Marian Shrines Pilgrimage – Rome, France, Spain & Portugal
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Marian Shrines Pilgrimage – Rome, France, Spain & Portugal
Pilgrimage Overview
Join us on a Marian Shrines Pilgrimage to Rome, France, Spain & Portugal with Fr. Jovencio Ricafort!
DAY 1
Depart USA
Today we board our flights to Rome with meals and beverages served aloft.
DAY 2
Arrive Rome
Upon arrival in Rome, we are greeted by our Holy Land Travel Center Representative. We transfer to the St. Paul Outside the Malls and after a short tour we celebrate Mass. Transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3
Rome
Today we are up early for the General Audience with Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square! This afternoon, we take a guided tour of two of the major churches in Rome Including the 1600-year-old St. Mary Major, and St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. We then visit the Coliseum. The afternoon is at leisure. We end our night with a walking tour of Rome, featuring a stroll to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, a Christian church since the 7th century, and Piazza Navona.
DAY 4
Rome
Today is our visit to the heart of Vatican State, St. Peter’s Basilica, and underground burial stones with the tomb of St. Peter, and Square dedicated to same Saint. After some free time in the late afternoon for shopping we continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 5
Lourdes
This morning we take an early flight to Lourdes. Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel for dinner. In the evening we join the candlelight processional.
DAY 6
Lourdes
This day we start with mass at the Grotto of Massabielle, where our Lady appeared to Bernadette in 1858. Later we take our official group photo in front of the Basilica, followed by our guided tour of Lourdes: The sanctuary of the Basilica of St. Pius X, the world’s largest underground church. The Basilica, The Baths, where thousands of miraculous cures have taken place is the most respected shrine and sanctuary in France. Also to be visited are sites associated with the life of Saint Bernadette, like the Boly Mill – where she was born; the Locale Mill – residence of her parents; the Cachot – formerly used as a jail where she lived at the time of the Apparitions; the Chapel – where she received her first Holy Communion; and the Parish Church – containing the baptismal font where she was baptized. We will then have some free time before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 7
Montserrat
After breakfast we depart Lourdes and drive over the Pyrenees to Andorra la Vella and view Romanesque churches and stone houses in the city’s quarter along with a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Meritxell. Continue on to Montserrat.
DAY 8
Montserrat
Today we visit Montserrat, home to the Benedictine monastery dramatically set in the Montserrat mountain range. Pilgrims from around the world flock to this monastery to view its magnificent architecture in such a striking setting. This shrine has attracted pilgrims for over 700 years, much as it did Ignatius of Loyola in March of 1522. We pause here to visit the Black Madonna of Montserrat, probably Spain’s most fervent devotion to the Blessed Mother. After a break for lunch, we visit Manresa a place of profound conversion for Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Here, in a cave on the banks of the Cardoner River, Ignatius received a vision that provided him with deep insights into spiritual life and altered the course of his own life. From the initial insights he received here, Ignatius went on to pen the Spiritual Exercises.” We enjoy an audiovisual presentation and tour of the museum at Manresa then celebrate Eucharist in the nearby cave. We then continue to Barcelona for dinner and overnight.
DAY 9
Barcelona
This morning we visit the most famous Holy family church, La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished Catholic Basilica in Barcelona designed by the celebrated Art Nouveau architect Antoni Gaudi. We enjoy a full guided tour of the Basilica before we celebrate Mass. We will then continue to Park Guell before we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10
Valencia
Today, say goodbye to Barcelona! On your way to Valencia, stop in beautiful Peniscola where you will enjoy free time to explore on your own. Known as the “City in the Sea,” this fortified town and its Knights Templar Castle dating back to the 13th century are a little hidden gem. End your day in Valencia, a treasure trove of Roman and Arabic architecture, surrounded by citrus groves.
DAY 11
Granada
Today we make our way to Granada. Along the way we stop in Alicante. End our night in Granada, the last great capital of the Moors in Spain before it fell to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.
DAY 12
Granada
Today we see the sights of Granada and visit its main attraction, the Alhambra. The might yet graceful citadel was planned by the 13th-century Moorish rule Al Ahamar. A fantasy of “lace in stone” surrounded by arabesque gardens and fountains, it affords superb views of the Old Quarter and Sacromonte, a mountain occupied by Gypsy cave dwellers. Also, amble through the magnificent water gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence. We have a free afternoon before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 13
Seville
This morning we begin our day with morning Mass at a local historical Church before we continue to Seville. Listen to our guide’s account of the city’s role in Roman times, its conquest by the Moors in 712 A.D., and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. Admire Maria Luisa Park. Drive to the Plaza de España, the Gold Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the fine baroque building, now a university, but used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Visit the Cathedral with Columbus’ tomb – the world’s largest gothic edifice. Finally, stroll through the narrow lanes of the charming Santa Cruz Quarter. The rest of the day is at leisure for shopping or other pursuits on our own. For a truly Andalusian night out, you can reserve a seat at an optional flamenco show.
DAY 14
Cordoba
The city Córdoba is today a minor provincial capital, prosperous in a modest sort of way. Once, however, it was the largest city of Roman Spain, and for three centuries it formed the heart of the western Islamic empire, the great medieval caliphate of the Moors. It is from this era that the city’s major monument dates: the Mezquita-Catedral (Mosque-Cathedral), the grandest and most beautiful mosque ever constructed by the Moors in Spain. It stands right in the center of the city, surrounded by the old Jewish and Moorish quarters, and is a building of extraordinary mystical ad aesthetic power. Apart of the Mezquita, we will walk through the Jewish quarter before returning to Seville for dinner and overnight.
DAY 15
Fatima
After leaving Seville in the morning, you will stop in Badajoz. Badajoz is a historic city located in western Spain, near the Portuguese border. It features a well-preserved Moorish fortress, the Alcazaba, and charming old town with Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Here we will have some free time for lunch and to explore the beautiful streets. We then transfer to Fatima. In the evening, we will join the candlelight processional at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, where you will walk around the sanctuary with other pilgrims holding candles and singing hymns. This spiritual experience will connect you with the religious traditions of Fatima and fellow Catholics from around the world. Afterward, you can retire to your hotel feeling spiritually uplifted and enriched.
DAY 16
Fatima
Day 17
Return Home
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Roundtrip Flights
- Excursions per itinerary
- 15 Nights Accommodation
- All Meals per Itinerary
- Professional Catholic Tour Guides
- Spiritual Director
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Passport and Visas (Refer to the section below for Passports or Visas help)
- Gratuities
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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