11 Day Pilgrimage to Canada
Date
Activity Level
Moderate – High
Book By
Group Limit
40
Pilgrimage Overview
Travel Insurance Group Name/ID: CA133
DAY 1
Depart USA
Today we depart for our flights to
Quebec. Upon arrivals, we will be met by our Holy Land TravelCenter Representative. After formalities, we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight with this evening at leisure to rest.
Overnight: Quebec City Area (D)
DAY 2
Quebec City
After a good night of rest, we begin our pilgrimage with a short drive north to the beautiful Saint Anne de Beaupré Shrine. This is Canada’s most famous shrine and place of pilgrimage. Dedicated to St. Anne by the Jesuit Fathers in 1657, the sanctuary is in a small village near the St. Lawrence River. There we will be able to place our petitions at the base of St. Anne’s beautiful statue, attend adoration and prayers for the sick, pray the Stations of the Cross, or spend time in the Memorial Chapel. As an act of penance, many pilgrims go up the Holy Stairs on their knees. On our drive back to the city, we will make a short photo stop at the breathtaking and picturesque Montmorency Falls, before returning to our hotel.
Overnight: Quebec City Area (Breakfast)
DAY 3
Quebec City
We continue our pilgrimage with a visit to the Shrine of Marie-de-l’Incarnation. This Shrine is dedicated to Saint Marie Guyart. Saint Marie was sent to the New World to establish the Ursuline Order and was crucial in the spread of Catholicism in New France. She was a religious author and has been credited with founding the first girls’ school in the New World. We then proceed to the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Quebec where we will celebrate Mass at the Tomb of St. Francois de Laval [pending approval]. We then embark on a guided walking tour of Old Quebec City where we will enjoy the charm of the French Settlement of North America. Our walk showcases colonial architecture over 400-years old and will take us from the Latin Quarter to the plains of the famous Château Frontenac hotel. After the tour concludes, you’ll have free time to explore more of Old Quebec City at your leisure. Witness the Changing of the Guard at the Citadel, visit Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Catholic Church (stone church dedicated to St. Genevieve, dating to 1688 & rebuilt in 1763 after the Siege of Quebec ), Place Royale, Batterie Royal, the Murals of Quebec City, Battlefields Park and so much more.
[everything on this day is centered around the historic Old Quebec neighborhood]
Overnight: Quebec City (Breakfast)
DAY 4
Trois-Rivieres
After breakfast we depart Quebec City and journey west to the second oldest city in Quebec, Trois-Rivieres. After taking in lunch in heart of Trois-Rivières’ old city, we will visit Canada’s National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother. The Our Lady of the Cape Shrine (Sanctuaire Notre-Dame Du Cap) is the second largest Marian Shrine in North America. It features a marvelous and shady park surrounding a beautiful small stone church, which bears witness to three centuries of the faithful. There we will also visit the majestic Basilica, taking in the stunning stained-glass windows created by Fr. Jan Tillemans, a Dutch Oblate. It also features one of the largest Casavant organs in Canada, with its 5,425 pipes forming the shape of a maple leaf. We will tour the Shrine, say the Rosary at the Bridge of Rosaries, see the Gardens of Our Lady, and celebrate Mass. We then proceed to our Trois-Rivieres hotel.
Overnight: Trois-Rivieres (Breakfast)
DAY 5
Montreal
We start our day by crossing the St. Lawrence River and driving to see the Shrine of St. Marguerite d’Youille at the Basilica of Ste. Anne in Varennes. After exploring the basilica, chapel, and museum, we’ll continue our journey towards Montreal. There we will visit St. Joseph’s Oratory, which grew from a small chapel on beautiful Mount Royal to the premier Shrine dedicated to St. Joseph. It is Canada’s largest church with one of the largest church domes in the world. Its dome reaches 97 meters and is second only in height to Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome! Founded in 1904 by Saint André Bessette, the shrine took six decades to complete and consists of a primitive chapel, a votive chapel, a crypt, and a basilica large enough to accommodate 10,000 worshippers! Relics of Brother André and many ex-voto of miraculously cured pilgrims are exhibited. The basilica’s great organs and 52 bell chimes will occasionally rekindle solemn works of great composers. We will tour the Oratory and have time for the Way of the Cross on the mountainside, before heading to our Montreal hotel.
