Join Fr. Thomas O'Donald on a Pilgrimage to France!

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse of Lisieux's canonization and the 10th anniversary of her parents, Ss. Louis and Zélie Martin. 

This unforgettable journey will take you through the heart of France.

Spend meaningful time in Paris, including visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Labouré, and St. Vincent de Paul. Explore Rouen, honoring St. Joan of Arc, and tour Lisieux, the home of St. Thérèse. Walk the historic beaches of Normandy and visit the American Cemetery. Stay on the enchanting Mont Saint-Michel and admire the beauty of Chartres Cathedral.

Enjoy comfortable accommodations, delicious meals, and daily Mass as we explore the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of France.

Spaces are limited—reserve your spot today!

• Direct economy overnight flights from PHL to CDG available as an optional addition.
• Standard inflight services.

Group Flights:

AA 754 12OCT PHLCDG 1005P 1130A 13OCT

• Arrival in Paris airport (CDG).
• Welcome by Cloverdale English-speaking Tour Manager.
• Enjoy a panoramic tour of Paris. Our panoramic tour will take us to the most recognizable symbol of the city of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, the l’Arc de Triomphe, and the Champ-Elysees, one of the world’s most famous boulevards. We will make a stop at La Madeleine, with the statue of St. Mary Magdalene carried to heaven by angels.
• You will then visit the magnificent Sacre Coeur Basilica that stands atop Montmartre hill. The Basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was originally built in 1914, as an act of penance for the infidelity that France was experiencing during that time. While on your visit, in addition to the extraordinary artwork and architecture that forms the basilica, you will see the beautiful mosaic of the risen Christ, and the remarkable grand organ. Celebrate Mass at the crypt that contains the tombs of many notable cardinals (subject to confirmation). Time permitting, you may have the opportunity during your free time to ascend a staircase to the dome where you will take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Paris.
• Dinner at the hotel or local restaurant. Overnight Paris. (D) 

Proposed hotel:

Mercure Paris Centre Tours Eiffel 4* (or similar)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Pilgrimage to the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a highly spiritual Parisian place where several apparitions of the Virgin Mary took place in 1830. These apparitions are recognized by the church. It is a place of peace and silence in the heart of Paris. One can there invoke the Virgin Mary with this prayer: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” It is also the occasion to discover the life of Saint Catherine Labouré to whom the Virgin Mary appeared and to leave with a medal that the Daughters of Charity still share with those they meet. Each pilgrim can come to pray in the same spot of the apparitions or in front of the saint's reliquary.
• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Just a few blocks away from the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, discover the Chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul and the relics of this saint. Through this Chapel, pilgrims may pray to Saint Vincent who was the fervent apostle of charity.
• Proceed from the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and the celebrated "Bon Marché" department store, to discover the epic 350 years missionary history of the priests of the foreign missions of Paris in Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Laos, Burma. Many have risked their lives in going abroad. Their story is told in the room of the martyrs, consecrated to the memory of the French priests who have died in Asia. 
• Dinner and overnight in Paris. (B, D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit to Saint Chapelle.  
• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Afternoon at leisure.  
• Dinner and Overnight in Paris. (B, D)

• Breakfast and hotel check-out.
• Transfer to Amiens (88 miles).
• Enjoy an afternoon visit to the Amiens cathedral. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is a magnificent gothic structure that strikes one by the unity of its construction. It was listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1981.
• Lunch on your own. 
• Transfer to Rouen (75 miles) and discover this lovely town. The historic city is still very beautiful with many ancient buildings and half-timbered houses.
• Stroll through the streets of old Rouen for a travel back in time. Visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Church of Saint Maclou, the “groshorloge" (view the big 14th century astronomical clock from the outside), and the ancient market square where St. Joan of Arc, "the maid of France,” was martyred  in 1431. 
• Visit to the Church of Saint Joan of Arc.
• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Hotel check in.
• Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Rouen. (B, D)

Proposed Hotel:

Mercure Rouen Center Cathedral 4* (or similar)

• Breakfast and hotel check-out.
• Day of pilgrimage at the sanctuary of Lisieux. 
• Discover the Basilica and watch a movie about the life of Saint Therese, doctor of the church and called "the little Therese" by the pilgrims who appreciate her for her gospel simplicity. 
• Visit the "Buissonnets," the family home where Saint Therese spent her childhood, then discover the Carmelite convent where she remained cloistered until her death. Have a time of prayer by her relics at her shrine. 
• Then visit the Cathedral of Saint Peter where the Martin family went regularly to Mass.
• Mass at the Shrine (Subject to confirmation).
• Lunch on your own.
• Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Lisieux. (B, D)

