DAY 1: U.S.A. / EUROPE – Monday, 12 May 2025

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

DAY 2: ROME – Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Arrival in Rome and transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon guided tour of Ancient Rome. We will start with the visit at the Coliseum, then we visit the Carcere Mamertino where St Peter was imprisoned.

Celebrate Holy Mass at Cosma and Damiano Church or at the Basilica of Santa Francesca Romana.

Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 3: ROME – Wednesday, 14 May 2025

After breakfast, we will transfer to St. Peter Square for the Audience with the Pope**. Afterward, free time for lunch. Then visit the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral. Then, we walk through Saint Peter’s Basilica. The present structure was 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 Pope John Paul II. Holy Mass at the St. Joseph Altar (to be reconfirmed). Free time before dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 4: ROME – Thursday, 15 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. Then we have 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 4t 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 celebrate HOLY Mass here. We will continue on your pilgrim journey to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). This is the largest Marian Church in Rome. Its construction began after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary was the Mother of God. Saint Jerome, translator of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, is buried here. Time for a glance in the city. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 5: ROME – Friday, 16 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. We visit Saint Paul Outside the Wall Church.

Holy Mass in one of the Chapels. In the afternoon, we have a guided visit to the Center of Rome where we can admire Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, The Church of St. Agostino where is conserved the Michelangelo famous painting “The Pilgrim’s Virgin”, The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi where we can admire the other famous Caravaggio Painting “The Conversion of St. Matthew”. We will end with Fontana di Trevi and The Spanish Steps. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 6: ROME/ SIENA/FLORENCE – Saturday, 17 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. We will celebrate Holy Mass at The Church of Santa Teresa di Gesu Bambino in Panfilo. Afterward, we transfer to Siena. Upon arrival, time for lunch and a visit of the city. Visit of one of Italy’s finest squares, the Piazza Del Campo and the Cathedral and Basilica of St. Francis. Following this visit, we will continue to view the incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the Basilica of St. Dominic.

Continue to Florence. Arrival in Florence, accommodation at your hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 7: FLORENCE/ASSISI – Sunday, 18 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. WE have a full day visit of Florence: Piazza del Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, the St. John Battistero, and the Giotto Bell Tower. We continue to Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, the “Ponte Vecchio”, where many gold artisan had their shops. Then visit of the Church of St Ambrogio, built in 989 in memory of the place where the Saint was hosted in 393 when he visited the city.

We celebrate Holy Mass and transfer to Assisi.

Accommodation in our hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 8: ASSISI – Monday, 19 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. In the morning, we have a guided visit of the center of the city and the Basilica of St. Francis built in 1228 to house the Relics of the Saint. The “upper “basilica houses beautiful frescoes of Giotto. It is from these frescoes that we will know and understand the life and the spirit of St. Francis. Celebrate Holy Mass in one of the chapels of the Basilica. We will continue with the visit of the Church of St. Clare which houses her incorrupt body. One of the chapels contains the crucifix that bowed its head and ordered St. Francis to “repair God’s Church”.  We will continue with the visit at the Church of St. Mary the Major and the “Sanctuary of Dispossession” where is hosted the incorrupt body of the Blessed Carlo Acutis. In the afternoon, we visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. This Basilica is where St. Francis spent most of life, and is made up of two structures; both of which you 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, your group will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden where St. Francis and other Friars lived, as well as the cave where the Saint retired to pray. Dinner and overnight at the hotel

DAY 9: ASSISI/LORETO/RAVENNA– Tuesday, 20 may 2025

Breakfast in hotel and departure to Loreto. Visit of the Basilica della Santa Casa. The Basilica construction begun in 1469 and was sponsored by Paul II. 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. At the end of the visit, we celebrate Holy Mass in the Holy House (to be reconfirmed), time for lunch and departure to Ravenna.

Accommodation in our hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 10: RAVENNA/PADOVA – Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. We have a guided visit of the City of Ravenna. We will begin our visit with the Mausoleum of Teodoric. We celebrate Holy Mass at the St Mary the Major Church. We will end our visit with the Church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. Transfer to Padova. Accommodation in our hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 11: PADOVA – Thursday, 22 May 2025

Breakfast in hotel. The we visit of Padova, starting with the city center and the fresco cycle of Giotto, created at the beginning of the 1300’s and to be found in the Scrovegni Chapel. Time for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit of the Basilica of Saint Anthony built to house his remains starting from 1238. It’s an imposing spiritual monument blending several architectural styles – Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, Moorish – which houses many splendid works of art. Today, the church is a centre of pilgrimage from all over the world. We celebrate Holy Mass. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 12 VENICE/USA – Friday, 23 May 2025

Celebrate Holy Mass in the meeting room of the hotel (if our flight schedule allows) and breakfast. Transfer to the airport for the departure.