A pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines and Apparitions of Portugal, Spain, and France is a spiritually powerful and profound experience for the countless Catholics who visit yearly!

Portugal, with its charming and captivating landscapes, holds a particularly special place in the hearts of pilgrims for its revered sanctuary of Fatima, where Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in 1917.  

Spain provides the magnificent backdrop for Santiago de Compostela, the final resting place of St. James Major, as well as the historic Holy Cave of Our Lady of Covadonga, the Marian apparitions in Garabandal, and the birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

The Pyrenees foothills of France are the home to St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes. Renowned for its miraculous spring, Lourdes is known as one of the world's most beautiful and significant pilgrimage sites. France offers other remarkable holy sites, such as LaSalette, Ars, Paray-le-Monial, Rue de Bac, and the grandiose churches of Paris.

A Marian journey through these countries will surely deepen devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and strengthen the faith of all who travel to this awe-inspiring and holy part of the world.   

DEPOSIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE

Depart the USA from your local airport. Enjoy a full meal and inflight entertainment (movies, music, etc.) on your overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal.

Welcome to Portugal! Upon arrival at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport, you will proceed through Immigration and Customs. You will then be greeted by our local Trinity Tours Travel guide and driver, who will transfer you to the City Center, where our pilgrimage begins with a panoramic city tour of Lisbon. We see Jerónimos Monastery, completed in 1600, and the Belem Tower, built in the 16th century as a point of embarkation for Portuguese explorers. 

We continue to the Old City, where we celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua (who was born and baptized here) and enjoy a local lunch. We continue north to Santarem to visit the Church of the Holy Miracle, where in the 13th century, a woman concealed a consecrated host at the recommendation of a sorceress in order to deal with her unfaithful husband. The host began to bleed profusely, and the couple confessed the sacrilege to the priest, who immediately safeguarded the host in a wax container. The second eucharistic miracle occurred when upon subsequently opening the tabernacle, the host was no longer in the wax container but in a crystal pyx. It was placed in a silver monstrance where pilgrims can still view it today. We travel to Fatima, a hamlet of Aljustrel, the birthplace of the three shepherd children to whom the Virgin Mary appeared. 

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Fatima, Portugal.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we head to Cova da Iria to visit the Little Chapel of the Apparitions. It stands on the exact location of the first Marian Apparition on May 13, 1917, to three shepherd children: Lucia (10), Francisco ( 9) and Jacinta (7). We visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where the sacred tombs of St. Francisco, St. Jacinta and Sr. Lucia are contained. The basilica honors the Blessed Mother’s consistent requests to pray the rosary through its 15 beautiful altars dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the rosary. We visit the Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus before heading to Valinhos to see the two homes of the little shepherds and the site of the first and third visits of the “Angel of Peace.” The angel first appeared to the three children in 1916 to prepare the way for Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, I am the Angel of Peace,” and gave the children the prayer still recited by many today: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.” Mass is celebrated here on this day. 

A candlelight procession from the Little Chapel to the basilica (schedule permitting).

Dinner & overnight at the hotel in Fatima.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we depart Fátima to Santiago de Compostela. En route, we stop in Coimbra to visit the Carmelite Convent of Santa Teresa and the Memorial to Sister Lucia (the child visionary). A small museum attached to the convent displays an inspiring timeline starting with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima to Sister Lucia’s death at 97 (February 13, 2005), in her cell at the convent. Location of Mass this day to be scheduled. We travel on to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Check-in, dinner, and overnight in Santiago.  

 Breakfast at the hotel, where we meet our local guide and begin the day with a visit to the tomb of St. James. An 11th-century cathedral, the Santiago de Compostela Archcathedral Basilica is the burial place of St. James the Great and is among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle (others include St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican; St. Thomas Cathedral, India; and St. John Cathedral, Turkey). It marks the end of the pilgrimage route of El Camino and is named after the great saint who brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). We visit the Old Town, known for its incredibly winding streets and charming plazas. Mass, lunch, and free afternoon for sightseeing and exploring on your own. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.  

Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. We drive to Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, northern Spain. We visit the Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo, known for its array of architectural styles, from Pre-Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance.  This spectacular church houses the tombs of Asturian kings as well as the Camara Santa, a 9th-century chapel that contains venerable relics of the Holy City of Jerusalem, the most famous is the Sudarium, the cloth that was wrapped around Our Savior’s head after He died as described in John 20:6-7. Leisure time this afternoon for continued sightseeing (schedule permitting). Location of Mass on this day to be scheduled. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Oviedo, Spain. 