Proposed Hotel:

Grand Hotel L'Esperance 3* (or religious guest house or similar)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Participation in the Solemn Mass for the 10th Anniversary of the Canonization of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin (Subject to confirmation).
• Day of pilgrimage at Lisieux sanctuary.
• Lunch on your own.
• Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Lisieux. (B, D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Begin our day with a visit to Bayeux Cathedral, a national monument, seat of the bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux and home of the Bayeux tapestry, which tells the story of the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066. It was here that William forced Harold Godwinson to take the oath, the breaking of which led to the Norman conquest of England. 
• Celebrate Mass at the cathedral (Subject to confirmation).
• Lunch on your own.
• Transfer to Caen. 
• Visit to the Abbaye aux hommes, Abbaye aux femmes, and Visitation monastery.
• Return to Lisieux.
• Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Lisieux. (B, D)

• Breakfast and check-out at the hotel.
• Transfer to Normandy landing beaches.
• On June 6, 1944 tens of thousands of American, English, Canadian, Scots, and French soldiers landed on the beaches of the Normandy coast to free France from the Nazi stronghold. Thousands of young soldiers died that first day in the name of liberty, the value that makes the greatness of mankind. The coast of Normandy still has the indelible scars of that event.
• Start this visit by a stop at Bénouville's Bridge, most known as Pegasus bridge. Proceed to Arromanches, where you can see the maritime vestiges of what made the greatest artificial port ever created. All the armored vehicles, trucks, supplies and men came into France through this port. You'll then discover Omaha Beach, the most famous of the Normandy landing beaches. Finally, as a duty to remember, you can go to the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer where these young soldiers are buried.
• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Transfer to Mont-Saint-Michel.
• Dinner and Overnight at the hotel on Mont-Saint-Michel.

Proposed Hotel:

Mercure Mont-Saint-Michel 4* (or similar)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today you will discover Mont-Saint Michel. Stroll through this charming village with stone houses and narrow streets, built on a rock off the coast of Normandy and surrounded by one of the world's largest bays known for its incoming tide that "comes in with the speed of a galloping horse.” The village and the bay are listed in UNESCO’s world heritage sites. 
• Visit to the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel with the possibility of meeting with a monk of the monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem.

In the year 709, after the first apparitions of the Archangel Saint Michael, a first chapel was built on the mount and dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Nearly 300 years later, the Benedictine monks established their community. They reorganized the existing buildings to make it into a monastery and to welcome pilgrims. The pilgrimage to Mont-Saint-Michel became one of the most famous in the Christian world. Transformed into a prison during the French revolution, the Abbey was then restored and was listed as a national historical monument before a religious community was again established. Today, it is the monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem that lives here, a renewal community that has as vocation to be an oasis of prayer in the heart of towns. Their liturgy is sung in two parts (men and women) and goes perfectly with the beauty of the church. Among the pilgrims who come today are those who wish to follow in the footsteps of those of the Middle Ages by crossing the bay on foot.

Attention: the visit begins with the bus drop-off in the parking lot that is situated at a distance of 2,5 kms. You then walk to the free shuttle-bus stop that takes you to within 250 m of the entrance to the medieval citadel. From there it is an easy walk through the village by the paved main street for about 200 m. Then from the parish church begins the "grand degré," about 350-step climb up to the abbey. There is no elevator.

• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Lunch on your own.
• Transfer to Pontmain (37 miles).
• Dinner and Overnight at the hotel on Mont-Saint-Michel. (B, D)

• Breakfast at hotel and check-out.
• Visit of the Sanctuary of Pontmain where took place an apparition of the Virgin Mary recognized by the Church. At the border of Normandy and Brittany, this little village calls one to peace and hope ever since. In 1871, when France had been invaded by the Prussians, four children, Eugene and Joseph Barbedette, Françoise Richer and Jeanne-Marie Lebossé, contemplated the “beautiful lady” dressed in a blue dress with stars in the sky of Pontmain. The parishioners ran to the barn to pray with visionaries. The Virgin gave them this message: “but pray, my children. God will answer your prayer very soon. My son allows Himself to be touched.” After three hours, “it is all over” as the children said and everyone went home with hearts in peace. It took hardly a year for this apparition to be recognized by the Church. Today the magnificent basilica welcomes over 200,000 pilgrims coming from all over the world. 
• Discover the parish church, the barn where the villagers came for the apparition and the museum.
• Transfer to Chartres.
• We board our motorcoach and head to Chartres to see the magnificent 13th-century cathedral. It is the home to the veil worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral has been a place of pilgrimage for more than a thousand years. 
• We celebrate Mass in Chartres (Subject to confirmation).
• Transfer to Paris.
• Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Paris. (B, D)

