Pilgrimage to Paris, Lourdes, and Fatima with Jon Leonetti

Depart on an overnight flight from Newark and Des Moines to Paris. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Premium economy and business class rates are available upon request.

We arrive in Paris, France, where we are greeted by our English-speaking guide, who will be with us for the entire trip. We board our motorcoach for a two-hour bus ride to Lisieux. Following Mass and the visit to the Basilica, we settle into our hotel for an afternoon of rest. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Lisieux.

We drive through the beautiful French countryside toward the Normandy Beaches. The 54 miles of Atlantic stretching from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east are littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remains left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadian, and American armies that successfully carried out the largest military operation in history: D-Day. On these serene beaches, at the crack of dawn on June 6, 1944, the Allies finally gained a foothold in France; from this moment, Nazi Europe was destined to crumble. We visit Omaha Beach, where we see the American Memorial and Cemetery and celebrate Mass nearby while we remember our brave, fallen soldiers. Return to Lisieux for dinner and overnight.

We have the morning to explore Lisieux and visit the places associated with the life of St. Therese, the Little Flower. We visit Les Buissonnets, the childhood home of the Saint and the Carmel, where we see the relics of St. Therese. We depart for Rouen to celebrate Mass at the St. Joan of Arc Church and have lunch at La Couronne (TBC), the restaurant where Julia Child received inspiration to become a chef after eating a meal there. After visiting the Notre Dame Basilica, we depart for Paris. Check into the hotel and enjoy time at leisure to explore Paris on your own. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Paris.

After breakfast, we embark on a panoramic tour of Paris, passing famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. Our first stop is to visit the newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral (TBC), the most beloved church in Paris. Following, we visit the magnificent Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Basilica), where we celebrate Mass. The rest of the day is leisure time to explore Paris on your own. Tonight enjoy a dinner while sailing on the Seine River and enjoying the sites of illuminated Paris, an experience not to be missed. A glass of wine will be served with dinner. Overnight in Paris. (B, Special dinner )

This morning, we celebrate Mass at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and see the relics of St. Vincent de Paul in the chapel of Maison-Mere before we take the TGV train to Lourdes. Upon arrival in Lourdes, we are transferred to our hotel. Following dinner, we join pilgrims from all over the world for the Candlelight Procession. Overnight in Lourdes.

We celebrate Mass and visit the Basilica and Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. We drink water from the miraculous spring that has healed many. We pray at the Stations of the Cross and attend the Blessing of the Sick in the afternoon. You can take a full immersion or the water gesture (face and hand washing) in the baths. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

We depart this morning, driving across Spain to Loyola, where we celebrate Mass and visit the places associated with St. Ignatius of Loyola. Continue to Burgos for dinner and overnight. Overnight in Burgos.

Following breakfast and the hotel check out, we visit the great Cathedral of Burgos, where we celebrate Mass. Continue our drive through Spain toward Fatima. Late in the afternoon, we arrive in Fatima, one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world, which is well-known for the story of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in 1917. Mass will be celebrated. Overnight in Fatima.

We start the day with a Mass at the Basilica. We stop at the parish church where the visionaries were baptized and other places associated with their young lives, including the cemetery where the children are buried and their homes in Aljustrel. We travel to Valinhos and visit where the Holy Virgin appeared in August, the outdoor Stations of the Cross erected by the Americans and Hungarian refugees built the beautiful Shrine of the Crucifixion at the highest point. Tonight, we participate in the Candlelight and Blessed Sacrament Procession. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.

After breakfast, we are transferred to Lisbon Airport for our flight home. Lunch and a snack will be served on the plane.