DAY 1 - Saturday, 20th September - Shrine of St. Philomena

We will depart in the morning from Dublin to Naples airport where we will be greeted by our Marian Pilgrimages representative and drive our hotel in Avellino. In the afternoon we will celebrate the opening Mass of our pilgrimage at the Shrine of St. Philomena and afterwards, during our visit to the museum, hear of the short life of the Greek Princess martyred at just 13 years of age.

DAY 2 - Sunday, 21st September - Pietrelcina

After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and as we drive to the town of Pietrelcina, birthplace of Padre Pio, we will hear of his years spent in his native town and his dream of joining the Capuchin Franciscan Order. As we walk through the town, we will visit the home of the Forgione family where Padre Pio was born and the Church of Sant'Anna where he was baptised. After lunch in a local restaurant, we will celebrate Mass in the Church of the Holy Family and, in nearby Piana Romana, will see the tree before which Padre Pio received the first signs of the stigmata. Views of the contrasting landscape will make for an enjoyable drive to San Giovanni Rotondo, home to Padre Pio for over fifty years.


DAY 3 - Monday, 22nd September - Capuchin friary & Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Founded by Fr. Alessio Parente to welcome English-speaking pilgrims arriving in San Giovanni Rotondo, this morning we will visit the English office and receive a blessing with the glove and crucifix used by Padre Pio. We will enjoy a tour of the capuchin friary, during which time we will hear about the poor friar who prays as Padre Pio often described himself. Our morning will conclude in the Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina where there will be time for prayer before the remains of the great saint of our time.

In the afternoon we will celebrate Mass and enjoy some time at leisure and after dinner have the opportunity to attend the Vigil Mass in the sanctuary as the faithful join to celebrate the life of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and listen to an account of his final hours.


DAY 4 - Tuesday, 23rd September - Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

In 1956 Padre Pio presented to the world �Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza,� the hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo which today is regarded as one of the most important hospitals in Italy. After morning Mass, we will visit the hospital and hear of the history behind what is Padre Pio's greatest creation.

As we walk the Way of the Cross in the afternoon it will allow us as Christians, to pause and enter reflectively into those last moments of Jesus's journey of love.

The celebrations to mark the Feast Day of Padre Pio will conclude with a procession through the town, bringing together the Capuchin community, local people of San Giovanni Rotondo and the many pilgrims who have travelled from afar to honour the great saint of our time.


DAY 5 - Friday, 24th September - Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel

We will have the morning at leisure to return to the sanctuary for private prayer and after free time for lunch will depart San Giovanni Rotondo.

Padre Pio had a great devotion to St. Michael the Archangel and travelled on pilgrimage to the shrine in Monte Sant Angelo. Today we will follow in the footsteps of Padre Pio as we travel to the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to the Archangel Michael, listening to accounts of the apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel. We will celebrate the closing Mass of our pilgrimage and have time for personal sightseeing in the �City of Two Sites� before driving to Naples airport for our return flight to Dublin.


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