Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers Pilgrimage to France with Fr. Joseph Tuscan, OFM Cap.

Depart from Newark or JFK airports on an overnight flight to Toulouse. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Add-on flights, optional premium economy, and business class upgrades are available upon request. We work with group flights that do not permit airplane seat selection. If seat location is an important feature of the trip, please book land only with us and air on your own, enabling you to request a specific airline seat.

We arrive in Toulouse, France, where we are greeted by Select International Tours’, English-speaking tour manager, who will be with us for the entire trip. We board our motorcoach for a two-hour ride to Lourdes. Nestled in the mountains is the great pilgrimage site of Lourdes, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858 near the Grotto of Massabielle. Following our hotel check-in, we walk to the Basilica to celebrate Mass. While in Lourdes we have the opportunity to join pilgrims from around the world in the Candlelight procession in the evenings. Overnight in Lourdes. Dinner at the hotel.

We start the day with Mass at the Grotto, kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto in obedience to the request of the Immaculate Conception. We have a walking tour of Lourdes following in the Footsteps of Bernadette, visiting the house where she and her family lived, a museum dedicated to her life, and the church where she was baptized. In the afternoon, we pray at the Stations of the Cross as we walk alongside them overlooking the Holy Grotto, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and pray the Rosary. In the evening we join the Candlelight procession and sing hymns in honor of the Mother of God. Overnight in Lourdes

After breakfast, we celebrate Mass, followed by a full day of prayer and devotion. We have time on our own for reflection and to visit shops for religious gifts. In the evening, join the Candlelight Procession. Overnight in Lourdes. Dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, we are transferred to Lourdes train station, where we board the TGV train to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, we board our motorcoach and travel to the town of Lille, almost on the border with Belgium. Here in 1850, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers was started by a group of mothers who were concerned about the welfare and sanctity of their children and their souls during the tumultuous times they lived in. The goal was to unite and support mothers in their duties and to practice virtue. We check into our hotel and celebrate Mass at the St. Maria Madeleine de Lille (TBC). Enjoy exploring the old town of Lille on your own before dinner and overnight at the hotel.

We celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which commemorates the profound union of heart that existed between the Mother of the Redeemer and the Savior, through which she experienced many interior sorrows as a consequence of His Mission, particularly during His Passion and Death. We will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Lille. Following a tour of the city, we have time to explore Lille. Dinner and overnight in Lille.

After breakfast, we depart for a three-hour bus drive to Lisieux. Upon arrival we explore the life of St. Thérèse. According to Pope Pius X, St. Thérèse of Lisieux was the “greatest saint of modern times.” Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity will come alive as you walk in this great saint’s footsteps. Visit the beautiful Basilica of St. Thérèse and see its magnificent mosaics and stained glass windows. Following the visit, we have the opportunity to view relics, clothing, and personal objects of St. Therese housed in her family home, Les Buissonnets. Tour the parish of St. Therese, the Cathedral of St. Peter, and the Carmelite Convent, which she entered in 1888, and where she is now buried with her parents. Lunch is included at the Convent. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica. Overnight in Lisieux.

We drive through the beautiful French countryside toward Normandy Beaches. The 54 miles of Atlantic stretching from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east are littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remains left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadian, and American armies that successfully carried out the most significant military operation in history: D-Day. On these serene beaches, at the crack of dawn on June 6, 1944, the Allies finally gained a foothold in France; from this moment, Nazi Europe was destined to crumble. We celebrate Mass and remember our brave, fallen soldiers. Return to Lisieux for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we drive to Paris, stopping in Rouen first to retrace the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc. Rouen offers a restored medieval quarter and a marvelous Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame, often painted by Claude Monet. Throughout its turbulent history, the city was destroyed several times. During the Middle Ages, it was devastated by fire and the plague. The English occupied it during the Hundred Years’ War when the French heroine Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in the central square in 1431. During WWII, Allied bombing raids laid waste to large parts of the city, especially the area south of the cathedral, but over the last six decades, the city has been meticulously rebuilt. We tour the city on foot, celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Joan of Arc, and see where she was brutally murdered. Our lunch is at La Couronne, the restaurant where Julia Child had such an amazing meal it inspired her to become a chef. After lunch, we continue to Paris where we settle into our hotel. Dinner is at leisure tonight with the opportunity to explore Parisian cafe food. Overnight in Paris. (B. Special lunch)

After breakfast, we visit the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and see the relics of St. Vincent de Paul in the chapel of Maison-Mere. We are driven to the newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris’ most beloved church. We continue to the Montmartre section of Paris to explore the city’s Bohemian quarter and the magnificent Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Basilica), here we celebrate Mass and have time to explore on our own. Tonight, we enjoy the sights of Paris from the river, marvel at the beautifully lit-up city, and see the light show at the Eiffel Tower from the ship’s upper deck or the lounge. Overnight in Paris. (B. Special dinner on the Seine River)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home. (B) WELCOME HOME!