DAY 1 - Tuesday, 20th October Pietrelcina

This morning, we will fly from Dublin to Naples and upon arrival meet our Marian Pilgrimages representative who will remain with us for the duration of our pilgrimage.

Views of the picturesque landscape will make for an enjoyable drive to Pietrelcina, birthplace of Padre Pio. After lunch in a local restaurant, our walking tour will take us to the room where baby Francesco was born and the Church of Sant Anna where he was baptised. As we walk along the cobbled streets of the quaint town, we will hear of Francesco's dream of becoming a monk with a beard and of those who helped him to realise his dream. Our afternoon will conclude with the celebration of Mass before we continue our drive to San Giovanni Rotondo, home to Padre Pio for over fifty years. After checking into our hotel, we will have time to relax before dinner.

DAY 2 - Wednesday, 21st October Capuchin friary, English Office, Crypt of St. Pio

The arrival of Padre Pio in 1916 to San Giovanni Rotondo transformed the once unknown agricultural town into a hospital city and international place of pilgrimage. Today we will walk in the footsteps of Padre Pio during his years in San Giovanni Rotondo as we visit the ancient church where the humble friar celebrated Mass and heard confessions, the capuchin friary where Padre Pio lived and died and where carefully preserved is the crucifix before which he received the stigmata. In the English Office, established by Fr. Alessio Parente, we will receive a blessing with the glove and crucifix used by the humble friar before concluding our day at the crypt where we will have time for private prayer before the remains of the great saint of our time.


DAY 3 - Thursday, 22nd October Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel, Way of the Cross

Padre Pio was a follower of St. Francis and by joining the Capuchin Order chose to follow the Rule of the Poor Man of Assisi. During this year which marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, as we visit the Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel, we will be following in the footsteps of these two great saints who both travelled on pilgrimage to the once remote shrine. As we drive to the town of Monte Sant Angelo, we will hear of the apparitions of the Archangel Michael in the Gargano and celebrate Mass in the sacred cave.

Winding along the slopes of Monte Castellana, blessed by Padre Pio just hours before his death, is the monumental Way of the Cross. This afternoon we will walk the Way of the Cross which allows us as Christians to pause and enter reflectively into those last moments of Jesus journey of love.


DAY 4 - Friday, 23rd October Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, St. Matthew's Monastery

In a year which marks the 70th anniversary of the inauguration of the hospital, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, this morning we will have the privilege of celebrating Mass in the hospital chapel and afterwards hear of the history behind what is considered Padre Pios greatest creation. After free time for lunch, we will depart San Giovanni Rotondo and drive to the nearby St. Matthews Monastery, a place rich in faith, art and spirituality. In this ancient monastery we will receive a blessing with the relic of St. Matthew and holy oil driving to Naples airport, concluding our pilgrimage, having walked in the footsteps of one of the great saints of our time.



IMPORTANT NOTE

The towns of San Giovanni Rotondo, Monte Sant Angelo and Pietrelcina are all hill-top towns, with a number of inclines that need to be negotiated to arrive on foot at the sanctuaries.


PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL LOCAL FACILITIES IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, MONTE SANT ANGELO AND PIETRELCINA FOR HIRE OF WHEELCHAIRS OR MOBILITY AIDS.