Overnight: Montreal (Breakfast)
DAY 6
Ottawa
After breakfast, we visit Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, a scaled down replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, then Notre-Dame Basilica, a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture and one of the most beautiful churches in North America, concluding with a visit to Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. This chapel is also the site of the Shrine of St. Marguerite Bourgoise.
We now take leave of Montreal , crossing the St. Lawrence River to the Shrine of Native American Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (“Lily of the Mohawks”). When St. Kateri was just 4 years old, her village was devastated by smallpox. She survived but was left an orphan, with poor vision and a face ravaged by smallpox scars. At the age of 24, she became ill and died. Soon after her death, her scarred face was miraculously restored to its former softness and beauty.
We continue our journey to Ottawa where we will visit the famous Byward Market for lunch and shopping in this charming 4-square block district. There you will find specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, salons, and more! The remainder of this day will be free time. Use it for rest, shopping, supplementary tours, etc.
Overnight: Ottawa (breakfast)
DAY 7
Ottawa
We start our Sunday with Mass at the Basilica of Saint Patrick, founded in 1855. This is the oldest English-speaking Catholic Parish in the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Afterwards, you will have free time for lunch before we head to Parliament Hill for a short tour of either the House of Commons or Senate. There you will also enjoy the lovely grounds on Parliament Hill, with spectacular views of the exterior architecture and the Ottawa River. We will take in some of the other sights of Ottawa, including a visit to Rideau Falls Park and the International Peace Garden before heading back to our Ottawa hotel.
Overnight: Ottawa (breakfast)
DAY 8
Toronto
This morning we depart after breakfast for our drive to Toronto. We will make a stop for lunch enroute before arriving in Toronto. Once there we will visit the Marian Shrine of Gratitude. Located behind the St. Bernadettes Family Resource Centre, this beautifully manicured lot has been the site of pilgrims being healed of all sorts of ailments. Later that afternoon, we will attend Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, one of the oldest churches in Toronto and home to Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese. After Mass, we will check into our hotel.
Overnight: Toronto (breakfast)
DAY 9
Toronto
Today we drive north from Toronto to visit the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland. Built in 1926, this beautiful stone church was consecrated to the memory of the Canadian Martyrs; six Jesuit Martyrs and two lay persons from the mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. The Shrine rests on a 300 acre property of natural forests, manicured gardens, devotional spaces, and open park lands, all spaces inviting you to experience God’s grace in the natural environment. Here we enjoy a guided tour of the Shrine and beautiful grounds surrounding, with time to visit their Gift Shop as well. Items purchased through the Gift Shop can be presented to one of the Jesuit fathers in our Visitor Office to have your item blessed! We then return to our Toronto hotel, resting up for the last full day of our pilgrimage.
Overnight: Toronto (breakfast)
DAY 10
Toronto
Our day begins with Mass at the home of Toronto’s oldest Roman-Catholic congregation, St. Paul’s Basilica. Afterwards, those who wish will board the bus to visit the majestic Niagara Falls while the rest of the group will be given the balance of the day to explore Toronto to their individual tastes. This evening, we will all gather at a local restaurant to celebrate our pilgrimage with a closing Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: Toronto (Breakfast)
DAY 11
Return Home
This morning we transfer to the Toronto airport for our flight back to the United States, carrying with us memories and keepsakes that will last a lifetime.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Round Trip Flights
- 4-5 Star Hotels
- Air-conditioned Motor Coach
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide
- One Checked Bag
- Accommodations (based on double occupancy)
- Entrance Fees as per itinerary
- Meals (per itinerary)
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
-
Passport and Visas (Refer to the section below for Passports or Visas help)
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We recommend that all travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect themselves and their trip investment. Travel protection plans can provide coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical expenses and emergency evacuation/repatriation, trip delay, baggage delay, and more. Please go to the link below to learn more Click here for Travel Insurance Details.
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