Pilgrimage Itinerary


Day 1 - Monday, 24 September/
We will depart in the morning from Dublin to Rome. Upon arrival we will meet our tour escort and transfer to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls where we will have a tour of the basilica and afterwards have free time for lunch. ~ In the afternoon we will have a panoramic tour of Rome enjoying views of the Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia and world-famous Colosseum. We will celebrate the opening Mass of our pilgrimage in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the largest Marian church in Rome and afterwards transfer to our hotel where we will stay for three nights on a bed and breakfast basis. ~ ~ ~
Day 2 - Tuesday, 25 September/
After breakfast we will travel to St. Peter's Basilica for our guided tour. Inside the basilica we will see Michelangelo's delicate Piet� statue, the canopy altar where the Pope celebrates Mass and the crypt of the Popes. ~ After free time for lunch we will travel to the Irish College where we will celebrate Mass. We will visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran - the oldest of the four Papal Basilicas and afterwards have the opportunity to climb the nearby Holy Stairs. ~ ~ ~
Day 3 - Wednesday, 26 September/
This morning we will travel to St. Peter's Square for the Papal Audience and afterwards have time at leisure for lunch. ~ In the afternoon we will enjoy a walking tour visiting the famous Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Our tour will finish in Piazza Navona where we will celebrate evening Mass at the 17th century Basilica of Sant'Agnese. ~ ~ ~
Day 4 - Thursday, 27 September/
This morning we will depart Rome and travel to Greccio. A tiny spot in the hills of Rieti, also called the �Holy Valley' we will see the monastery on the site of the ancient hermitage where, in 1223, St. Francis set up the very first Christmas Crib. We will celebrate Mass and afterwards continue onto Assisi where we will stay in the Hotel Domus Pacis for four nights on a half board basis. ~ ~ ~
Day 5 - Friday, 28 September/
This morning we will celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and afterwards visit the chapel of the Porziuncola - chapel of St. Francis first community. ~ We will transfer to the town of Assisi and after free time for lunch we will have a guided tour of the town visiting the Basilica of St. Clare, the Chiesa Nuova and Basilica of St. Francis. After private prayer at the tomb of St. Francis we will have a tour of the basilica admiring the fine works of Giotto, Cimabue and Simone Martini. ~ As we return to our hotel we will stop at the sanctuary at Rivotorto. We will see the humble dwelling where St. Francis gathered together his followers before obtaining the chapel of the Porziuncola. ~ ~ ~
Day 6 - Saturday, 29 September/
This morning we will travel to La Verna. One of the best known of the Franciscan shrines it is the place where, on the 14th of September 1224, St. Francis of Assisi received the Stigmata. On the floor of the chapel of the Stigmata we will see a stone which marks the spot where the saint received the ultimate mark of Christ. We will celebrate Mass and have time for private prayer and reflection before returning to Assisi. After dinner this evening we will have the opportunity to participate in the candlelight procession which takes place at the sanctuary of Santa Maria degli Angeli. ~ ~ ~
Day 7 - Sunday, 30 September/
This morning we will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and afterwards visit the nearby Eremo delle Carceri, an ancient Franciscan place situated on the forest clad slopes of Mount Subasio. This is the place where St. Francis and his followers retreated for short periods of prayer. Here we will see the tiny monastery, carved out of the rock, which was built at the wish of St. Bernardino of Siena and housed the first community of Observants. We will return to Assisi and have time at leisure for lunch and sightseeing. ~ In the afternoon we will visit the church and convent of San Damiano. Located in a beautiful setting just outside the walls of Assisi, it is the place where St. Francis received his miraculous calling in 1205 and where St. Clare died in 1253 - an important stop on a pilgrimage to the Franciscan Holy City. ~ ~ ~
Day 8 - Monday, 1 October/
This morning we will depart Assisi and travel to the town of Orvieto. Sitting majestically above fields dotted with vines, and olive trees, Orvieto is visually stunning from the first. We will celebrate Mass in the Duomo and afterwards have a guided tour of the cathedral with its mesmerizing display of rainbow frescoes, jewel-like mosaics and bas-reliefs. ~ After time at leisure for lunch and to stroll through the cobbled lanes of this medieval town we will depart for Rome and our return flight to Dublin.