An 11-Day Pilgrimage to Italy
June 13 - 23, 2016
11 days / 9 nights
Contact Faith Journeys for more information at:
1-877-732-4845 ext. 202
info@myfaithjourneys.com
“Roma, Roma, non basta una vita!” (Rome, Rome, one lifetime is not enough!) Far more than just experiencing a new
land or seeing new sights, our Pilgrimage to Italy takes us to the modern center of Roman Catholicism. As we follow the
footsteps of the Apostle Paul and St. Francis of Assisi through the spiritually rich and beautiful countryside of Italy, we
will reflect, become closer to God, and gratefully consider the sacrifices and dedication of those who have gone before.
As we behold many sacred shrines and the holiest of places –Vatican City, the Major Basilicas of Rome and timeless
works of art regarded as the most awe-inspiring and important of the world – we will renew our commitment to the roots
of our Catholic faith. The masses and meditations we celebrate along the way will draw us together as a community. They
will remind us of our blessings and the call to stewardship as followers of Jesus Christ.
Day 1: Monday, June 13: Departure from the USA ____________________________
Our pilgrimage begins with an overnight flight to Rome, Italy
Day 2: Tuesday, June 14: Arrival to Rome ________________________________ (D)
Welcome to Rome! Celebrate Mass in one of the major Basilicas. Enjoy a panoramic tour
of Rome’s highlights, including stops at Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and Trevi
Fountain. Check-in to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Wednesday, June 15:
Papal Audience, Colosseum, Borghese Museum, Capuchin Church _________ (B,D)
We greet the new day in a city nicknamed Caput Mundi (Capital of the World) and The
Eternal City, not only because Rome has always been the hub of art, education, high
culture and politics in the western world, but because it is also a spiritual capital and a
powerful center of pilgrimage. We will first celebrate early Mass in St. Peter’s at the
Altar of John XXIII. We will then attend an Audience/Blessing with our Holy Father (if
available). Guided Imperial Rome tour including the Forum, Colosseum, and the
Borghese Museum. Also visit the Capuchin Bone Church. Dinner at the Hard Rock Café
before returning to the hotel for overnight.
Day 4: Thursday, June 16: Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica _______ (B,D)
Celebrate Mass at II Gesu, the Jesuit Church. We will then tour the Vatican Museums
which house what can be described as the most important collections of art in the world.
The history and awe surrounding the galleries and all the treasures they contain will truly
transfix us. Highlights include The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms, and The
Sistine Chapel where we will gaze on Michelangelo’s incredible masterpiece. We will
also enter St. Peter’s Basilica which has the largest interior of any Christian church in the
world and which has been described as the reason Rome is still the center of the civilized
world. Tradition and historical evidence hold that St. Peter’s tomb is directly below the
altar of this basilica, which American Ralph Waldo Emerson described as an ornament of
the earth… the sublime of the beautiful. Next we will have the chance to marvel at
Bernini’s beautiful bronze canopy and Michelangelo’s Blessed Mother holding her
crucified son, known as the Pieta. We will also see St. John Paul II’s grave at the San
Sebastiano chapel. Up until April 29th, 2011 the tomb of St. John Paul II was in the
Vatican's crypt. With his beatification, his remains were transferred from the crypt to the
basilica, as is tradition with popes, saints and the blessed and taken to the San Sebastiano
chapel, next to Michaelangelo’s Pietá. The remains of St. John Paul II are under this altar,
covered with a gravestone and just four words: "Beatus Ioannes Paulus II.” We will also
have opportunity before dinner for individual exploration. Some might want to sit quietly
at an outside café to take it all in while others will want to shop and savor the flavor of
the “Eternal City.” Dinner at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for overnight.
Day 5: Friday, June 17: Assisi_________________________________________ (B,D)
Assisi, the site of many a pilgrimage, lies in the Umbria region of Italy on the eastern
flank of Monte Subasio. It is a very special spot on earth linked in legend with its native
son, St. Francis, a gentle saint who founded the Franciscan order and is remembered as a
great lover of nature (his sermon to an audience of birds is one of the best-loved sermons
of his life). While in Assisi, we celebrate mass in the crypt church and explore the huge
13-century basilica which contains many of the possessions of St. Francis and a series of
frescoes depicting his life. We will also visit the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the
earliest extant church in Assisi, as well as the Basilica of Santa Chiara (St. Clare), where
St. Clare who founded the Order of Poor Clares, followed in the humble ways of St.
