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Fr. Rich Toohey and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you explore Assisi, Loreto, Rome and much more.
Fr. Rich Toohey and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you explore Assisi, Loreto, Rome and much more.
Fr. Rich Toohey is a Catholic priest and pilgrimage leader with Select International Tours. He has accompanied pilgrims through Italy on journeys centered on Eucharistic miracles and through France in the footsteps of the saints.
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We depart on an overnight flight to Rome.* Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flights; optional premium economy and business class upgrade quotes are available upon request. *Group air pricing will be available in July 2024
We are greeted by our tour guide, board the motorcoach, and embark on a wonderful spiritual journey to the most sacred sites in Italy. We depart to Florence, stopping en route at Orvieto to see the Miracle of the Eucharist at the magnificent Cathedral and celebrate Mass. Before arriving in Florence, we drive to Michelangelo Piazza to see the magnificent view of the city from the hills. Settle into our hotel for dinner and an overnight in Florence.
Following breakfast, we embark on a two-hour walking tour to see the Duomo and the Baptistery next door (outside view), the Church of the Holy Cross, Signoria Square, Ponte Vecchio, and other city highlights. Mass will be celebrated at the Medici Chapel in the Church of San Lorenzo. (TBC) In the afternoon, we visit the Academia to see the beautiful statue of David by Michelangelo and then the Convent of St. Marco with its frescos by Fra Angelico, followed by time at leisure. Dinner is on our own. Overnight Florence.
We board our motorcoach and head to Sienna, where we celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Dominic and see the relics of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Benedict. We then visit the Cathedral of San Francisco, where we see and venerate the hosts of the Eucharistic miracle that took place in the year 1730. After lunch on our own and time to explore Siena, we are on our way to Assisi, the city of birds and silence, a truly beautiful town. We stop at Lower Assisi to visit St. Mary of the Angels, where we see the famous thornless rose bush. Overnight in Assisi.
Start the day with a visit to Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare. The walking tour includes visits to the Basilica of St. Francis as well as visits to San Damiano. Celebrate Mass at St. Francis Basilica. Walk over to St. Clare Church for a visit. We also see the relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis at the Sanctuary of Espoliazione. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore on our own. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
This morning, we depart for Cascia, home of the beloved St. Rita and Miracle of the Eucharist. 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. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
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. Here, we join in the celebration of Mass. Continue to Lanciano to see the Host of Flesh, which is still in one piece and has retained the dimensions of the original. The actual spot of the miracle is located beneath the present-day tabernacle of the Church of St. Francis. The Eucharistic miracle is preserved in the second tabernacle found in the high altar. The Host has now changed to Flesh and is contained in a silver monstrance. Now changed to Blood, the wine is contained in a crystal chalice. This is also a pilgrimage place to Our Lady of Mercy. We then depart for San Giovanni to see the places associated with the life and work of St. Pio. Overnight and dinner at the hotel in San Giovanni.
We visit places associated with Padre Pio, his tomb and cell, the old church where he received the stigmata, his confessional, and the new Santa Maria Delle Grazia church. In the afternoon, we see the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel and celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni.
Following our breakfast, we depart San Giovanni for Rome early this morning. Upon arrival in Rome, we see the Coliseum (outside view), Piazza Venezia, and many other landmarks you may have seen only in pictures. Enjoy a walk through Piazza Navone to view the magnificent Four Rivers fountain by Bernini and then walk to the Pantheon. On this route, we also visit Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the only true Gothic church in Rome, the resting place of St. Catherine of Siena, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. Mass will be celebrated. Settle into the hotel and have an evening at leisure to explore the city on our own. Overnight Rome.
Today, we attend the Papal Audience and are Blessed by the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Square. In the afternoon, we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we can walk through one of the Holy Doors that are open only during the Jubilee Year and where we celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Rome.
This morning, we are back at Peter’s Basilica, amazed at the magnificence of the largest church in the world. Mass will be celebrated at one of the chapels inside St. Peter’s. We walk to the Vatican Museum to see one of the world’s greatest museums and art collections, including the Sistine Chapel. Following lunch on our own, we visit the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and the Holy Stairs, completing our visit of all four Holy Doors, which may grant us the ability to receive the Plenary Indulgence. We have a special farewell dinner with wine in a local restaurant tonight. Overnight Rome. (B.Special dinner)
We have a very early Mass at the hotel (TBC) before breakfast and then are transferred to Rome airport for our flight home
Land and Air. Main trip package.
Land Only. Main trip package.
Single Room Supplement. Additional supplement.
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