Pilgrimage to Catholic Italy with Fr. Christopher Viscardi and Catherine Druhan

We depart on an overnight flight from Pensacola to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flights. Optional premium economy and business class quotes are available upon request, starting 120 days before departure. Group air and pricing will be available 10 months before departure. (Please note: specific seat assignments are not possible with group air. You may choose to book your own air if seat location is a priority)

Our tour guide greets us and assists us with boarding the motorcoach. We embark on a wonderful spiritual journey to Italy’s most sacred sites. We are on our way to Assisi, the charming city of birds and silence. Our first stop is the hilltop town of Orvieto, where we have lunch at a local winery and sample the wines of this region. We celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Orvieto, where the Miracle of the Eucharist of Bolsena is housed. We settle into our hotel and enjoy a well-deserved night of rest. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Our visit to the city of birds and silence includes the Shrine of Renunciation within St. Mary Major church. This shrine was built to commemorate where St. Francis renounced his wealth and family and began his life of poverty and service to the Lord. It is now where the tomb of Saint Carlo Acutis lies. Saint Carlo – the first millennial saint – dedicated part of his short life to cataloging Eucharistic Miracles worldwide. Our visit continues to the Basilica of St. Francis, where we celebrate Mass. We visit the Church of St. Clare and San Damiano, the chapel where Jesus spoke to St. Francis from the crucifix. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

This morning, we visit the St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, the site of the Porziuncola, the tiny church in the woods where St. Francis began his ministry and where St. Clare began her religious life. Mass will be celebrated. In the afternoon, we have free time to enjoy Assisi. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

This morning, we depart for Loreto to see the Holy House of Nazareth, transported here from the Holy Land, as tradition tells us. In it, we view the most reproduced Madonna in the world: the Black Madonna of Loreto. We drive to the sanctuary of the 8th-century Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. We have time for adoration and a visit to the museum, which details the miracle’s history. Here, we celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni.

Today, our pilgrimage is dedicated to visiting the places associated with Padre Pio: his tomb and cell, the old church where he received the stigmata, his confessional, and the new church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. We will see the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel in the afternoon and celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni.

This morning, a three-hour bus ride awaits us as we travel to Pompeii to visit the Rosary Basilica and celebrate Mass. We enjoy visiting the Bosco de Medici Winery, where we have lunch accompanied by wine. We tour the vineyards and learn about their unique wine production. We have a private tour of the ancient volcanic ruins of Pompeii. We continue to the magnificent city of Naples. Naples is the home of pizza, so tonight, we will enjoy a pizza dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Naples. (B.Special lunch, Special dinner with wine)

We visit the Duomo to see the Chapel of St. Januarius (San Gennaro), the city’s main patron saint, and learn about the ongoing miracle of two vials containing San Gennaro’s coagulated blood, which liquefies three times a year. We celebrate Mass in this sacred spot before driving to Rome. In the afternoon, we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls and the Tre Fontane Convent next door. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Today, we visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel. Following lunch, we visit the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Here we celebrate Mass. Our next stop is St. John Lateran and the Holy Stairs. The day ends with a visit to the Jesuit Church of Gesu. The rest of the day and the evening are at leisure to explore the historic center, including the nearby Piazza Navona, on our own. Overnight in Rome.

Today, we are blessed by the Holy Father during the Papal Audience. We drive out of the city, stopping at the Chapel of Quo Vadis on the Appian Way, where we take a few steps along the ancient road that St. Peter and St. Paul would have walked on their way to the Eternal City. Our last stop is the Church of St. Sebastian and the Catacombs, where the early Christians buried their dead, worshiped in secret, and where we celebrate Mass. Tonight, we enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Italian restaurant where we can sing along with local music and savor home-cooked dishes and regional wine. Overnight in Rome. (B.Farewell dinner)

This morning, we celebrate Mass followed by a day at leisure to explore Rome on our own. You may want to visit a museum or explore the city center, but be sure to do some research online to plan your day and purchase museum tickets in advance. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.

This morning, we are transported to Rome airport and our flight home. Lunch and a snack will be served on the flight.