Join Fr. Mickey Bancroft on a Pilgrimage to.. Italy (Rome/Padre Pio/Assisi)
September 30 - October 8, 2012 $3,569per person fromNew York (depart from all US airports via special add-on airfares)
Your Trip Includes: Round-trip air from New York to Italy (Depart from all US airports via special add-on airfares) Airline FUEL SURCHARGES & AIRPORT TAXES 7 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar)
~ 3 nights: Hotel Michelangelo, Rome, Italy
~ 1 night: Hotel Savoia, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
~ 3 nights: Hotel Giotto, Assisi, Italy Transfers as per itinerary Breakfast and Dinner daily Wine with dinners Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Assistance of a professional local guide(s) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Mass daily & Spiritual activities Luggage handling (1 piece per person)
Day 1, Sept 30 - USA - Italy
Depart from New York, JFK or from your hometown for the overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2, Oct 1 - Arrive Rome
Upon arrival your escort will warmly greet you this morning and welcome you to Italy. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration. Your tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy. We celebrate Mass before dinner and a restful overnight.
Day 3, Oct 2 - Rome
This morning we depart for a sightseeing tour entitled "Christian Rome" which includes: the Basilica of 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 Holy Stairs, the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, The Basilica of the St John in Lateran, is the former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377; St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar; and the Appian Way -- the oldest road from Roman times--plus the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel; see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus; Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. We will also enjoy a visit to the Trevi fountain. Dinner and overnight
Day 4, Oct 3 - Rome (Papal Audience & Vatican Museum Tour)
Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (pending papal schedule). Following the audience visit of the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St Peter's Basilica, 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 Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the Tomb of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican. Before dinner, we'll have some time at leisure, to explore your own paths, to shop, or just to sit in one of the outside cafes and watch the world go by. Dinner and Overnight.
Day 5, Oct 4 - Rome - Monte San Angelo (St. Michael’s Cave) - San Giovanni Rotondo
We leave the Eternal City and head south, cross through the Roman countryside with its villas and vineyards, stopping to visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes, St Francis and at least four other saints have knelt in prayer at this grotto, seeking the protection of St Michael. A panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding countryside awaits you at this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity, a shrine consecrated by St Michael himself in 490. Continue through the countryside heading east to Padre Pios town of San Giovanni Rotondo. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Day 6, Oct 5 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Assisi
After celebrating Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio, we tour the sanctuary, see the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. You will see the confessional where Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Continue to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 7, Oct 6 - Assisi
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 the saint's 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. As we stroll through the medieval streets of the compact little town we enjoy a view of an ancient Roman temple. We continue on to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. This afternoon we visit a local ceramics factory where we will see the time honored craftsmanship. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
Day 8, Oct 7 - Assisi
Today we will be going to the convent of San Damiano. Remember here is the structure that Saint Francis built after Jesus spoke to him from the Cross and told him to rebuild my Church. Later Francis gave this to Saint Clare and the Poor Clare Nuns and it became their convent. Inside is the Cross of San Damiano that spoke to Francis, where the Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi occurred where Saint Clare frightened off invaders with a Monstrance holding the Holy Eucharist. The remainder of the day is free to explore, shop or for personal reflections. Dinner and overnight.
Day 9, Oct 8 - Assisi - Rome - USA
We bid farewell to our new friends and to a pilgrimage which will be in our memories and heart for a long time to come. Early departure from Assisi for Rome Airport for our return flight to the USA. We fondly say, Arrivederci Italia!
Additional Information & Travel Tips: What to Know Before You Go Any Questions? For more information, please contact: Liz tel: 800-206-TOUR (8687) or email: liz@206tours.com with any questions or to register.
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