Welcome to Rome, also known as, "The Eternal City". Upon arrival at the airport in Rome, we'll collect our luggage from the baggage claim area, and continue to the Arrivals Hall, where we will be greeted by our Trinity Tour Travels guide. We will make our way to the bus and transfer to Assisi (3hr drive) with a break for lunch along the way. Upon arrival in Assisi, we will stop at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. This is where St. Francis spent most of life. This Basilica is made up of two structures, both of which you will visit. The first structure is the "Porziuncola", which is where St. Francis founded his order of the Friar Minor (Franciscans). The second is the "Capella del Transito", which is the place of St. Francis' death. During our time here, we will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the Saint retired to pray. Here we will celebrate Mass. Continue to the upper village, check-in at the hotel, have dinner, and overnight. 

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we stroll to the huge 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, which contains a series of frescoes depicting his life as well as houses several of the saint's personal possessions. Here, we also visit the final resting place of this humble saint.  En route to the main square in Assisi, we visit the birthplace of St. Francis. We stop to tour the Basilica di Santa Chiara (St. Clare), the dearest friend of St. Francis, who founded the Order of the Poor Clares. Here, we see many of her relics and possessions as well. Mass this afternoon. We visit the Santuario della Spogliazione, to visit the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis (the first millennial to be declared Blessed). We continue our walking tour of this picturesque town and have a brief time for personal prayer, shopping, and lunch. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.  

 After an early breakfast at the hotel, we ride through the beautiful surrounding areas of Assisi to visit the deeply spiritual town of La Verna. We visit the Sanctuary of La Verna, where St. Francis received the stigmata in 1224.  Mass is celebrated here this day. A memorable day trip with charming Italian countryside along the way. Dinner and overnight in Assisi. 

We depart for San Giovanni Rotondo early this day, following breakfast at the hotel. We Board the bus and continue to the magnificent Marian Shrine in Loreto, Basilica della Santa Casa. Here within the basilica, we visit the beautiful Madonna of Loreto and the Holy House of Nazareth. Tradition maintains that this is the small house where "The Word Became Flesh” and where Mary was born, raised, and greeted by the angel Gabriel. Furthermore, it is said that this is where Mary proclaimed the Magnificat, the home in which Jesus was raised, and where the Holy Family lived. According to tradition, angels carried the Holy House to its current location to keep it safe. We then reborn the bus and continue to the town of Lanciano to visit the Church of St. Longinus, the site of what many believe is the greatest Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church. In the 8th century, a monk offering Mass was said to be plagued by doubts regarding transubstantiation. At pronouncing the words of consecration, the host was miraculously changed into flesh and the wine into blood. Since then, countless pilgrims have visited to venerate the monstrance containing the miracle. Lunch and Mass are here this day. We travel to the pristine city of San Giovanni later this day (home of Padre Pio) and check into our hotel.

Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we tour Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, the hospital founded by Padre Pio, and return to Santa Maria delle Grazie to visit the church and confessional where Padre Pio committed himself to hours of listening to confessions. He was incredibly devoted to the sacrament, and it is said that he was able to read souls. At this shrine, we view the incorrupt body of this great saint. We tour his living quarters and see many of his personal items. We board the bus and travel along the beautiful area known as the Gargano Peninsula to Monte Sant'Angelo (grotto of St. Michael), where St. Michael is said to have appeared in the years 490, 492 & 493. Mass will be celebrated in the grotto on this day. Lunch and free time in this charming area prior to returning to the hotel. This evening, as schedule allows, we attend the weekly 9 p.m. candlelight procession at the Sanctuary of Padre Pio.

Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

After breakfast, we board the bus for a beautiful, scenic drive from San Giovanni Rotondo North West to Monte Cassino, the site of the Roman town of Casinum. Here we stop to see the site of the first house of the Benedictine Order, established by St. Benedict of Nursia around 529. We continue our journey east to San Giovanni Rotondo, home of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) for many decades until his death in 1968. Upon arrival, we check into the hotel and enjoy free time prior to Mass at Santa Maria delle Grazie, Padre Pio's beloved church.

Dinner and overnight in Rome.

This morning we will start our Jubilee we will reach the  Basilica of St John in Lateran and we walk through the first  Holy Door of our trip.  Celebrate Mass. This Basilica is the seat of the bishop of Rome, who of course, is also the Pope. The Basilica houses magnificent artwork and also wood from the table used at the Last Supper. It is high above the altar above the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, to the left of the main Papal altar. From here we will walk to the Shrine of the Holy Stairs, so named because they are the steps that led to the praetorium of the Roman Procurator Ponzio Pilato- Continue to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the walls to walk through the second Holy Door of our Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Originally founded by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, the Basilica is where the great Apostle Paul is buried  

Break for lunch. In the afternoon, we will drive to the Appian Way, the earliest road of Ancient Rome, to reach the Catacombs and the Basilica of St Sebastian.  We celebrate Mass. We will visit also the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. According to the tradition the apostle Peter, fleeing the city to avoid martyrdom, met Jesus to whom he addressed the following words “Domine, quo vadis?” (Lord, where are you going?) and the Lord replied “VenioRomam iterum crucifigi” (I am coming to Rome to be crucified again). Peter, understanding the rebuke, went back to face his fate and Jesus disappeared but, in disappearing, left his footprints on the road. As evidence of what happened, inside the Church, there is a stone with the imprints "of His Holy feet". The stone is a copy: the original is kept in the Basilica of San Sebastiano). Regain our bus and return to the hotel, passing by the Colosseum, where we will stop for a photo. We'll continue to the hotel for dinner and overnight. 

Today we will start the day celebrating Mass and visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major, walking through the Third  Holy Door of our pilgrimage This Basilica is one of the oldest and most important shrines in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary Next we visit the Basilica of Holy Cross in Jerusalem to see the sacred relics from the Holy Land. In this Basilica we might also see a well-done copy of the Holy Shroud.- Continue to the Vatican Museum where we see world-famous masterpieces including the incomparable Sistine Chapel. Next, we reach t St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Christendom Church  At the Basilica we walk through the fourth Holy Door of our trip.  we enjoy a guided tour of the Basilica was built on the site where St. Peter, the first Pope and Bishop of Rome, was martyred. It is here that we view Michelangelo's Pieta and pray at the tombs of St. Peter and Pope St. John Paul II.

 Continue to the hotel  for dinner and overnight

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we attend the Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square, celebrated at 9 a.m. each Wednesday by His Holiness Pope Francis (pending the papal schedule). Pilgrims are encouraged to bring special medals, rosaries, and other religious items to be blessed. Following the pope’s themed speech, prayers, and homily, he offers a blessing!

 Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, we bid farewell to this beautiful and holy part of the world and travel back to Rome (Fiumicino International Airport) for our departure to the USA. Ciao Italia!

A note from Trinity Tours Travels:

We are honored to have you travel with us and appreciate your trust in 

Trinity Tour Travels for your pilgrimage! Though every effort will sincerely be made to follow the above itinerary, it should be considered as a template of the journey, rather than a “contract” of sites to be visited. There are times when local religious or national holidays, weather, traffic challenges, etc., may cause us to make changes in our schedule. This MAY result in a change in the sequence of sites visited or, on rare occasions, the missing of some certain site visits entirely. 

As with all in life, we encourage the acceptance of possible change with a cheerful heart; after all, it is sometimes the unexpected that often makes the most beautiful memories! Enjoy your trip to the fullest and relish every moment!