Pilgrimage Itinerary

DAY 1 – Sunday, 7th May 2023

This morning we will depart from Dublin to Naples and upon arrival meet our Marian Pilgrimages representative who will remain with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. We will have lunch on arrival and during our drive to San Giovanni Rotondo, we will hear of the early life of Padre Pio and how he overcame many obstacles to realise his dream of becoming “a monk with a beard.” Upon arrival at the Centro di Spiritualitá Padre Pio we will check into our rooms and have time to relax and unpack before dinner.


Days 2 – 4 / Monday 8th May – Wednesday 10thMay, 2023

During our time in San Giovanni Rotondo we will visit many places associated with the life of St. Pio:

English Office

During our visit to the English Office will learn more about the life of Padre Pio and receive a blessing with the glove and crucifix used by the humble friar.


Church of Our Lady of Grace

In this ancient church where Padre Pio celebrated Mass for many years, we will see the confessional where the humble friar spent many hours each day administering the sacrament of reconciliation.


Capuchin Friary

During our guided tour of the friary, we will see the cell where Padre Pio lived and died and the crucifix before which he received the stigmata.


Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Inaugurated in 2004, the Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina is now home to the mortal remains of the great saint of our time.


Way of the Cross

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.


In addition, we will visit some of the nearby shrines:


Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel

A true place of pardon and prayer, the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to the Archangel Michael has been a destination for pilgrims for centuries, including St. Pio, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. John Paul II.


St. Matthew’s Monastery

Located along the “Pilgrims’ Path”, the monastery is a place rich in history, culture and above all faith and spirituality. Here we will receive a blessing with the relic of St. Matthew the Apostle.


Day 5 – Shrine of St. Philomena & Basilica of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary, Pompeii

Thursday, 11th May 2023

This morning we will depart San Giovanni Rotondo and drive to the Shrine of St. Philomena. Martyred in the 4th century when she was no more than 14 years old, the remains of St. Philomena were discovered in the Catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome and brought to the town of Mugnano del Cardinale. Many miracles were reported, and pilgrims still visit the shrine today.

After our visit to the Shrine of St. Philomena, we will continue our drive to Pompeii. Padre Pio had a great devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii and during his lifetime visited the Basilica of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary. After free time for lunch, we will celebrate the closing Mass of our pilgrimage and afterwards see the rose sent to the basilica by Padre Pio, just before his death in 1968. We will have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure for private prayer.


DAY 6 – Friday, 12th May 2023

This morning we will check out of our hotel and drive to Naples airport for our return flight to Dublin returning to our homes, filled with a sense of tranquillity, joy and peace in our hearts.