Francis. We end our tour of Assisi by visiting the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare.
Check-in to our hotel in Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Saturday, June 18: Siena _______________________________________ (B,D)
Transfer to Florence via Siena. Celebrate Mass in the chapel of St. Catherine’s home. A
guided walking tour of Siena includes the famous Piazza del Campo (famous for its
matchless harmony and the famous horse races during the festival Palio delle Contrade),
the Town Hall, built in the 13th Century, and the Duomo. Continue on to Florence in the
late afternoon for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Sunday, June 19: Florence _____________________________________ (B,D)
Celebrate Mass at a local church. A guided orientation tour of Florence includes the
Piazza della Signoria, a lovely square in the hart of the city, towered by the lofty Palazzo
Vecchio. Visit the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge across the Arno. See the Baptistery with
Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, the Campanile, and entrance to the Duomo and the
Academia, the Academy of Fine Arts, to see Michelangelo’s original David and other
sculptures by the great master (using the whisper system). Dinner at a local restaurant.
Return to the hotel for overnight.
Day 8: Monday, June 20: Ufizzi Gallery, Pitti Palace, Medici Mausoleum ______ (B)
Celebrate Mass at a local church. Visit the Ufizzi Gallery, Pitti Palace, and the Medici
Mausoleum. Afternoon at leisure for individual reflection, sightseeing and/or shopping.
Dinner on own. Return to the hotel for overnight.
Day 9: Tuesday, June 21: Lucca & Pisa_________________________________ (B,D)
Full-day excursion to Lucca and Pisa. The Streets and squares of old Lucca are full of
atmosphere with their Gothic and Renaissance palaces, their towers of nobility, elegant
wrought-iron railings and balconies. See San Michele in Foro. The Church of San
Michele is certainly the most photographed view in Lucca, the façade of San Michele in
Foro is a delight. Also see the Duomo. Continue to Pisa. In the northwest of the town of
Pisa, enclosed on two sides by the old battlemented town walls, is the Piazza del Duomo
dei Miracoli, with the cathedral, the Leaning Tower, the Baptistery and the Campo Santo
– a harmoniously composed group of building of unrivaled beauty. Return to Florence for
dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Wednesday, June 22: Milan ___________________________________ (B,D)
Celebrate Mass in the morning and transfer to Milan for a guided tour of Milan, Italy's
business hub and a great draw to many throughout history, from St. Ambrose and
Leonardo da Vinci, to the waves of immigrants who fueled its growth in the second half
of the 20th century. Here we will visit the largest Gothic cathedral and second largest
Catholic cathedral in the world: the Duomo di Milano. We know the Duomo occupied a
central place in this ancient city because the street plan has its streets either radiating
from the Duomo or circling it. Entrance is also included to Sante Marie delle Grazie, a
15th-century Renaissance church housing “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci.
Farewell dinner in Milan and overnight at the hotel.
Day 11: Thursday, June 23: Depart for Home _____________________________ (B)
We will let the power of the holy places and priceless relics settle over us; then like other
pilgrims of other times, go back to our lives with renewed faith and readiness.
We leave our hotel and head for the airport to return to the US.
Land Only Tour price starting at: $3,146
Airfares and travel seasons are based on known 2015 rates and are subject to change when 2016 fares and seasons are known.
Pilgrimage Includes:
Round-trip airfare from Cleveland, OH, economy class
U.S. government taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges up to $600
(subject to change and adjusted with final billing)
4 star hotel accommodations (based on double occupancy)
9 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 9 dinners
Professional Tour Manager throughout tour
Local English-speaking guides
All scheduled sightseeing and entrance fees
Modern motorcoach
Tips to Tour Manager, Coach Driver and City Guides
Pilgrimage Does Not Include:
Single supplement (private room): $531
U.S. government taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges
exceeding $600
Personal services (including porterage and drinks)
Travel Insurance (optional)**: $259
For a full brochure and to register, contact Faith Journeys at:
1-877-732-4845 ext. 202
info@myfaithjourneys.com