Our private drivers in Assisi will transport us to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (constructed over the Portiuncula that was built by St. Francis). Here, we begin with Mass; then our friend, Brother Eunan, will welcome us and speak to us about the essence of the life of St. Francis as he gives us a private tour of this important Basilica. Next, our pilgrimage will take us to the Sanctuary of San Damiano. Brother Mauro, a Franciscan Friar who lives at this ancient sanctuary,  will greet us and explain the importance of the Sanctuary of San Damiano. 

Lunch will be on your own in the Piazza del Comune, the main piazza in Assisi. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the house of the bishop of Assisi, and meet with him if he is available. There, we will walk through the newly found door that St. Francis walked through when he left his father and went to the bishop. 

We will venerate the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at the age of 15, was beatified in 2020, and is buried in Assisi. 

Dinner will be at one of our favorite restaurants in Assisi.

Overnight in Assisi. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

Today, we will pilgrimage to Florence, about a 2-hour drive. Florence (Firenze in Italian) is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance that spread throughout the Western world and is embodied in the city's beautiful sacred art and religious buildings.  We will visit some of Florence’s most famous churches – the Baptistry, with its elaborate bronze doors which were made by Ghiberti and date from the late 11th or early 12th centuries and depict Old Testament scenes, the Church of the Holy Cross where many prominent historical figures are buried, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli and of course, the Duomo (Cathedral) of Florence. We will attend Mass while in Florence.

Our friend and Tuscan guide Michela will lead us on a walking tour of Florence which will pass through the Piazza Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Ponte Vecchio. The afternoon is free time for lunch and exploring Florence on your own.  Depart Florence in the late afternoon for Assisi.  

Overnight in Assisi. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own in Florence.

This morning we will attend a private Mass in the Basilica of St. Francis. It is a leisurely walk downhill through the streets of Assisi to the basilica. Our friends who oversee the basilica, the Franciscan Friars, will greet us and give us a private guided tour after Mass.

After having a relaxing lunch overlooking the Basilica of St. Francis, we will take a walking tour through the historic center of Assisi and enter several important churches along the way, including San Rufino where both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized, the Basilica of St. Clare, and many places important in the life of St. Francis. 

Overnight in Assisi. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

After breakfast, we will board our private motorcoach and depart for Norcia. The region around Norcia, in central Italy, is filled with rugged mountains and steep valleys. This makes it a perfect area for breath-taking drive  and breathing fresh, clean air, far from the crowded cities of Italy and the rest of Europe.

After Christian monasticism began to flourish in the desert areas of Egypt and then Syria – the Christian East –  during the 300s and especially during the 400s, monks gradually began to travel westward to Italy and southern France. During the time of St. Augustine (354-430 AD), in the decades just before the birth of St. Benedict in 480 AD, the valleys and mountains around Norcia began to be populated by dozens of these monks. Many were hermits living a solitary life; others lived in more or less interconnected, small groups, which provided an early model for what would become the communal life of St. Benedict's monks.

Today, strikingly, there is a return to Norcia of Benedictine monasticism, in the community which was begun by an American monk, Father Cassian Folsom, whom you will meet! We will attend Mass with the monks at the Benedictine monastery on the side of a mountain overlooking Norcia. Lunch will be at the Agriturismo, a farm-to-table restaurant that overlooks the town of Norcia from the foothills of the Sibilini Mountains and sits within the Sibilini National Park. 

Father Cassian, prior emeritus of the monastery, will be our special guest at lunch before giving us a spiritual reflection.  

In 1988, Fr. Cassian came to Norcia with two companions, and on their own, with no help, they restored the ancient monastery and the Basilica of St. Benedict.  Bit by bit, what they were doing began to be noticed, and other young men came to join them.  Today, there are more than 16 monks in Norcia, and the monastery has gained a worldwide reputation for its efforts in restoring the Faith.

In the afternoon we follow in the footsteps of many saints through the centuries and pilgrimage to Loreto, which overlooks the Adriatic Sea and is the home of the Holy House of Loreto. We hope to meet with the Bishop of Loreto after dinner if he is available.

Overnight in Loreto. Breakfast and Lunch are included.  Dinner on your own. 

After breakfast, we will attend Mass in the Holy House of Loreto. This house of the Holy Family, according to tradition, was miraculously flown by angels from Nazareth to Loreto before the expulsion of the Crusaders from the Holy Land in the 13th century. Scientists are said to have confirmed the materials to be the same as those found in Nazareth and that the house lacks an ordinary foundation.

