient Rome, we will start with the visit at the coliseum, also called Anfiteatro Flavio, then we will proceed through via dei Fori imperiali, and we will end visiting Carcere Mamertino where St. Peter were prisoned. We celebrate Holy Mass at Santa Croce of Jerusalem church. Saint Helena brought Passion relics here, and the floor was covered with soil from Jerusalem. Relics here include the index finger of Thomas that touched the wounds of Christ after His resurrection, and a piece of the Good Thief’s Cross. Dinner and overnight hotel

DAY 3: ROME

After Breakfast, we will drive to St Peter Square for the Audience with the pope, followed by break of free time for lunch and continue our day, visiting the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Cathedral. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512, and later painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The primary function of the chapel is the Papal Conclave, providing the place where the College of Cardinals of the church gathers to select a new Pope. Then walk through Saint Peter’s Basilica, the present structure completed in 1590 was built over the Byzantine and Middle Ages structures that marked the tomb of Saint Peter. There are more than 100 tombs within the basilica, including most recently Saint John Paul II. We celebrate Holy Mass at Santo Spirito in Sassia church.
Dinner and overnight at our hotel

DAY 4: ROME

After breakfast we start a guided tour of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Six Popes are entombed here. Next door is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa), brought from Pilate’s Palace in Jerusalem by Saint Helena in the 4th century. Climbing the stairs on your knees is a devotion that many pilgrims perform, and a plenary indulgence is granted for completing this feat. We will continue to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). This is the largest Marian church in Rome. We celebrate Holy Mass here. Time for Lunch and free time in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at our Hotel

DAY 5: ROME

After breakfast we visit Saint Paul outside the wall. At the beginning of the 4th century, by the end of the persecutions and the promulgation of the Edicts of Tolerance in favor of Christianity, Emperor Constantine ordered the excavation of the cella memoriae. We celebrate Holy Mass in one of the Chapels. in the afternoon we will have a guided tour in the center of Rome; Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, The church of St Agostino where is conserved the Michelangelo famous painting “The Pilgrim’s Virgins”, The Church of San Luigi Dei Francesi seeing the famous Caravaggio Paint “The Conversion of St Matthew”. We will end the tour visiting the Fontana di Trevi and The Spanish Steps. Dinner and overnight at our hotel

DAY 6: ROME

We start our day celbrating a Mass in the Church inside our hotel, breakfast and a leisure day on your own in Rome. Dinner in our hotel and overnight

DAY 7: ROME – GRECCIO – ORVIETO - ASSISI

Breakfast in our hotel and depart to Greccio. Visit of The Sanctuary of Greccio, located in the bare rock, amazes with its features. Visit of the church of Santa Maria del Giglio and continue to Orvieto. Time for lunch. Orvieto cathedral is conserved the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena. After the visit we will celebrate a Holy Mass in one of the chapels of the Cathedral and drive to Assisi. Accommodation in our Hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 8: ASSISI - PERUGIA - ASSISI

Breakfast in our hotel. We start our day with a guided tour of the city: visiting the Church of St. Clare, one of its chapels contains the crucifix that bowed its head and ordered St. Francis to “repair God’s Church”. Then we visit the Basilica of St. Francis. We will celebrate a Holy Mass here. Time for lunch. In the afternoon we depart for Perugia. We visit of San Lorenzo Cathedral, entering the cathedral of Perugia, from the portal of the southern facade, you are welcomed by the Virgin Mary, Mater Gratiae, the “praying” Virgin with her hands turned towards the faithful, with a gesture of blessing, protection and welcome. At the end of the visit, we return to Assisi.

Dinner and overnight in our hotel.

DAY 9: ASSISI - LORETO

Breakfast in our hotel and visit of the Church of St. Mary the Major and the “Sanctuary of the dispossession”, where the incorrupt body of the Blessed Carlo Acutis is hosted. Visit of St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. This Basilica is where St. Francis spent most of his life, we will visit The Porziuncola is where St. Francis founded his order of the Friar Minor (Franciscans), and the Capella del Transito, which is the place of St. Francis’ death. During this visit, we will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden and the cave where the Saint retired to pray. Holy Mass. In the afternoon we drive to Loreto. We will Visit the Basilica. The Heart of the Basilica is the Shrine of the Holy House. It consists of three walls which - according to the ancient and authoritative tradition - would be the walls in front of the Cave of Nazareth where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, lived and received the Annunciation. Accommodation in Loreto, Dinner and overnight.

DAY 10: LORETO – LANCIANO - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

We start our day with Holy Mass at the Holy House at 07.30 in the morning followed by the Breakfast in our hotel. After breakfast, we start driving toward San Giovanni Rotondo, stopping by Lanciano. Lanciano is famous for the Miracle of Lanciano from the eighth century, a monk who had doubts about the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, found when he said the words of consecration at Mass, that the bread and wine changed into flesh and blood.

Dinner and overnight.

DAY 11: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

Breakfast in our hotel and start our visit of St Pio Sanctuary designed by the famous Architect Renzo Piano. Holy Mass Time to visit the place where San Pio lived, and time for personal prayer. Time for lunch and in the afternoon transfer to the nearby Monte Sant’Angelo. Monte Sant’Angelo as a town appeared only in the eleventh century, the grotto which houses the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel where according to legend, St. Michael appeared in 490, 492 and 493, has been the site of many famous pilgrimages, which started from Mont Saint-Michel. Pope John Paul II visited the sanctuary in 1987. The sanctuary is one of the UNESCO world Heritage sites. Return to San Giovanni Rotondo. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 12: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - ROME

Breakfast in our hotel and drive back to Rome. During our way to Rome we will stop in Pietrelcina to visit the hometown of San Pio. Visit of the church of the Holy Family. The place where the Church of the Holy Family stands was indicated by Padre Pio, subsequently a request was made to the American lady Mary Pyle to have a contribution for the construction of the convent and the Church that should be dedicated to the Holy Family as per request of San Pio. Holy Mass and Time for Lunch. Continue our drive to Rome.

Accommodation in our hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 13: ROME

After our breakfast, we drive to the airport to fly back home keeping the incredible memories of an unforgettable journey.