Pilgrimage to Poland & Czech Republic
Date
Activity Level
Moderate – High
Book By
Group Limit
30
Pilgrimage to Poland & Czech Republic
Pilgrimage Overview
Holy Land Travel Center is delighted to organize this special pilgrimage to Poland & Czech Republic on behalf of the students and staff of the UNL Newman Center!
To participate, you will need to submit an application by following this link: https://forms.gle/1aVfi1czWodCt31E9
Once your application has been approved, you will be invited to officially register for the trip. If you register for this trip without first having your application approved then your deposit will be refunded minus any application/processing fees incurred during the registration process and you will be removed from the trip manifest.
Please contact our Omaha office for questions on the above at 402-315-1435.
DAY 1
Depart USA
Our spiritual pilgrimage begins as we board our transatlantic flight to Krakow, with meals and beverages served aloft.
DAY 2
Arrive Krakow
After arrival in Krakow, we are met by our HLTC representative after we have passed through customs. Once our bags have been retrieved we will transfer to St. Mary’s Basilica to celebrate Mass. Located right in the heart of Krakow, this magnificent basilica has served the Catholic community of Krakow for over 700 years! Time permitting, the group will visit the nearby Church of St. Adalbert, an 11th century church near St. Mary’s that now serves as an adoration chapel. Afterwards, we transfer to our hotel for a special Welcome dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight: Krakow (Dinner*)
DAY 3
Krakow
Following breakfast, proceed to Wawel Hill and pray at the Church of St. Stanislaw, Poland’s second most important pilgrimage shrine. Visit Krakow’s cathedral which serves as the nation’s spiritual capital and has witnessed most of the royal coronations and funerals of the last millennium and celebrate Mass in the crypt where Pope John Paul II celebrated his first Mass. See the Cathedral’s Treasury and continue to Krakow’s Old Town to see Kanonicza Street where Pope John Paul II resided while living in Krakow. Visit the courtyard of the Collegium Mauis; see the ancient Market Square and Cloth Hall.
Overnight: Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 4
Krakow
Following breakfast, we will proceed to Wadowice, birthplace of Karol Wojtla, the late Pope John Paul II. There, we will celebrate Mass in the Basilica and have time to pray where he was baptized. His museum is in his family house. Continue to a place that was a popular pilgrimage place for the Pope when he was a young man, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, called “The Polish Jerusalem,” where in the 17th century, the Palatine of Krakow founded a Franciscan Monastery. The church has very rich Baroque decorations. On the slope of the hill and in the valley is an architectural ‘Way of the Cross’ comprising 42 Mannerist and Baroque chapels and some small Calvary churches.
Overnight: Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 5
Krakow
After breakfast, we board our bus for the short one-hour drive to Auschwitz. Here we remember and honor the millions of lives lost to this terrible place during Word War II. During our visit, we will see the cell where Maximilian Kolbe was held before his execution. Sent to the camp for daring to follow his faith and help those in need, Kolbe eventually sacrificed himself to save the life of another prisoner. Our somber tour of Auschwitz concluded, we return to Krakow to visit the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mines – the oldest salt mine in Europe. It is a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground salt lakes with a rich interior of decorated chapels including the famous Blessed Kings Chapel, plus other galleries and workings made of salt.
Overnight: Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 6
Krakow
Today we transfer to the nearby town of Lagwieniki to visit The Shrine of the Divine Mercy where we will celebrate Mass in the chapel and pray a holy hour there. Here stands the chapel where the miraculous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina are to be found. This chapel has witnessed the prayer of the Apostle of The Divine Mercy and the extraordinary graces (including the revelations of Jesus and the Blessed Mother) received by St. Faustina in this place. We then continue for a visit to the unassuming village of Markowa. Here, in 1944, a Catholic family was massacred by the Nazis for harboring two Jewish families. The family of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma was recently beatified by the Catholic Church to honor their sacrifice and piety. Later, we return to Krakow to close the day.
Overnight: Krakow (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 7
Częstochowa
Today we depart Krakow and make our way towards Teresin where we will visit the famous Niepokalanów Monastery, founded by Maximilian Kolbe. It is called “Mary-town”. Celebrate Mass in the original chapel with the chalice that St. Maximilian Kolbe used. Shortly after it was founded in 1927, Niepokalanów became known as the largest monastery in the world. In the nearly 100 years since the doors opened, tens of thousands of pilgrims have visited to venerate and discover its storied past. Later, we continue our journey with a short drive to the holy city of Częstochowa where we will check in to our hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight: Częstochowa (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 8
Prague
Today, we witness two Golden Roses! After breakfast, we begin our exploration of Częstochowa in earnest. The city is known for its famous St Paul’s Monastery of Jasna Góra, which houses the Black Madonna painting, the first of our two Roses, and a shrine to the Virgin Mary. After Mass and then lunch, we begin the long journey to the Czech capital of Prague. En route stop at Velehrad to visit the Shrine in memory of the two missionaries from Byzantium, “Cyril and Methodius”, who brought Christianity to the Czech lands. In 1985 His Holiness Pope John Paul II conferred the “Golden Rose” on Velehrad, a Papal distinction conveyed to only three other venerable places of pilgrimage; Lourdes, Guadalupe and Czestochowa. Continue to the “Golden City” of Prague, one of Europe’s most attractive capitals.
Overnight: Prague (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 9
Prague
Spanning the River Vltava, Prague ranks as one of the most beautifully preserved cities in Europe. The town is famous for its Gothic and Baroque architecture. Wonder at the graceful enormity of Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady of Victory and the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. After mass, cross the historic Charles Bridge, built in 1400, and admire its Baroque statuary. Continue to the Loreto Shrine, one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Eastern Europe. Recall the timeless masterpieces of Mozart, Wagner and Berlioz while viewing the city’s many theaters and opera houses.
Overnight: Prague (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 10
Return Home
Today we start our long journey home with memories of faith
and fellowship that will last us a lifetime.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 4-5 Star Hotels
- Roundtrip Flights
- Professional Catholic Tour Guide
- 8 - Nights Accommodations
- Excursions as per itinerary
- All Meals per Itinerary
- Spiritual Director
- Luxury Motorcoach
- Daily Mass
- Gratuities for Guide & Driver
- Transportation to and from (OMA) from UNL
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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