The Holy House of Loreto is one of the most revered Marian shrines in the world, and numerous miracles and healings have been reported there.  It is a holy place called by Pope John Paul II "the true Marian heart of Christianity."  The sanctuary has been one of the most important pilgrimage sites for the Catholic faithful for centuries, having been visited by approximately 200 saints and beatified persons, as well as by numerous Popes. Our friend, Donatella, who is from this little town, will meet with our pilgrims to explain the importance of this holy shrine. 

After lunch, we will have a beautiful drive along the Adriatic Coast of Italy to Lanciano to venerate the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. Onward we will then travel to Monte Sant’Angelo and the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel. 

Overnight in Monte Sant’Angelo. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

In Monte Sant’Angelo, we will visit the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo (Saint Michael the Archangel). The Sanctuary, perched on the slopes of Monte Gargano, is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage sites in Europe, built in the 13th century by Charles I of Anjou. It is said that the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Sipontum (present-day Manfredonia) multiple times in his dreams. In these visions, the Archangel instructed the bishop to dedicate the grotto on Monte Gargano to him.

Over many years, many prominent people visited the Sanctuary, such as Popes, Saints, emperors, kings, and princes including Pope St. John Paul II, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Thomas Aquinas, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and many more. When Francis of Assisi visited the Sanctuary, he felt unworthy to enter the grotto, so he stopped in prayer and meditation at the entrance, kissed a stone, and carved on it the sign of the cross in the form “T”.

Next, we travel to the town of San Giovanni Rotondo. This small town gained worldwide prominence due to its association with the beloved Italian saint, Padre Pio. 

St. Padre Pio, also known as “Padre Pio of Pietrelcina”, was a Capuchin friar and mystic who lived in San Giovanni Rotondo from 1916 until his death in 1968. He became widely recognized for his stigmata, the visible marks resembling the wounds of Christ, and his reputation as a miraculous healer and spiritual guide.

We will visit the Church of St. Mary of Grace which houses the mortal remains of St. Padre Pio, making it a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics and people of various faiths.

After lunch, we will travel to Manoppello where we will venerate the Holy Face of Manoppello. The Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello contains a mysterious cloth bearing the image of a man with wounds on his face - an image some believe is the actual face of Christ formed at the moment of his Resurrection. Pope Emeritus Benedict visited this shrine in 2006 to venerate the Holy Face of Manoppello. Our friend Sr. Blandin will explain the history and traditions related to the Holy Face of Manoppello. 

After our visit, we head westward to Rome and our home for the next 5 nights.

Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

After breakfast in the hotel, we will attend a private Mass and tour the Catacombs of Callixtus, an ancient underground Christian burial site. Callixtus is one of the many catacombs in Rome and is most notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes, which once contained the tombs of several popes from the 2nd to 4th centuries. 

After exploring the catacombs we will continue to make our way south of Rome to journey along the Appian Way towards the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls which holds the tomb of St. Paul and is dedicated to St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, who was beheaded in Rome.

The Appian Way is an ancient road that extended from Rome to the boot of Italy.  Time permitting, we will pass by and hopefully visit The Basilica of St. Sebastian Outside the Walls and the famous Domine Quo Vadis church where Christ appeared to Peter and convinced him to return to Rome to preach and eventually face martyrdom. 

We then proceed to the Church of St. Paul at the Three Fountains (Chiesa del Martirio di San Paolo alle Tre Fontane), one of Rome's earliest churches and the site of the martyrdom of St. Paul. Tradition tells us that, because he was a Roman citizen, Paul was beheaded rather than crucified. The story was passed down that his head bounced three times on the ground, and at each spot, a spring appeared.

Inside, you can see a pillar where St. Paul, it is said, was bound before being martyred.  If the gatekeeper is available, the gate may be opened so we can enter and venerate the pillar.  The original church was built in the 5th century; the one standing there today dates from the 16th century. Also, we will visit the prison cell where St. Paul was held before his martyrdom in the crypt of another church on the grounds. These shrine grounds are beautiful, prayerful, and quiet.  

Our next encounter will be at the site of the Grotto of Our Lady of Revelations.  It was here in 1947 that Our Lady appeared to the bitter anti-Catholic, Bruno Cornacchiola.  During the apparition, Our Lady taught Bruno many truths about salvation; one of them was that in our moments of doubt and discouragement, we should turn to her for help.  Bruno experienced a reversion, returning to his Catholic faith and beginning a life of evangelization. There have been at least two miracles of the sun (similar to the way the sun "danced" in the sky over Fatima, Portugal in 1917) reported at this site on the 33rd and 35th anniversaries of the Virgin's visit here. 