Proposed Hotel:

Mecure Paris Centre Tours Eiffel 4* (or similar)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Day at leisure in Paris or possible trip to Reims to see the Cathedral.
• Celebrate Mass (Subject to confirmation).
• Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Paris. (B, D)

• Breakfast and hotel check-out.
• Transfer to the airport. (B)
• Optional overnight flights from Paris (CDG) to USA (PHL).
• Standard inflight services.

Group Flights:

AA 755 24OCT CDGPHL 155P 355P

This is an active itinerary that requires about 15,000 steps walking each day, sometimes on uneven surfaces, including stairs. Begin to prepare through a daily walking program. 

As a pilgrimage, we will commit ourselves to working together to cooperate and support one another, realizing that different foods, cultures, and experiences are why we are traveling! The unexpected is God's way of sharing with us something (or someone) we otherwise would not have encountered.  Be ready to travel in patience and trust. 

Quoted prices are based on payment by check. An additional 1% + 30¢ online processing fee is charged for all online transactions, with an additional 2.9% (Visa, Mastercard) to 3.9% (American Express) service charge for credit/debit card payments. There is no online processing fee nor service charge for registrations (or subsequent payments) mailed directly to Cloverdale Travel with payment by check. Please note that payments by check are typically processed once a week on Saturdays. 

You do hereby authorize all charges as outlined in the payment plan and Terms and Condition/Terms of Service. 

Flights offered with this trip are Group Air Reservations.  Final pricing will be available September 2024.  All seating assignments are made by the airline. Cloverdale Travel cannot process special seating requests. If you have very specific needs regarding seating and flight accommodations, you should make your own flight arrangements and book the pilgrimage without adding air. Switches from Land with Air to Land only after booking incur a $100 fee. 

Individual deposits are refundable except for a $500/person handling fee for cancellations made 90 days or more prior to departure. 

For cancellations 90 to 60 days prior to departure, you will be refunded everything except your initial deposit ($1000). 

If you cancel the trip within 60 days of departure, all payments are non-refundable. 

Unused portions of the trip are non-refundable. 

Cloverdale Travel cannot refund credit card/bank fees, nor refund money paid for travel protection/insurance.

Trip cancellation/protection plan is optional, but highly encouraged. Travel protections plans are available through Travelex, or through your own carrier. A link to Travelex will be included in your confirmation/registration email.  If you decline to purchase travel protection/insurance, you assume all financial liability for losses that might have been covered by appropriate travel insurance/protection. A form indicating acceptance or waiver of travel insurance/protection must be completed and submitted for each registration; those purchasing travel insurance/protection will be asked to provide carrier and policy/confirmation number. 

Please upload a copy of your passport picture page with online registration, or email to info@cloverdaletravel.org. Passports must be valid for 6 months after our return date. 

Beginning in January 2025, the European Union is requiring travel authorization (ETIAS) to enter most European countries. This permission is different from a residence permit or visa, is obtained online, and is good for three (3) years (or until your passport expires). Obtaining the ETIAS permission is the responsibility of the traveler. See www.https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en for more information.

Please note that pricing is based on 40 pilgrims and based on an exchange rate of $1= € 1.05. Prices may be adjusted based on fewer than 40 pilgrims, a higher exchange rate, or increases in taxes and fuel surcharges. 

Errors and omissions are possible in this itinerary, pricing, and communication; we are not responsible for such errors and may make corrections, including in billing, as needed to correct mistakes. 

By registering for this trip (and checking YES to Terms and Conditions), you agree that Cloverdale Group LLC, Cloverdale Travel, staff, employees, independent contractors, and vendors, Reverend Zachary Navit, and the Group Leaders, have no responsibility for any acts or occurrences beyond our control. There are inherent risks in travel and you willingly and fully accept all risks and complete responsibility, and you and your heirs agree to indemnify and hold Cloverdale Group LLC, Cloverdale Travel, and our travel partners harmless with respect to any claim that is or could be made. 

It is our intention to provide you with the very best traveling experience based on the circumstances and situation at the time of travel.

By clicking "YES" you accept these conditions and the Terms & Conditions as specified on the Cloverdale Travel website (www.cloverdalegroup.org).