Your Host
Fr. Paul Shovelain
Fr. Paul Shovelain is accompanying this pilgrimage to help lead the group in prayer, fellowship, and thoughtful engagement with each traveler.
Sold Out
This departure is sold out. Registration is closed.
★ Hosted by Fr. Paul Shovelain
Catholic Pilgrimage · 12 Days · France
Saints of France with Fr. Paul Shovelain and Jeff and Emily Cavins
Join Fr. Paul Shovelain and Jeff and Emily Cavins on a pilgrimage to France. This trip will visit Reims, Amiens, Rouen, Lisieux, Normandy Beach, Mont St. Michel, Paris, and Lourdes
The Pilgrimage
Walk in the Footsteps of Faith
Join Fr. Paul Shovelain and Jeff and Emily Cavins on a pilgrimage to France. This trip will visit Reims, Amiens, Rouen, Lisieux, Normandy Beach, Mont St. Michel, Paris, and Lourdes
View profile
Know Before You Go
What's included
✓ Included
- ✓Round-trip airfare from NYC area airport or Minneapolis to Paris, x Pau to NYC area airport or Minneapolis
- ✓Airport taxes and fuel surcharges
- ✓Accommodations in first-class hotels for 10 nights
- ✓Service charges and hotel taxes
- ✓Buffet breakfast daily
- ✓1 Restaurant lunch with wine
- ✓7 Hotel dinners (standard 3-course menu; beverages may be purchased at an additional cost)
- ✓Farewell dinner with wine or beer (up to two glasses)
- ✓Dinner cruise on the Seine River with wine
- ✓Champagne Tasting
- ✓TGV train from Paris to Lourdes in coach class
- ✓All transfers with a private A/C motor coach as per the itinerary
- ✓Professional English-speaking Christian tour guide throughout
- ✓Entrance fees are included for sites specifically listed (outside view means no entrance fee is included)
- ✓Luggage handling at hotels (one piece per person in/out)
- ✓Confirmation of daily private Mass
- ✓Whisper sets
× Not included
- ×Trip Protection and Medical Insurance (highly recommended)
- ×Tipping/gratuities for the guide(s), driver, and wait staff (please refer to the suggestions; we will provide you with your final documents). Suggested budget $200-$220.00
- ×Any items not explicitly mentioned in the list of inclusions
- ×Beverages at meals, unless otherwise noted
- ×Meals not specifically listed at the end of each day (B.L.D.)
- ×Church donations (budget $2.00 - $5.00 per Mass)
- ×Airport transfers for land-only passengers unless they are at the airport at the same time as the group
- ×Personal expenses
- ×Airline Seat assignments and assistance with flight pre-check-in
- ×ETIAS European Travel Authorization
- ×Airline baggage charges
- ×Baggage handling at the airports and hotels is limited to one suitcase per person.
- ×Any charges incurred due to excessive luggage, including the cost of an additional baggage vehicle or porterage charges.
Tipping/gratuities for the guide(s), driver, and wait staff (please refer to the suggestions; we will provide you with your final documents). Suggested budget $200-$220.00.
Day by Day
Your pilgrimage, mapped out
Tap any day to explore. Meals: B breakfast · L lunch · D dinner.
Day 1April 5, 2027
DEPART FROM USA
+
Depart from MSP or a NYC* on an overnight flight to Paris. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Quotes for add-on flights, as well as optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades, are available upon request and will be quoted once we are within 120 days of departure. We work with group airfares that do not allow seat selection. If you wish to reserve specific seats on the flights, we recommend purchasing your own airline ticket and the land-only option with us. Your Travel Account Manager may provide further flight information once you have registered for the trip. *Group air and pricing will be confirmed in early June 2026.
Day 2April 6, 2027
PARIS AIRPORT – REIMS
+
This morning, we arrive in France and are greeted by our Select International Tour Manager. We depart from Charles de Gaulle Airport to explore some of France’s magnificent Gothic cathedrals. Almost every major city has a Church called Notre Dame (Our Lady), and today we see one of the most beautiful in the entire country. We drive through the Champagne wine-growing region to Reims, where we tour the stunning Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims and celebrate Mass. The Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the traditional place where French kings were crowned. We are treated today to a tour, tasting, and lunch at a local champagne house. After we check into our hotel, pilgrims will have the rest of the day to explore the quaint area around the cathedral. A welcome dinner awaits us at the hotel. Overnight in Reims. (B.Special Lunch.D)
BLD
Day 3April 7, 2027
AMIENS
+
Today, we travel through northern France to Amiens to visit Notre-Dame d’Amiens, the largest Cathedral in France and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We tour the Cathedral and celebrate Mass here. The Cathedral houses the preserved skull of St. John the Baptist. Another attraction in Amiens is the local artisanal cheeses at the Halles market, where we stop for lunch. Then we wander through the vibrant Saint-Leu district, full of life, cafés, and canals, and conclude with a peaceful walk through the Hortillonnages, the city’s renowned floating gardens. In the afternoon, we have time to explore the town on our own and perhaps visit the Museum of Picardie or the House of Jules Verne. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Amiens.
