Shrines of Spain with Fr. Hung Nguyen and Alex Isip

Depart on an overnight flight from JFK Airport to Barcelona. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights from most major airports are available upon request. You may also purchase the Land Only option and meet the group at the hotel in Barcelona.

Welcome to Spain. Our English-speaking tour manager meets the group at the airport and assists us with boarding our bus. We stop for Mass and to see the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, made famous by the novel and the Netflix series Cathedral by the Sea. Nearby is the Picasso Museum, which you may visit during your leisure time in Barcelona. We check into our hotel. Tonight, we meet in the hotel lobby for a welcome drink and introduction to the group leaders and our fellow pilgrims. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Barcelona.

Our day starts with morning Mass and a visit to the almost-finished masterpiece by Antonio Gaudi, Sagrada de Familia, the Basilica of the Holy Family. The afternoon and dinner are at leisure to explore Barcelona and perhaps visit the hopping La Rambla area of the city with its La Boqueria Food Market. There you can pick up lunch, as locals do, and then walk off the calories with a stroll through Park Guell, famous for its iconic landmarks by Gaudi. We enjoy a light dinner and drink during a 5:30 PM flamenco show. You may want to have a more substantial dinner after the show in one of the many restaurants in the area, as Barcelona comes alive in the evening. Overnight in Barcelona. (B. Flamenco show with tapas and a drink)

This morning, we traveled to Manresa, a place of profound conversion for Ignatius, to visit the Cave of Saint Ignatius, where the saint retired to meditate and write his spiritual exercises. See the Chapel of the Rapture, where St. Ignatius remained motionless in ecstasy for eight days, and visit the Basilica of La Seu, the large Gothic Church that has come to symbolize Manresa. We have an audiovisual presentation and a tour of the museum at Manresa. St. Ignatius remained in Manresa for about a year and a half before continuing his journey to Barcelona. We celebrate Mass in Maresa. In the afternoon, we proceed to Montserrat, home to the magnificent Benedictine monastery, where we can venerate the statue of the Black Madonna. We settle into our hotel after a visit to the museum next door. Dinner and overnight in Montserrat.

Our first stop on the drive from Montserrat to Zaragoza is the Monastery of Poblet, one of the largest monasteries in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We celebrate Mass and explore the Monastery before driving to the nearby hilltop town of Montblanc. Following lunch and time to explore the city center encircled by ancient walls, we drive to Zaragoza for dinner and overnight.

We visit Our Lady of the Pillar this morning to celebrate Mass and have time for prayer and reflection. The Basilica enshrines the pillar on which the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James during his apostolic mission in Spain, also known as the Camino de Santiago. As a sign of fulfillment of our pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Pillar, we have the opportunity to kiss the venerable column (Pillar) where Our Lady once stood. As we walk through the town, resplendent with iconic buildings, we see Goya’s cenotaph and the Archbishop’s Palace. At the Cathedral of El Salvador, built in the local Mudejar architecture style, we have a chance to see the incredible collection of Flemish Tapestries (museum entrance included). In the afternoon, explore the Old Quarter of Zaragoza on your own or visit the Goya Museum to see the artworks by the great Spanish master Francisco Goya who was born in Zaragoza. Tonight, enjoy a typical dinner from this region accompanied by local wines from the world-famous Rioja wine region. Overnight in Zaragoza. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we depart from Zaragoza and travel to Loyola to see the town where St. Ignatius of Loyola was born. Then continue to Burgos to see the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of Burgos, where we celebrate Mass. The Cathedral, a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic architecture, is the burial place of Spanish Kings and Queens. Dinner and overnight in Burgos.

Today we see the town of Caleruega where St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order, was born. Then continue to Segovia to see the best preserved Roman aqueduct and the Cathedral, the last one constructed in the Spanish Gothic style. We see San Miguel Church, where the Catholic Queen Isabel was crowned. We enter the famous Alcazar, perhaps the inspiration for many a fairy tale castle. Outside of Segovia, we visit a convent near the Vera Cruz church where St. John of the Cross is buried. Corpus Christi Church, one of the most important synagogues in Spain, was converted into a Church in the XIV Century. We celebrate Mass at the Vera Cruz Church. Dinner and overnight in Madrid.

This morning’s city tour of Madrid, the capital of Spain, teaches us about some of the history and traditions of Spain. Our first stops are to the Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor. Both sites are iconic to Madrid, as the Palace holds state ceremonies and events and the Plaza Mayor is Madrid’s geographic and social center. Next, we visit the largest public park in Madrid, Retiro Park. It is known for its peaceful lake and a number of magnificent sculptures and monuments. We celebrate Mass and have time at leisure to explore Madrid on our own, do some shopping or visit the famous Prado museum (be sure to buy tickets online in advance). Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Madrid.

After breakfast, a long day awaits us as we depart for Avila. Visit the Cathedral de Ávila, whose artwork and architecture encompass the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles; la Basilica de San Vicente, which stands on the site of the martyrdom of St. Vincent; Monastery of the Incarnation, where St. Teresa became a nun and most interestingly, received advice from St. John of the Cross to reform the Carmelite order; el Convent de Santa Teresa, built upon the home of St. Teresa and containing her relics and relics of St. John of the Cross; el Convent de San Jose, the first monastery created by St. Teresa. We continue to the village of Alba de Tormes. This town is home to the Carmelite Monastery that Saint Teresa founded in 1571. Upon arrival in Alba de Tormes, our group will celebrate Mass at this Monastery where the saint died and was buried. Visit the small museum dedicated to St. Teresa of Ávila, which also holds her incorrupt heart and left arm. We continue on to Salamanca, one of Spain’s foremost cultural centers, a great university city and a showcase of intricately sculpted Renaissance architecture in golden stone. Visit the Plaza Mayor, which is regarded as one of the most attractive squares in Spain, and the majestic Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in Salamanca

After breakfast, we depart for the city of Santiago de Compostela. The name “Compostela ‘’ from the Latin “field of the star,” was named after the tradition of St. James (Santiago), the Patron Saint of Spain. This city is the third major site visited by Christian pilgrims and visitors (after Jerusalem and Rome) and is the present capital of Galicia. Upon entering the Cathedral, tradition leads as we hug the dazzling statue of St. James. Following this intimate embrace, we descend into the crypt where the Patron Saint of Pilgrims’ relics are kept. Behind the silver and gold main altar are the sarcophagi of St. James and two of his disciples. A statue of St. James towers above and is surrounded by an elaborate display of drapery and sculpture. Mass will be celebrated. Farewell dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to Santiago de Compostela airport for our flight back home.