We will stop for lunch along the way.

Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

We will have breakfast at the hotel before departing for Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.  After Mass, Deborah Tomlinson will point out select items of spiritual interest inside St. Peter's Basilica. Then we will gather in St. Peter's Square to hear the Angelus message delivered by Pope Francis and to pray the Angelus together with pilgrims from around the world.  A meeting in the Vatican will follow after the Angelus, a special encounter in which we will discuss issues impacting the Church today.

Lunch will be at one of our favorite restaurants near the Vatican.  After lunch and free time, we will journey to the Spanish Steps where Dr. Moynihan and Deborah Tomlinson will guide us along our walking tour of Baroque Rome - the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Piazza Navona.

Along the way, Dr. Moynihan will point out many interesting places, peeling away the layers of Roman and Church history.

In addition, time permitting, we will visit several special places to view famous paintings by Caravaggio, including The Calling of Matthew, Crucifixion of St. Peter, and Conversion on the Way to Damascus.

Another important stop along our way is the Basilica of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, which has a very special side chapel.  It is so special that many come to Rome just to pray at this altar.  Our Lady appeared here to Alphonse Ratisbonne, an avowed anti-Catholic Jew, in 1842, manifesting herself exactly as she appears on the Miraculous Medal, effecting his miraculous, instantaneous conversion.

The first Miraculous Medals were struck in 1832 and, while the Miraculous Medal devotion was already circulating throughout France after Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure, this miraculous apparition to Ratisbonne provided the impetus to bring the Miraculous Medal to Italy.

Many pilgrims from all over the world travel to Rome just to visit this shrine in devotion to the Miraculous Medal.  But this special chapel is also where the great Polish martyr, St. Maximillian Kolbe, offered his first Mass on April 29, 1918.

Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

We will be up early to be at the door of the Vatican Museum when it opens, and there will likely be a crowd of hundreds already in line to get in. However, we will bypass this line for our private tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Sr. Emmanuela, the nun who wrote the guidebook for the outstanding "Faith and Art" Tour at the Vatican Museum.

Lunch will be on your own at one of our favorite restaurants near the Vatican.

In the afternoon there is free time to shop, explore, or enjoy an espresso in the great city of Rome. We will gather again for dinner near the Vatican. 

Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

We will then travel to the Churches of Sts. Prassedes and Pudentiana. These sisters were the daughters of St. Pudens, a Roman senator converted and baptized by St. Paul.  It is said that St. Paul stayed in their home.  St. Paul refers to Pudens in the second letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verses 19-22: “Final Greeting: Greet Prisca and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus.  Erastus remained in Corinth, while I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.  Try to get here before winter.  Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers send greetings. The Lord be with your spirit.  Grace be with all of you.”

The church of St. Pudentiana is also the site of a Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in 1610.

Next, we will visit two of the patriarchal basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.  Each of these churches is a glorious monument to the Faith and contains treasures of art and faith that can take one's breath away.

In St. Mary Major, for example, there is a painting of Mary that is believed to have been painted by St. Luke, making it the oldest painting of Mary in the world.  It is called the Salus Populi Romani (English: the Protectress of the Roman People).

A few blocks away stands the lofty Victorian-gothic church of San Alfonso.  There we will view the miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help displayed above the altar in the sanctuary below a beautiful mosaic of the Holy Family.

St. John Lateran is the oldest and ranks first among the four Papal basilicas of Rome since it is the cathedral, the "seat", of the Bishop of Rome.  This became the second papal residence in Rome and the Popes lived here for centuries.

We will also visit the Holy Stairs near the Basilica of St. John Lateran. These were the steps of Pontius Pilate that Jesus ascended in Jerusalem when He was condemned to die. These stairs were moved from Jerusalem to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th century.  

Also located near the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (English: Holy Cross in Jerusalem).  This basilica contains many relics of Jesus' Passion, including thorns from His crown, nails from His cross, and the sign Pilate fastened above Christ's head.  We will visit this church to venerate these sacred relics.

Our farewell dinner, hosted by Dr. Robert Moynihan and Deborah Tomlinson, will be a celebratory feast, and special friends and guests of Inside the Vatican Magazine will be joining us as we bid a fond farewell to new friends.

Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch is on your own.

After an early Mass, breakfast, and last goodbyes, transfers will be scheduled to Rome's Fiumicino airport for your return home.  Farewell to all our fellow pilgrims and friends until we meet again...

Breakfast is included.