Make your way to your local airport and board your first flight to Rome. Meals served on board.

After collecting our luggage and being greeted by our tour guide and bus driver in the “Arrivals” hall we travel by bus to our hotel in the picturesque town of Assisi. During this pilgrimage there will always be time for personal prayer in the holy places, with Mass offered daily at a church we visit. Today we will walk to the Cathedral Basilica of San Rufino where Saints Francis and Clare were baptized, stroll past the childhood home of St. Clare, and reflecting on her inspiring story, visit her Basilica to pray at her tomb as well as in the chapel adorned with the famous San Damiano Cross which spoke to St. Francis telling him to ‘rebuild my church’. We conclude with a group dinner.

Set off on foot, exploring the winding medieval streets of Assisi and visiting the Basilica of St. Francis to pray at his tomb, offer Mass, admire a series of frescoes by Cimabue and Giotto depicting his life, and view a few possessions of St. Francis. Next you visit the Santuario Della Spogliazione to pray at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis’ tomb–the first millennial declared Blessed. Enjoy some free time–for additional prayer, shopping, and lunch. Later by bus we make our way to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels built to encapsulate two holy sites: one called the Porziuncola chapel where St. Francis founded his order of the Friars Minor (the “Franciscans”) and spent most of his life, and the other–the place where he died. We will also visit the Rose Garden where St. Francis wrestled with his vocation, and the cave where he often prayed. You then return to the hotel. The group will reconvene later for the evening meal.

Today we go by bus to the hillside city of Orvieto. We will visit the gardens overlooking the valley and then enter the Cathedral to pray in the chapel which houses the relic of the corporal from a 13th century Eucharistic Miracle. After Mass and a guided visit of that Cathedral, we will enjoy wonderful lunch together. Then, we go to the town of Bolsena to the Basilica of St. Christina where the miraculous events commemorated in Orvieto took place. Following this visit we will have a leisurely final evening in Assisi.

This morning we walk down the street to the Basilica of St. Clare to celebrate Holy Mass. Then, we travel south to explore the ruins of the ancient Port of Rome, Ostia Antica. During the 4th century it was here that St. Monica spent her final weeks before falling ill and dying a happy death with her beloved son, St. Augustine, at her side. She was buried in Ostia until Pope Martin V, a thousand years later, had the sacred relics of her body carried to the church in Rome named after her son. Concluding this visit we travel to Rome for dinner and to settle in to our new residence.

On this day, spiritually centered on St. Peter, we will pray at his tomb, located in the excavations of a Necropolis below the Vatican Basilica bearing his name. After a group lunch we will walk past the place where St. Peter was imprisoned. Then, passing through the Roman Forum we will explore the Colosseum, the grand stadium where ancient Romans gathered for games and festivals, and at times to witness the execution of Christians. This evening will be free to relax or to explore the city on your own.

After celebrating Sunday Mass, we will join in the Angelus prayers led by His Holiness Pope Francis (pending his schedule) in St. Peter’s Square, and receive his blessing. After a nice lunch, we will spend the rest of the day taking a scenic walk throughout Rome to visit the tombs of other prominent Saints which dot the city’s beautiful landscape of fountains, piazzas, churches, and winding streets.

This day dedicated to St. Paul takes us outside the walls of Rome to the place of his martyrdom, the Basilica of the Three Fountains (Tre Fontane), and to his tomb. We will make our way to the catacombs of Rome where many early Christians were buried in an underground maze of passageways, several stories deep. Before departing the Appian Way for dinner, we will pray at the tomb of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes.

Entering into the Mysteries of Our Lord’s final hours, we will pray in front of the relic of the table top of the Last Supper table, solemnly climb the Holy Stairs upon which Christ was condemned to die, and behold both the pillar at which Our Lord was scourged and the wood of his Holy Cross. Lastly, we can venerate a relic of St. Thomas who touched the wounds of Christ after his glorious Resurrection. After taking some free time to reflect on this powerful day, we reconvene for dinner.

After breakfast we walk down the road to the Papal Audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square (pending the papal schedule). Afterward, we will make our way to the world-renowned Vatican Museums. Our group will be guided through the Tapestry Gallery to the Sistine Chapel where we can admire Michelangelo’s Masterpiece – the mural of the Last Judgment. There will be free time to explore the museum until it closes or to pack our bags before our final evening meal together.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, you will leave for Rome Fiumicino airport for return flight home.