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Join Nancy and Bill Bandzuch on a family pilgrimage to Italy and explore Assisi, Siena, Rome, and much more with a group of likeminded people.
Nancy and Bill Bandzuch, Fr. Ben Kociemba, and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you explore Assisi, Siena, Rome and much more.
Nancy Bandzuch is the founder of Catholic Sprouts, a ministry that helps parents share the Catholic faith with their children, and Bill joins her in family pilgrimage ministry. Together they host Select family pilgrimages, including journeys to Italy and Poland built around prayer, learning, and family connection.
Tipping /Gratuities for the guide(s), driver, and wait staff (please refer to the suggestions we will provide for you with your final documents) Suggested budget $180.00- $200.00.
This evening we depart on an overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights from most major cities and for Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request.
We arrive at Rome airport and are greeted by our tour manager, who assists us on the bus for a drive to Assisi. Our first stop is the lovely hilltop town of Orvieto, where we see the Basilica, explore the town and have lunch. Continue to Assisi for dinner and a well-deserved night of rest. (D) * The first day’s itinerary may change depending on flight arrival times.
This morning we visit the Basilica of St. Francis, the upper Basilica with Giotto’s frescoes representing the life of St. Francis, then the lower Basilica and the Tomb of St. Francis. We celebrate Mass in one of the side chapels in the Basilica. Our next stop is the Sanctuary of the Spoliation to see the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of St. Mary Major. The rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
After breakfast, we visit the Basilica of St. Clare and the Chapel of San Damiano, where St. Francis received his call to rebuild the Church and where St. Clare lived and died. We continue to Santa Maria of the Angels Church, where we celebrate Mass and see where St. Francis started the Franciscan order and the thornless rose bush. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure to explore on your own. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
After breakfast, we board our motor coach and drive to Siena, where we visit St. Dominic Church to see St. Catherine’s relics and celebrate Mass. After spending time at leisure exploring the city and for lunch on your own, we drive to Rome. Check into our hotel and enjoy dinner and our first overnight stay at our hotel in the Eternal City.
Following breakfast, we visit the Gesu Church, where we see relics of St. Francis Xavier and rooms where St. Ignatius lived and where we celebrate Mass. The day continues with a 2-hour (approximate time) walking tour of Rome, which includes the Colosseum (inside visit), the Forum (outside views), the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and the Pantheon. Our walking tour ends in Piazza Navona, where we may choose to have lunch on our own among the Bernini statues and fountains or see the newly opened museum where Julias Caesar was murdered on the steps of the senate. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
Today we have a tour of Christian Rome, including a visit to the Holy Stairs and the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and St. Mary Major, walking through two of the four Holy Doors open only during the Jubilee Year. Following a lunch break, we visit the Bone Church. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
This morning we explore St. Peter’s Basilica and walk through the third Holy Door of our pilgrimage. Visit the Scavi, the underground tunnels beneath St. Peter’s Basilica (TBC). The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. You may choose to purchase tickets online and visit the Vatican Museum on your own. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
This morning we depart for Nettuno and pray at the Basilica of Our Lady of Graces and Saint Maria Goretti Shrine. We see the reliquary that contains the saint’s body in the Basilica and the farmhouse where she was murdered (the kitchen is now a chapel), as well as the room in which she lived. Mass will be celebrated at the Shrine. In the afternoon we enjoy time for a swim at the beach before returning to Rome for dinner and overnight.
Early this morning, we are transferred to St. Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father blesses us during the Papal Audience. Following lunch (included), we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls; here we walk through the fourth and final Holy Door of our Pilgrimage. Nearby is the Tre Fontane Convent, where St. Paul was beheaded, and the Catacombs, where the early Christians prayed in secret. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Rome. (B. L. Special dinner)
After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flights back to the USA.
Land Only. Main trip package.
Solo Traveler. Additional supplement.
Discount for children ages 2-12 sharing with parents. Brochure-listed discount.
Land cost for children under 2. Brochure-listed discount.
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