Today you will arrive at the Louisville, KY airport to begin your Kentucky Holy Land pilgrimage! This area of Kentucky has a rich and fascinating Catholic history. Upon arrival at the Louisville airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. Transfer to your hotel in Louisville to check in. Prior to dinner, gather with your fellow pilgrims in the hotel lobby for a "meet and greet," and then depart for Mass at a local Church. Following Mass, you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Then return for a restful overnight at your Louisville hotel.

This morning after a full breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for a visit to the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani, best known as the monastic home of Thomas Merton. Following your visit to the monastery, you will travel to the Bishop Flaget Log House and St. Thomas Church. Bishop Flaget was the first Bishop of Bardstown, which in 1808 was created as a diocese along with Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. St. Thomas was the first Church the bishop was able to have built when he arrived in the area. Following visit to the Church, you'll have a "Shaken & Stirred" Bourbon Cocktail class. Next you'll transfer to Spalding Hall to visit the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and the Bardstown Historical Museum. Then you will visit and attend Mass at St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, which is the first Cathedral west of the Alleghany Mountains, whose construction is credited to the leadership of Bishop Flaget. Following Mass in this beautiful and historical Church, you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Restful overnight at your Louisville hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for a full day excursion to Loretto, Lebanon, and Springfield. The first stop will be the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse, then a visit to Holy Cross and St. Francis of Assisi Churches, which are part of the Catholic settlements from the 18th and 19th centuries. Next, you'll have a tour and tasting at the famed Maker's Mark Distillery. After your visit there, you will proceed to the Dominican Sisters of Peace/ St. Catharine Motherhouse, followed by a visit and private Mass at the beautiful St. Rose Priory Church; a parish continuously staffed by the Dominican friars since its founding in 1806. Finish today's excursion with a delicious dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a return transfer to your hotel for a restful overnight.

Following a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you will set out for a visit and Mass at St. Boniface Church in downtown Louisville. This parish was established in 1836 for local German Catholics, and is named for St. Boniface, 8th century Apostle to Germany. Following Mass, you'll have a tour and tasting at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. Next you'll visit Owensboro for a tour of this quintessential Kentucky town. One of the highlights will be a visit to the Saint Stephen Cathedral, established in 1839 as the first parish in the city of Owensboro. The present Church dates from 1924. After visiting Owensboro, you'll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, and then return to your hotel in Louisville for an overnight.

This morning, following breakfast at the hotel, depart for morning Mass at a local Church. Today will be a day visiting and tasting at two of the famous distilleries on the legendary Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The first stop will be Woodford Reserve, located in Versailles, Kentucky. The main structure of the distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Enjoy a tasting of their small batch Kentucky Bourbon, and then depart for your next stop on the trail. You will visit the Evan Williams Distillery in Louisville, take a guided tour and have a tasting of the Evan Williams Kentucky Bourbon. After farewell dinner at a local restaurant, you will transfer to hotel for overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the Louisville airport for your return flights home with lifetime memories of American Catholic History.