Pilgrimage to Cursillo World Ultreya in Rome for NACG

Depart the USA on an overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Domestic air from other airports to the main gateway cities is available upon request. As we work with group rates, seat assignments on the flights cannot be booked by Select. If this is an important feature of your trip please consider purchasing your own airline tickets and buy the land only package from us.

Upon arrival in Rome, our group is greeted by our English/Spanish-speaking tour director outside the customs area. Our first stop will be to Tre Fontane Abbey, where St. Paul was beheaded and visit St. Paul Outside the Walls where we walk through the first Holy Door of our pilgrimage. Celebrate Mass. We will walk through four Holy Doors during our pilgrimage, enabling us to receive Plenary Indulgence. Time permitting we stop at St. John Lateran where we walk through the second Holy Door we cross the street and visit the Holy Stairs. An included lunch stop will be made. After our long day, we settle into the hotel for dinner and a restful night of sleep. Dinner and overnight in Rome. (L.D)* The day’s schedule will depend on the flight arrival.

Following breakfast, we depart on a full-day tour of Assisi. Upon arrival we walk to the Basilica of Saint Clare, one of the first followers of St. Francis. Here, we will descend to the lower crypt, praying before the saint’s incorrupt body and her many relics. We will also have a chance to pray before the San Damiano cross, the very cross that Christ spoke to St. Francis through, asking Francis to rebuild his Church. We walk across town and downhill to the Basilica of St. Francis, first visiting the upper Basilica with Giotto’s frescoes representing the life of St. Francis, then the lower Basilica and the Tomb of St. Francis. Mass will be celebrated in one of the chapels of the magnificent Basilica. We also visit the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, where we will see the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of St. Mary Major. Our busy day in Assisi ends with a visit to the beautiful Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, home of the Chapel Portiuncula, where St. Francis lived and worked after founding the Franciscan order and where the Blessed Mother appeared to Francis in 1216. Arrive back in Rome late this evening (8-9 PM). Dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Rome.

This morning we have a walking guided city tour, which shows us the highlights of Ancient Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon (outside view), Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, where St. Catherine of Siena is buried, the Church of St. Augustine, Piazza Navone and the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where we walk through the third Holy Door of our pilgrimage and celebrate Mass. The buses will transfer us back to the hotel for lunch and time to rest. We meet to transfer to the CURSILLO WORLD ULTREYA in St. Peter’s Square. Overnight in Rome.

Following breakfast at our hotel, we are transferred by bus to the Vatican for the Cursillo morning Pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica, where we pass through the fourth and final Holy Door of our pilgrimage. Celebrate Mass. There will be time to shop for religious goods in the stores around Vatican Square before lunch at leisure in one of the many restaurants in the area. The tickets for the Vatican Museum are $75.00 per person and the Scavi Tunnels are $25.00. The tickets will be requested when we can present the entire group participant list and passport information to the Vatican ticket office. As the tickets are based on availability, they are not guaranteed. The total charge of $100.00 plus a $25.00 service charge (total $125.00) per person will be added to each participant’s invoice only if and when we can confirm the tickets for these two visits. Should we not obtain the group tickets, you may still be able to purchase individual tickets for these two sites online before your trip. We will meet up again for Cursillo Vespers at St. Peter’s Square. A late dinner will be waiting for us at the hotel. Overnight in Rome.

Following breakfast at our hotels, the buses will transfer the groups to the Vatican for the Jubilee Eucharist with the Holy Father. Celebrate Mass. The buses will transfer the group to the hotels or the city center for lunch at leisure and an afternoon to explore Rome on your own. We meet at our hotels for a transfer to Castel Gandolfo (summer residence of the Pope), where we enjoy a festive dinner with wine and delicious Italian food in a beautiful setting. Overnight in Rome. (B. snack pack with a bottle of water. Farewell dinner accompanied by your choice of soda, wine or beer)

We depart for the airport and our flight home, returning with memories of our Italian pilgrimage to share with our families and cherish forever.

After breakfast, we depart for Orvieto, where we visit the magnificent Cathedral, which houses the Miracle of the Eucharist. Celebrate Mass. We have time to explore the small hilltop town on our own before we drive to a nearby winery for a lesson in local wine production, wine tasting, and lunch. We continue through the magnificent Tuscan countryside for an overnight and dinner at our hotel in the lovely spa town of Montecatini in the heart of Tuscany. (B.L.D. Wine tasting)

Following breakfast at our hotel we drive to Florence to see the magnificent Duomo (outside view) and the Doors of Paradise next door (Outside view). We walk to the Church of the Holy Cross and see the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. Celebrate Mass. The day ends at the Lorenzo Market, where you can explore on your own and pick up one of many local delicacies for lunch. The afternoon is the time to explore Florence on your own, perhaps by visiting a museum or shopping. Be sure to purchase museum tickets online in advance. We return to Montecatini for dinner and overnight.

We depart for Pisa this morning, to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (outside view) and have time to do some local shopping. Continue to Padua for a visit of the incredibly beautiful Basilica of St. Anthony. Celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Padua.

Following breakfast, we take a boat to Venice, where our group is split into smaller groups of 20-25 for a guided walking tour of the city, including a visit to the Basilica of St. Mark, where we celebrate Mass (TBC) and the museum next to the church. The afternoon is for leisure, to explore Venice on your own. We gather at our designated meeting point for the return boat ride to the mainland and the bus, which takes us back to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Padua.

We are transferred to Venice airport for our flight home. We return with memories of our Italian pilgrimage to share with our families and cherish forever.

We depart for Loreto to see the Holy House of Nazareth. In it, we can view the most reproduced Madonna in the world: the Black Madonna of Loreto. Here we celebrate Mass. We then depart for San Giovanni, the home of St. Padre Pio. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in San Giovanni.

We visit the places associated with the life and work of Padre Pio, his tomb and cell, the old church where he received the stigmata, and his confessional, and the Santa Maria Delle Grazia Church where we celebrate Mass. In the afternoon, we see the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in San Giovanni.

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 see and pray before the monstrance which contains the miracle. After Mass, we drive toward Rome for an overnight in the wine region of Frascati. Dinner and overnight Frascati.

We are transferred to Rome airport for our flight home. We return with memories of our Italian pilgrimage to share with our families and cherish forever.