 Following breakfast and check-out, we travel to Covadonga to visit the Holy Cave of Our Lady of Covadonga. Located in the Picos de Europa mountains, this shrine is dedicated to the Virgin of Covadonga (“La Santina”), who, according to sacred tradition, interceded on behalf of Christian forces who defeated their attackers in the Battle of Covadonga in 718, marking the beginning of the Spanish Reconquista (a series of campaigns by Christians to recapture territories from the Moors who occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century). We continue to San Sebastian de Garabandal, a rural village in the Peña Sagra Mountain range of northern Spain, where the Apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary are said to have occurred from 1961 to 1965. Our Lady is often referred to as “Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Garabandal” as accounts of her appearance and dress were similar to portrayals of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The apparitions began on June 18, 1961, to four young girls: Mari Mazon, Jacinta Gonzales, Mari Cruz Gonzales, and Maria “Conchita” Gonzales, who reported a visit from an angel. On June 25, the angel made a second appearance, and subsequently, the Virgin Mary appeared as well. The messages were a call to “conversion of heart” and a “warning.” The apparitions have gained much following in recent years. Conchita Gonzales, the most known of the visionaries, lives in Long Island, New York, today. Mass this day is at the site of the apparitions (schedule permitting). Check-in, overnight in Bilbao, Spain (dinner on your own).  

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel toward Lourdes, France. En route, we stop in Loyola, in the Basque region of Spain, birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We visit the Sanctuary of Loyola, where a series of spectacular edifices are built around St. Ignatius’ birthplace. Also known as the Shrine or Basilica of Loyola, this sanctuary rests along the Urola River and honors the saint who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order) and is known as the patron saint of all spiritual retreats. Lunch before we travel to the Pyrenees Mountains toward Lourdes. Beautifully nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees stands the splendor of Lourdes, the birthplace of St. Bernadette Soubirous, to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858 near the remote Grotto of Massabielle. Identifying herself as the “Immaculate Conception,” Our Lady appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette 18 times and has become one of the world’s leading Marian Shrines. Mass is celebrated here this day. Candlelight procession this evening following dinner. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Lourdes, France.  

 Breakfast at the hotel followed by an entire day visiting the historical and profoundly spiritual birthplace of the visionary child, Bernadette. We begin at the Grotto of the Apparitions, where this beloved saint first encountered the Virgin Mary. With only rudimentary knowledge of the Catholic faith, she reported the visits to her parish priest, who became convinced because of the young girl’s lack of doctrinal knowledge. During one of Our Lady’s visits, she asked Bernadette to dig a hole in a particular spot on the ground. A small spring of water began to bubble up, and she was asked to drink from it. Almost immediately followed numerous accounts of supernatural healing from the water. Today, gallons of water continue to gush from the same spring source and pilgrims are able to bathe in it. To date, countless miraculous cures have been documented from the waters of Lourdes. We continue our walking tour, where we visit the Basilica of St. Pius X, the Boly Mill (the water mill where Bernadette was born), the Soubirous family home and the majestic Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. We conclude this unforgettable day at the miraculous spring and the healing baths. Mass is celebrated here this day. Following dinner, we join the nightly rosary and candlelight procession. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.  

  Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel a long, but beautiful journey through the French Pyrenees to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in the French Alps. It is on this site where, in September 1846, the Virgin Mary appeared to two young shepherds, Melanie (14) and Maximin (11), in tears. The children’s account maintains that the primary reason for Our Lady’s sorrow was due to a lapse in observing the Sunday obligation (people working on Sunday instead of going to Mass), as well as blasphemies against the Holy Name! Location of Mass to be scheduled. Dinner and overnight at La Salette Monastery – a very modest, but holy accommodation!   

 Following breakfast and check-out, we continue our journey to Ars. We visit the Shrine of St. John Vianney, the Cure d’Ars. In 1818, Ars was a town of only 230 inhabitants and when first appointed as parish priest, St. Vianney got lost trying to find the small town! Known for his stern sermons, this beloved saint had an ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By 1855, he became known internationally because of his great love for the sacrament of Confession and the conversion of many. He is the patron saint of priests/confessors. Lunch before traveling to Paray le Monial, known as “The City of the Sacred Heart”. We visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, begun in the 12th century and finished in the 14th.  It is in Paray le Monial where a then-young nun, Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, received numerous private revelations of the Sacred Heart in 1673, and through this saint, we observe the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to this day. Location of Mass to be scheduled. Location of Mass to be scheduled this day. Dinner and overnight in Paray le Monial. 

 Breakfast and check out before our final travels toward Paris.  En route, we visit Nevers, where we see the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette Soubirous which lies in a glass shrine in the chapel of the convent of Saint-Gildard.  St. Bernadette was 35 when she passed away in the convent (1879) from tuberculosis. She was canonized in 1933. Following Mass and lunch, we travel on to “The City of Light”, Paris. This afternoon, we visit the magnificent Sacre Coeur on the summit of Montmartre. The 2nd most visited destination in Paris, this splendid basilica has maintained a Perpetual Adoration since 1885! A special Farewell Dinner/ evening boat ride on the Seine tops off this incredible day! Overnight in Paris.  

  After breakfast at the hotel, a full day of sightseeing in Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral, dating back to the 12th century and considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture; Sainte-Chapelle, commissioned by King Louis IX to house the most prestigious relics of Christ’s Passion - The Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross. We visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on Rue de Bac, where the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure to request the creation of the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, more popularly known as the Miraculous Medal. We then go to a nearby church to see St. Vincent de Paul’s incorrupt body. Location of Mass to be scheduled this day. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening in Paris on your own! Overnight in Paris.   

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the US from Orly International Airport in Paris, France. A lifetime of memories and blessings to treasure through The Immaculate Conception!