It’s Okay to Come Home: A Pilgrimage to Italy with Sam Nunnally and Fr. Tim Holeda

We depart Atlanta or JFK airport on an overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request. We work with group airfares, which do not permit seat selection. If you wish to reserve specific seats on the flights, we recommend booking your own airline tickets and purchasing the land-only option with us.

A wonderful experience awaits as we land in Rome and meet our tour manager, who will be with us throughout the entire trip. We are on our way to Assisi, the charming city of birds and silence, of St. Francis, St. Clare, and our newest Saint Carlo Acutis. We stop at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, where we celebrate Mass and where we see the thornless rose bush. Continue to our hotel for dinner and a well-deserved night of rest in Assisi.

This morning, we explore 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 visit the Sanctuary of the Spoliation to see the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Continue to the Basilica of St. Francis, where we see Giotto’s frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Then, proceed to the lower Basilica and the Tomb of St. Francis. Mass will be celebrated in one of the chapels of the magnificent Basilica. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Assisi.

After breakfast, our journey takes us to explore Siena, where we see the famous Piazza del Campo, known for its horse races. We have a guided tour of the city. Later, we see the relics of St. Catherine, the patron Saint of Italy, at St. Dominic Church. Here we celebrate Mass. Departing Siena, next we drive to a local agriturismo to learn about their cheese and olive oil production and enjoy a farm-to-table lunch. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B. Special Lunch. D)

We drive from Assisi to Rome to visit the Eternal City. On the way, we stop in the hilltop town of Orvieto for a visit to the Cathedral of Orvieto, which houses the Miracle of the Eucharist of Bolsena. Here we celebrate Mass. Then enjoy a visit to a local winery to learn about their wine production and have lunch accompanied by the famous regional Orvieto Classico wine. Continue to Rome, where we check into our hotel, which is centrally located. You may wish to explore the area and try some espresso or a gelato! Dinner and overnight in Rome. (B. Special lunch. D)

This morning, we see the Colosseum and the Forum (outside views). We walk to the Trevi Fountain, where we can toss a coin and wish for a return trip to Rome, before we continue to the Gesu Church, the Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, where St. Catherine of Siena is buried, and finally to Piazza Navona, where our walking tour ends. Mass will be celebrated in St. Augustin Church, where we see the relics of St. Monica. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and rest or see the Spanish Steps and other sites in Rome that you may be interested in visiting. Dinner is at leisure tonight. Overnight in Rome.

Today, we explore St. Mary Major Basilica, where we celebrate Mass. Continue to St. John Lateran, the Cathedral Church of Rome, which contains sacred relics of Sts. Peter and Paul, as well as the magnificent sculptures of the twelve apostles. We also visit the Holy Stairs from Jerusalem and see relics of Christ’s Passion in the Basilica of the Holy Cross. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

We start the day with early Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a guided visit of the largest church in Christendom, built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, which draws pilgrims from around the world, St. Peter’s is the grandest of the world’s churches. Our visit is accompanied by headsets, allowing each pilgrim to benefit from a clear explanation of what they are seeing. In the afternoon, we continue to the Vatican Museums where we see the Raphael Rooms, the Sistine Chapel, and much more. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.

In the morning, we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, where the great saint is buried, and the nearby Abbey of the Three Fountains, where he was beheaded. Mass will be celebrated. Following a stop for lunch (not included) we drive outside of Rome, down the Via Appia, to visit the Catacombs, where early Christians prayed in secret and buried their dead. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant. Overnight in Rome. (B. Special dinner)

We depart early for St. Peter’s Square this morning to attend the Papal Audience, where the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV blesses us. What a thrill it is for us to see the first American Pope! We then take a break from the busy pace of the city, driving into the wine region surrounding Rome to Castel Gandolfo, a lovely little town on the lake and the location of the Papal Summer Residence. We have a beautiful lunch in a restaurant with a magnificent view of the lake and an extraordinary vaulted wine cellar. Before we return to Rome, enjoy time to walk through the town and possibly visit the Papal Summer Residence (TBC). Mass will be celebrated. Dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Rome. (B. Special lunch. D)

This morning, we depart for the airport and our flights home.