Join Fr. Charles Githinji on a pilgrimage to Italy. This trip visits Rome, Assisi, Orvieto, San Giovanni, Loreto and much more!
Fr. Charles Githinji and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you explore Assisi, Orvieto, San Giovanni, Rome, and much more.
Fr. Charles Githinji is accompanying this pilgrimage to help lead the group in prayer, fellowship, and thoughtful engagement with each traveler.
See the official trip information for gratuities, shipping and handling, payment fees, and any optional-extension charges.
We depart from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport on an overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast are served on the flights. Quotes for add-on domestic flights from different airports, as well as for optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades, are available upon request starting 120 days prior to departure. Group air restrictions do not permit specific seating requests on flights. If you wish to select a seat location on the plane, please purchase the Land Only package and plan to book your own airfare.
Upon arrival in Rome, we are greeted by our English-speaking tour manager, who will accompany us during the entire trip. We board our motorcoach and embark on a beautiful spiritual journey to the most sacred sites in Italy. We are on our way to Assisi, the city of birds and silence. Due to our later flight arrival, we will have a boxed lunch on the bus. We stop in Orvieto to see the beautiful Duomo, where the Miracle of the Eucharist of Bolsena is housed, and to celebrate Mass. Upon arrival in Assisi, we visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica before settling into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Following breakfast, which is included each morning, we have an entire day to explore the hilltop town of Assisi on foot. We visit the Basilica of St. Clare and see the relics of St. Carlo Acutis at the Sanctuary of the Spoliation in the Church of St. Mary Major. Continue to St. Francis Basilica, where we see the world-renowned frescoes of Giotto and celebrate Mass. We enjoy lunch in a restaurant before our afternoon visit to the San Damiano Convent. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
We depart for Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth, which, according to tradition, was transported here from the Holy Land. In the basilica, we see the most reproduced Madonna in the world: the Black Madonna of Loreto. Following Mass, we depart for San Giovanni Rotondo. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Today, we see the places associated with the life and work of St. Padre Pio. We visit his tomb and cell, the old church where he received the stigmata, his confessional, and the new Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church. After time for prayer and lunch, we drive to the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel to celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.
We have an early start today, as a busy day awaits us. Driving toward Rome, we stop in Manoppello to visit the Basilica Sanctuary of the Holy Face. A short bus ride takes us to the town of Lanciano to visit the Church of St. Longinus, the site of what many believe is the greatest Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church. In the 8th century, a monk offering Mass was said to be plagued by doubts regarding transubstantiation. When pronouncing the words of consecration, the host miraculously changed into flesh and the wine into blood. Since that time, countless pilgrims have visited to behold the monstrance which contains the miracle. After Mass, we continue to Rome for dinner and overnight.
Our first visit is to the Mamertine Prison, where Saints Peter and Paul were imprisoned. We visit the Gesu Church to see the rooms of St. Ignatius. Then continue our walking tour to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the only true Gothic church in Rome, and the Pantheon. Our walking tour concludes at Piazza Navona, where we take a break for lunch, featuring the magnificent Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini. Mass will be celebrated. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the city on your own. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
This morning, we are blessed by the Holy Father during the morning Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square. We have lunch before transferring to the area called Velabro, the site of Rome’s birth. We see the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, with its impressive bell tower. Entering this church, we might be welcomed by the Gregorian chants performed by the Greek Orthodox community, which worships according to Orthodox rites. Here, we see the famous La Bocca della Verita, the Mouth of the Truth, and the skull of St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. In the crypt of the church are relics from the Catacombs. Our next stop is the thousand-year-old Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island, where we see the relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle and where we celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Today, we celebrate Mass in one of the chapels of St. Peter’s Basilica. We visit the busy Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms, before taking a private guided tour of the Basilica. On our tour, we discover the history and magnificence of the world’s largest church. Following our included lunch, our next stop is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, and just next door we have time to climb the Scala Sancta, also known as the Holy Stairs. From here, proceed to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to see the relics of the True Cross. Our final stop is the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where we have a private tour and see the city of Rome from the rooftop of the Basilica. Dinner is at leisure with the opportunity to explore the many cafes in Rome. Overnight in Rome.
In the morning, we drive to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for Mass. Nearby, we visit the Convent of Tre Fontane, where the Saint was beheaded, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Revelation. Following lunch, we continue to the Catacombs and celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Sebastian. Return to Rome for our farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Rome. (B. Farewell dinner)
Very early this morning, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home to the USA.
Land Only. Main trip package.
Land and Group Airfare. Main trip package.
Solo Room (Additional Charge). Additional supplement.
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