Pilgrimage to Italy for Blessed Carlo Acutis Canonization with Ted and Maureen Flynn and Fr. Reehil

We depart on an overnight flight from Chicago O’Hare Airport or Washington Dulles Airport to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flights. We work with group airfares that do not allow us to request specific flight seats. If this is an important feature of the trip, please book your own international air and reserve the land-only portion of the trip with us.

Our Italian pilgrimage manager greets us at the airport and assists us onto the bus. Our first stop is Lanciano, where we celebrate Mass and see the Miracles of the Eucharist of Lanciano. We continue to San Giovanni, arriving late in the afternoon, checking into our hotel, and enjoying dinner. We will visit the Sanctuary of Padre Pio in the evening. Welcome dinner with wine at the hotel. Overnight in San Giovanni.

Today is dedicated to visiting the places associated with Padre Pio, including his tomb and cell, the old church where he received the stigmata, his confessional, and the new church of Santa Maria Delle Grazia. In the afternoon, we drive to the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel, where we celebrate Mass (TBC). Tonight, after dinner, we will hear talks by our group leaders. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni.

We drive along the coast to Loreto to see one of Europe’s most sacred and revered sanctuaries: the Holy House of Nazareth. Most likely, the Crusaders brought this sacred relic along with many others from the Holy Land. Here, we see the most reproduced Madonna in the world: the Black Madonna of Loreto. We celebrate Mass in Loreto. We continue our journey towards Assisi. We stop at St. Mary of the Angels Church, built directly over the site where the Franciscan order was first established and where St. Francis died before we settle into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning we visit the upper town of Assisi to explore on foot 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. Our next stop is the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, where we will see the tomb of the soon-to-be Saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis, in the Church of St. Mary Major. 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. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Following breakfast, we depart for Cascia, home of the beloved St. Rita. See the Basilica of St. Rita with her incorrupt body, relics from her life, and the stained glass windows surrounding the main altar depicting the Eucharistic Miracle of Siena, which shows an open book with two red round stains facing each other. Today, a special Monstrance holds the pages that reveal the blood stains in the lower chapel of the basilica. In the stains is the perfect portrait outline of Christ’s face. Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Rita. In the afternoon, we continue to Rome, where we check in, have dinner and a restful overnight.

Early this morning, we make our way to St. Peter’s Square, where we participate in the Canonization of Blessed Carlos Acutis by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. We visit the Catacombs, the Chapel of Quo Vadis, and the Church of St. Sebastian in the afternoon. Dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Rome.

This morning, we visit the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major and walk through the first Holy Door of our pilgrimage. During our visit to Saint Mary Major, we will be able to venerate many sacred relics, including the Manger of the Infant Jesus, the Madonna Salus Populi Romani (Rome’s most important Marian image), and the tomb of Pope Saint Pius V. We celebrate Mass at St. Mary Major. (TBC). Next, we visit St. John the Lateran, where we walk through the second Holy Door of our pilgrimage. We then cross the street to visit the Holy Staircase. Tradition states that this staircase is from Pontius Pilate’s palace of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. It is also said that this staircase was brought to Rome by St. Helen in the 4th century. We may climb the steps on our knees to remember Christ’s agonizing Passion. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the central part of Rome. We suggest you visit the Pantheon, Piazza Navona to see the magnificent fountains by Bernini, and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the resting place of St. Catherine of Siena. As you are in the historic center of Rome, you may want to walk over to the nearby Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps for a visit. Dinner is at leisure tonight, giving you the opportunity to explore dining at one of the many Roman restaurants in the city center. The transfer back to the hotel is on your own. Overnight Rome.

We visit St. Peter’s Basilica, where we walk through the third Holy Door of our pilgrimage. Following Mass, we have a guided visit of the Basilica with individual headphones. Lunch is included before we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica to walk through the fourth and final Holy Door of our pilgrimage. Saint Paul Outside the Walls is the burial place of Saint Paul and the second-largest church in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica. Next, we visit the Tre Fontane Convent, built on the spot of St. Paul’s beheading site, where three fountains sprung when his head bounced three times. Our final stop is the Shrine of Our Lady of Revelation. Tonight, we gather at 7 PM for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Rome. (B.L.Farewell dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.

This morning, we say goodbye to our new friends who are returning to the USA. We board our bus, which will take us to the beautiful Italian countryside and the lovely hilltop town of Orvieto. Enjoy walking through the town’s narrow streets to the beautiful Basilica, where the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena is housed. Following lunch and a visit to a local winery to taste the region’s famous wine, we drive to Florence. Our first view of the Renaissance city is from Michelangelo Square, where we have a beautiful view of the entire city. Settle into your hotel and enjoy dinner at leisure. Overnight in Florence.

Today is May 1. International Labor Day is a major national holiday throughout Europe, so many establishments may be closed. Therefore, we will be riding through magnificent Tuscany to Siena for a visit to the Basilica of St. Dominic, where we see St. Catherine of Siena relics. We have time to explore Siena and have lunch on our own in the city, which is famous for its piazza and the horse races that take place there. On the way back to Florence, we stop in a lovely little Tuscan town for a stroll, a glass of wine, or a cup of coffee. Dinner and overnight in Florence.

Our morning walking tour takes us to the magnificent Church of the Holy Cross or Santa Croce, where many nobles, writers, and artists are buried, including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. We visit the center of Florence for a walking tour through Piazza Signorina, Palazzo Vecchio, past the Uffizi Gallery, and Ponte Vecchio Bridge to the Republic Square and the Santa Maria del Fiore. This iconic Cathedral is easily recognizable as the symbol of the city. We see the magnificent outside designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 13th century. We stop at the St. Lorenzo market for lunch, where the locals shop for food and see how Italians eat. In the afternoon, we visit the Accademia to see works by Botticelli and Ghirlandaio and the famous sculpture by Michelangelo: David. Our final stop is the Convent of San Marco, which was the home of the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola and houses the incomparable artwork of Fra Angelico, including his famous fresco of the Annunciation. Our farewell dinner is in a local restaurant with wine. Overnight in Florence. (B.Special dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.