Depart the USA today on board our overnight transatlantic flights to Rome, arriving the following day. Enjoy a full meal service as well as in-flight entertainment.
Upon arrival at the Rome International Airport (FCO), we will collect our luggage at baggage claim and continue to the arrivals hall to meet our pilgrimage director. We will then be escorted to our deluxe motorcoach for our transfer to the city. After arriving at our accommodations, we will have time to unpack and freshen up, followed by a brief orientation. We will then begin our Jubilee pilgrimage with Low Mass at the nearby Basilica of Santi Celso e Giuliano, the splendid Baroque church in Rome under the care of the Institute of Christ the King. Following lunch, we make our way to the side entrance of the Vatican where the Swiss Guard will permit us to enter as we participate in a privately guided tour of the Scavi. The Scavi tour culminates with the veneration of the bones of the Blessed Apostle Peter, our first Pope. After the Scavi tour, we will visit the breathtaking St. Peter's Basilica where we will enter through the Holy Door. We will gather in the evening for a festive welcome dinner (included), served with local wine. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)
Following breakfast, we will board our motorcoach for a bus tour of Rome with stops at the remaining three Patriarchal Basilicas. We will first visit together the Lateran Archbasilica, the cathedral church of Rome, entering through the Holy Door. Across the street we will also make time to go up the Scala Santa (the holy stairs) on our knees (optional). This historic staircase in marble, hallowed by the footsteps of Christ, was taken from the Praetorian Palace in Jerusalem. Afterwards we will visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Upon arrival we will enter through the Holy Door. Here we will venerate the tomb of St. Paul. Next we will transfer to St. Mary Major. Before entering the basilica, we will have lunch on our own. We will enter through the Holy Door. Once inside, we will see the crib from Bethlehem. After Mass at St. Mary Major, we will exit the church and walk across the street to make a brief stop at the Basilica of Santa Prassede, the location of the pillar on which Christ was scourged. We then transfer back to our accommodations where we will enjoy dinner on our own. Optional evening walk at dusk to see the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. Overnight in Rome. (B)
We will start the morning with breakfast and an unforgettable Mass and procession (pending final confirmation). Otherwise we will set out on a leisurely walking tour of the historic city centre of Rome where we will cross the Ponte Sant’Angelo and begin with a visit to the chapel under the care of the Institute of Christ the King, the Basilica Santi Celso e Giuliano. After we will continue to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon (exterior view), Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (tombs of Fra Angelico and St. Catherine of Siena), and Campo de’ Fiori with a stop at one of the best gelateria in Rome. Lunch on our own, followed by a visit to the Vatican Museums, one of the largest collections of visual art in the world. Our private guided tour will include select highlights, including the ancient statues that inspired Michelangelo, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel. After, we will have time to revisit St. Peter’s Basilica. Free time for dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)
After breakfast we will make our way to the Basilica Santi Celso e Giuliano for morning Mass. Today there may be an optional conference (pending final confirmation). We will board our bus to visit the church of Sant’Alfonso, where the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is kept. Next we will continue to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, where the relics of the Passion of Christ are kept. Afterwards, we will have lunch and continue to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. A half-million Christians were buried here, including countless martyrs, and sixteen popes. We will tour the catacombs with time to visit the gift shop. After, we will board our bus for our transfer back to our accommodations. Afterwards, we will take an optional excursion to see one of Rome’s best kept secrets, a Baroque musical catechesis at the church of the Gesù at 5:30 PM. After, festive group dinner (included) to celebrate our final night in Rome. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)
After breakfast and hotel check-out we will board our bus and make our way to Orvieto to visit the famous Duomo of Orvieto. In addition to its famous frescoes, mosaics, windows, and carvings, the Duomo is also well-known for its chapel that enshrines a Eucharistic Miracle. Here is kept the linen corporal still marked with blood from an event that occurred in the year 1263 when a consecrated host began to bleed during Mass in the city of Bolsena. We will have Mass in the chapel. After, we will have free time for lunch on our own and shopping. Then we will board our bus and continue the scenic drive through the enchanting landscape of Tuscany as we arrive in Florence for hotel check-in and dinner on our own. Overnight in Florence. (B)
After breakfast we will transfer to and spend the day in the eminent medieval city of Siena, former hometown of St. Catherine of Siena, an outstanding Medieval saint, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. We will set out to visit the mighty Cathedral of Siena. Its facade is one of the most impressive and famous in all of Italy. Here we will have Mass with time to pray and explore the Cathedral. After we will visit the Basilica of San Domenico, which contains the head of St. Catherine, kept in a silver reliquary, visible for public devotion. After lunch on our own we will visit the Shrine of St. Catherine to see her birthplace and the religious buildings around it. Evening return to Florence. Dinner on our own and overnight in Florence. (B)
Our day will begin with breakfast and a morning walk to the church in Florence under the care of the Institute of Christ the King, the Church of Santi Michele e Gaetano. Here we will have Mass. After, we will walk to the famous Convent of San Marco where we will travel back in time to the Renaissance. First we will visit the attached Basilica di San Marco. Then we will enter the old convent museum to see where the great Dominican artist Fra Angelico, along with his assistants, created renowned frescoes with great care, decorating their newly built Dominican convent. Afterwards, we will enjoy a leisurely walk through downtown Florence with lunch on our own and free time for shopping. In the afternoon we will visit the Duomo, known as the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower. We will admire from the outside the Baptistry of San Giovanni, one of the oldest churches in the city and a quintessential example of Tuscan Romanesque. Next we will make our way to the Ponte Vecchio, the most famous Renaissance bridge in Florence. Group dinner (included) served with Tuscan cuisine and local wine. Overnight in Florence. (B, D)
Following breakfast and hotel check out we will board our bus for the enchanting ride into the rolling hills overlooking Florence. Today our destination is the magnificent international seminary of the Institute of Christ the King. Nestled in a quiet countryside hamlet known as Gricigliano, the seminary is named after its patron, St. Philip Neri. This beautiful property is located in the former country estate of a historic noble family. We will tour the seminary and gardens and celebrate Mass in the chapel. An al fresco picnic lunch will be provided (by donation) amid the charming glow of the Tuscan sun, a celebratory end to our wonderful time in Italy. In the late afternoon we will return to Rome for our hotel check in and time to pack. Dinner on our own. Final overnight in Rome. (B, L - by donation)
After early morning Mass at the hotel, breakfast, and guesthouse check-out, we will transfer to the Rome International Airport (FCO) for our return flights home. (B)