Pilgrimage to Italy to attend Blessed Carlo Acutis & Pier Giorgio Frassati canonization Mass on Sunday, September 7
11 days/9 nights or 10 days/8 nights – August 29 or 30 to September 8 / Or September 2 or 3 to September 12
ROME ONLY option (7 days/5 nights or 6 days/4 nights) – September 2 or 3 to September 8
Sept. 2 (Tues) – afternoon departure from Seattle, dinner on airplane.
Sept. 3 (Wed) – breakfast on airplane. Afternoon arrival in Rome. We may stop at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for Mass prior to our hotel check-in. Overnight Rome (D)
Sept. 4 (Thurs) – We will sleep in a bit to help avoid jet lag. After breakfast, all day at the Vatican. The Museum in the morning (with tour guide) and St. Peter’s Basilica with 5 pm Mass (Italian). Overnight Rome (B)
Sept. 5 (Fri) – After breakfast, we will visit the Papal Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran, the churches of the Holy Steps, Holy Cross and St. Peter in chains. Will celebrate Mass in the Catacombs (with tour guide) and St. Paul (if didn’t go on arrival day). Overnight Rome (B)
Sept. 6 (Sat) – After breakfast, we will do a walking tour of Ancient Rome. From the Castello, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Piazza Navona, the tomb of St. Monica (if any interest), Pantheon, the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena and Fra Angelico (painted famous fresco of the Annunciation in Florence), Trevi Fountain (if we have time and people aren’t burnt out, we can visit St. Ignatius & Gesu churches). The Coliseum and Roman Forum (with guide). Overnight Rome (B)
Sept. 7 (Sun) – Blessed Carlo’s & Pier Giorgio’s Canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Leo XIV. We will have to get up very early today. I will attempt to get the hotel to give us a boxed breakfast we can eat while waiting in St. Peter’s Square. Overnight Rome (B)
If only 4 nights in Rome, itinerary will move back a day and the itinerary for Saturday above will be moved to Sunday afternoon/evening. This may mean that some of the churches may be closed. We may be able to fit in some of Ancient Rome after Friday’s 5 pm Mass.
Sept. 8 (Mon) – After breakfast, those doing ROME ONLY will depart for the airport. The remainder will depart for San Giovanni (St. Pio is incorrupt). We will take a motorcoach to the Adriatic side the country, stopping in Manoppello (Holy Face of Jesus shrine). Possible Mass here. We will arrive in the afternoon at San Giovanni. Check-in to our hotel, then we will walk to the 3 churches. ll have time to pray at St. Pio’s incorrupt body and visit the church gift shop. You will also have time to do the outside stations of the cross near St. Pio’s church. Overnight San Giovanni (B)
Sept. 9 (Tues) – After breakfast, morning Mass at St. Pio’s church. In the early afternoon we will drive 30-40 minutes each way to visit the cave of St. Michael the Archangel (he appeared to a bishop in the 4th Century). Overnight San Giovanni (B)
Sept. 10 (Wed) – After Breakfast, depart for Assisi. We will stop in Lanciano for Mass at the church with the 8th c. Eucharistic Miracle. Then drive further up the coast to visit Loreto (site of The Blessed Mother’s House where Archangel Gabriel appeared to her). Then over the mountains to Assisi. If time prior to dinner we will visit one of the churches in Assisi under May 1. Overnight Assisi (B)
Sept. 11 (Thurs) – We will visit both Basilicas of St. Francesco (Francis) and St. Chiara (Clare) and the church with Blessed Carlo, with time to pray at their tombs. Also at St. Clare’s, we will pray in front of the cross that spoke to St. Francis at the San Damiano church. We will visit the San Damiano church (a replica cross is now hung there) and the Cathedral of San Rufino (baptismal font used to baptize both Francis and Clare and the incorrupt heart of Blessed Carlo). In the valley below. we will visit St. Mary of the Angels, the Basilica built around where St. Francis lived with his religious brothers and where St. Francis died. Overnight Assisi (B,D)
Sept. 12 (Fri) – Morning departure for airport for early afternoon flight to Seattle.
Itinerary changes possible – we will visit all sites listed, but the day or time of a site visit may be switched.
LAND ONLY PRICING with the amount of nights in Italy, based upon double occupancy. Includes ground Transportation, Lodging, Breakfasts, 2 Dinners, Entrance fees with tour guides to Vatican Museum, the Catacombs and the Roman Coliseum, cost of the priest, ALL tips (tour guides, driver and 2 dinners). Paul will be your tour escort.
If 15 people paying – 8 nights ~$3,725 per person / 9 nights ~$3,950 per person
Land price drops with each added person, for example:
20 paying – 8 nights ~$3,325 per person / 9 nights ~$3,550
ROME ONLY option, Land only
15 people paying – 4 nights ~$2,250 per person / 5 nights ~$2,550 per person
20 paying ~$300 less / 25 paying $375 less
(Triple/Quad discount or Single Supplement available)
Does not include lunches or museums/sites not listed above.
*Preliminary itinerary–may change, but all sites listed will be visited; itinerary reversed (visiting Assisi and San Giovanni prior to Rome) if Aug 29/30*
Current Airfare pricing $800 to $1,200. ($150 to $200 less if only a carry-on bag). Warning regarding carry-on bags, Many European carriers only
allow a 8 kg carry-on (17.6 lbs) and they are known to weigh some of them. Checked bag is for up to 23 kg (50.6 lbs).
$1,000 secures a spot (to cover airfare). If we do not get enough people you will get a full refund on your deposit. We still need a few more people to make this pilgrimage happen.
Payments with credit card will incur a 4% fee.