Proposed Pilgrimage Itinerary *

Day 1 - Friday, June 11th, 2027

Depart Dublin Airport for your flight to France. On arrival, you will be met by your guide and board your private coach for the journey to Lisieux in Normandy, the town forever associated with St. Th�r�se of the Child Jesus, affectionately known throughout the Catholic world as the Little Flower. On arrival in Lisieux, check in at the Hotel Ibis Styles for one night. Depending on arrival time, we will begin our introduction to Lisieux and the remarkable life of St. Th�r�se, whose simple spirituality of trust and love became known as her �Little Way�. This evening we gather for dinner and prepare for the days of pilgrimage ahead. Overnight in Lisieux.

Day 2 - Saturday, June 12th, 2027

After breakfast, we begin our pilgrimage in Lisieux with visits associated with St. Th�r�se. We visit the magnificent Basilica of St. Th�r�se, one of the great pilgrimage churches of France, built in honour of the young Carmelite saint whose message of confidence in God's love has touched millions of people throughout the world. We also visit the Carmelite Convent where Th�r�se entered religious life at the age of fifteen and where she lived until her death in 1897. Here pilgrims can pray close to the place where her earthly remains are honoured. We will also visit Les Buissonnets, the Martin family home where Th�r�se spent much of her childhood following the death of her mother. Following our time in Lisieux, we depart for Paris. On arrival, check in at the Hotel Ibis Porte d'Italie for two nights. Dinner and overnight in Paris.

Day 3 - Sunday, June 13th, 2027

Today is devoted to the spiritual treasures of Paris. We begin with a visit to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at Rue du Bac. It was here in 1830 that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labour� and gave her the design of the medal that would later become known throughout the world as the Miraculous Medal. Within the chapel we can pray before the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labour� and remember the message entrusted to her by Our Lady. Nearby we visit the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, whose life of service to the poor transformed Catholic charitable work in France and far beyond. Later we make our way to Montmartre and the great Basilica of Sacr�-C�ur, standing high above Paris. The Basilica is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and has long been a place of Eucharistic prayer and devotion. There will be time for prayer before enjoying views across the city. Depending on the programme and time available, we will also enjoy a panoramic tour of Paris, seeing some of the city's famous landmarks. Return to the Hotel Ibis Porte d'Italie for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 - Monday, June 14th, 2027

After breakfast, we leave Paris and travel south towards Nevers, the town where St. Bernadette Soubirous spent the final years of her life. Our principal visit today is the Convent of St. Gildard, where Bernadette entered the Sisters of Charity of Nevers in 1866. After the extraordinary events at Lourdes, Bernadette sought a quiet religious life away from public attention. She remained in Nevers until her death in 1879 at the age of thirty-five. Here we will have the privilege of praying before the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette, which rests in a glass reliquary in the convent chapel. We will also have time to visit places associated with her religious life and to reflect on the humility and simplicity that characterised her vocation. Check in at the Hotel Kyriad Nevers for one night. Dinner and overnight in Nevers.

Day 5 - Tuesday, June 15th, 2027

Following breakfast, we depart Nevers and continue south through the French countryside towards Rocamadour. Dramatically built into the cliffs above the Alzou Valley, Rocamadour has welcomed Christian pilgrims for centuries. Its churches and chapels rise above the medieval village and have long been associated with devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We make our way to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Rocamadour, where pilgrims have prayed before the ancient statue of the Black Madonna for generations. We also visit the Chapel of Notre-Dame and the sacred buildings that form this extraordinary pilgrimage complex. Rocamadour provides a beautiful setting for prayer and reflection, combining the natural grandeur of the surrounding landscape with centuries of Christian pilgrimage. Check in at the Hotel Beau Site Rocamadour for one night. Dinner and overnight in Rocamadour.

Day 6 - Wednesday, June 16th, 2027

After breakfast, we leave Rocamadour and travel south towards Lourdes, lying at the foot of the Pyrenees. Lourdes is one of the world's great Marian shrines and the place where Our Blessed Lady appeared eighteen times to the young Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. On arrival, we check in at the Astrid Hotel for two nights. After settling into the hotel, we make our way to the Sanctuary for an introductory visit. We will see the Grotto of Massabielle, the sacred place of the Apparitions, and become familiar with the principal areas of the Sanctuary. There will be time for quiet prayer at the Grotto and an opportunity to drink from the Lourdes spring. In the evening, those who wish may join pilgrims from around the world for the Rosary and Torchlight Procession, one of the most memorable traditions of Lourdes. Dinner and overnight at the Astrid Hotel.

Day 7 - Thursday, June 17th, 2027

Our full day in Lourdes begins with Holy Mass followed by a walking tour in the footsteps of St. Bernadette. We visit the Boly Mill, where Bernadette was born in 1844, and the Cachot, the former prison cell where the Soubirous family lived in great poverty at the time of the Apparitions. As we walk through the old town of Lourdes, we gain a deeper understanding of Bernadette's family life and of the extraordinary events that transformed this small Pyrenean town into one of Christianity's greatest places of pilgrimage. During the day there will also be time to visit the Sanctuary, pray at the Grotto and take part in the Lourdes religious programme. Pilgrims may also have an opportunity to visit the Baths area or participate in the Water Gesture associated with the spring discovered by Bernadette. Later we may pray the Stations of the Cross, either on the traditional High Stations overlooking the Sanctuary or at the more accessible Low Stations. After dinner, there is another opportunity to participate in the evening Rosary and Torchlight Procession. Overnight at the Astrid Hotel.

Day 8 - Friday, June 18th, 2027

After breakfast we bid farewell to Lourdes and transfer to the airport for our return flight