B
Day 4April 8, 2027
ROUEN – LISIEUX
+
This morning, we drive to Normandy and the port city of Rouen, where we retrace the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc. Rouen offers a restored medieval quarter and a magnificent Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame, often painted by Claude Monet. Throughout its turbulent history, the city was destroyed several times. During the Middle Ages, it was devastated by fire and the plague. The English occupied it during the Hundred Years’ War when the French heroine Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in the central square in 1431. During WWII, Allied bombing raids laid waste to large parts of the city, especially the area south of the cathedral. Still, the city has undergone meticulous rebuilding over the last six decades. We tour the city on foot and visit the Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace next door, where we experience an immersive multimedia presentation on the history of Joan of Arc. We walk across the town to celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Joan of Arc and see where she was brutally murdered. In the afternoon, we depart for Lisieux for dinner and an overnight stay.
BD
Day 5April 9, 2027
LISIEUX
+
We have an entire day in St. Therese’s hometown. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Therese and have time for personal reflection and prayer. At her family home, Les Buissonnets, we see the saint’s relics, clothing, and personal objects. We also visit the Carmelite Convent, where she entered in 1888 and is now buried. Dinner and overnight in Lisieux.
BD
Day 6April 10, 2027
LISIEUX – NORMANDY BEACHES
+
We drive through the beautiful French countryside on our way to the Normandy Beaches. The 54 miles of Atlantic coastline stretching from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east are dotted with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remnants 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. This morning, we visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery and Memorial. We celebrate Mass near Omaha Beach and remember our brave, fallen soldiers. We have time for lunch, a prayer at the Beaches, and a visit to the museum before stopping for a calvados tasting on our way back to Lisieux, where we have dinner and our overnight stay.
BD
Day 7April 11, 2027
MONT ST. MICHEL
+
Today, we are amazed at the sight that awaits us as we approach the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. Pilgrims can take a shuttle bus or pedestrian walkway across the tidal sands of the bay to the 17-acre Mont St. Michel Island. As we ascend to the church, we can stroll through the historic medieval town before we celebrate Mass in the Abbey church. We depart for Paris for dinner and overnight.
BD
Day 8April 12, 2027
PARIS – SEINE RIVER CRUISE
+
Our day starts with a guided tour of the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral. We take a panoramic tour of the city to see the major highlights, including the Eiffel Tower. In the afternoon, we visit the magnificent Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, situated on the Hill of Martyrs (Montmartre). Built in 1914, the Basilica is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and contains an extraordinary mosaic of the Risen Christ, among other artworks of great beauty. We visit and celebrate Mass. Tonight, we gather for a transfer to our evening dinner cruise on the River Seine. Enjoy the magic of Paris at night with a wonderful dinner and wine as we sail past the magnificently illuminated monuments we saw during our panoramic city tour. Overnight in Paris. (B.Special dinner)
BD
Day 9April 13, 2027
PARIS - LOURDES
+
We celebrate Mass at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and visit the burial site of St. Vincent de Paul. We take the TGV (bullet 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.
BD
Day 10April 14, 2027
LOURDES
+
We celebrate Mass, visit the Basilica and the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette, and drink water from the miraculous spring, a source of healing for many. Our group will have the opportunity to visit Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the “Cachot,” an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family once lived. We will also pray the Stations of the Cross and attend the Blessing of the Sick in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.
BD
Day 11April 15, 2027
LOURDES
+
We concelebrate Mass at the grotto, followed by a full day of prayer and devotion. Visit the baths, immerse ourselves in the miraculous water (TBC), and browse for religious gifts. In the evening, join the Candlelight Procession. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner with wine. (B.Special Dinner)
BD
Day 12April 16, 2027
PAU – RETURN TO USA
+
Early this morning, we depart for the Pau airport and our flight home.
Pricing
Choose how you travel
Most popular
Base Price
$5,295per person
Base Price. Main trip package.
Base Price and Group Air from Minneapolis
$6,790per person
Base Price and Group Air from Minneapolis. Main trip package.
Base Price and Group Air from JFK
$6,645per person
Base Price and Group Air from JFK. Main trip package.
Solo Room (additional charge)
$1,295additional
Solo Room (additional charge). Additional supplement.
ETA Required
Confirm requirements with Select for this destination.
Deposit
A deposit of $500.00 per person should accompany your registration by December 16, 2026.Final Payment
Final payment is due by February 4, 2027.Passport Validity
Your passport must be valid through October 16, 2027.Pilgrimage Information
Everything else for this trip
Travel Protection
Protect your investment against cancellation, illness and disruption.
Learn more →Terms & Conditions
Deposit, payment, cancellation and responsibility terms for this trip.
Learn more →Visas & Entry
Passport, visa and destination entry requirements.
Learn more →Know Before You Go
Packing, weather, electrical and on-the-ground practicalities.
Learn more →Two-Minute Travel Tips
Short, practical videos to help you make the most of your pilgrimage.
Learn more →FAQ
Registration, payments, lodging, walking, mobility and more.
Learn more →This pilgrimage is sold out
Sold Out
This departure is sold out. Registration is closed.
