Proposed Pilgrimage Itinerary *



Wednesday, 15th October Arrive Italy
This afternoon, we will depart from Shannon airport to Naples and upon arrival we will be met by our Marian Pilgrimages representative who will remain with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. We will drive to our nearby hotel and have dinner before checking into our rooms.

Thursday, 16th October Shrine of St. Philomena & Pietrelcina
After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and drive to the nearby Shrine of St. Philomena where we will celebrate the opening Mass of our pilgrimage and afterwards will enjoy a tour of the museum which will reveal details of the series of events which led to untimely death of the young Greek princess and of the many miracles that have occurred since the translation of her remains to this beautiful sanctuary. As we drive to the town of Pietrelcina, we will hear of the early years of Francesco Forgione (the future Padre Pio) and his dream of becoming a �monk with a beard.� After lunch in a local restaurant, our walking tour of the town will take us to the Forgione Family home where Padre Pio was born and Church of Sant'Anna where he was baptised. Our time in Pietrelcina will conclude in the Church of the Holy Family and museum where precious items have been preserved dating back to Padre Pio's years in his native town.

Friday, 17th October San Giovanni Rotondo
This morning, we will continue to walk in the footsteps of Padre Pio as we embark on a walking tour which will begin at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, one of the sanctuaries appointed as a �Jubilee Church� during this Jubilee Year of Hope. Our guide will take us to the capuchin friary where we will see the cell where Padre Pio lived and died and the choir loft of the ancient church where Padre Pio received the stigmata. Our morning will conclude in the Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina where there will be time for private prayer before the remains of the great saint of our time. Founded by Fr. Alessio Parente to welcome English-speaking pilgrims arriving in San Giovanni Rotondo, after lunch we will visit the English office and receive a blessing with the glove and crucifix used by Padre Pio. We will celebrate afternoon Mass and afterwards visit the hospital, �Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza� founded by Padre Pio. Rated as one of the top hospitals in Italy and a very important research centre, the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza is considered Padre Pio's greatest creation.

Saturday, 18th October Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel
Padre Pio had a great devotion to St. Michael the Archangel and travelled on pilgrimage to the shrine in Monte Sant Angelo. This morning, we will drive to the town of Monte Sant'Angelo, the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to the Archangel Michael, which has also been declared a Jubilee Church. We will hear of the apparitions of the Archangel Michael in the Gargano and afterwards celebrate Mass. After lunch, as we walk the Way of the Cross, it will allow us as Christians to pause and enter reflectively into those last moments of Jesus's journey of love. This evening, after dinner, we will have the opportunity to return to the sanctuary for the Torchlight Procession.

Sunday, 19th October Return home
After early breakfast, we will celebrate the closing Mass of our pilgrimage before driving to Naples airport.

Please note as San Giovanni Rotondo is a hill-top town with a number of inclines which need to be negotiated to arrive at the sanctuary, it is not suitable for wheelchair users. As a result, there is no official local facility for hire of wheelchairs or mobile aids. As the streets of the quaint towns of Pietrelcina and Monte Sant'Angelo are cobbled, we recommend you wear suitable footwear