Mount Marty University was founded on the 1500-year-old tradition of Benedictines around the world. Our mission is to aid students in their personal and spiritual growth. In service to that mission, the Mission Scholar’s program is proud to sponsor its first ever pilgrimage to Italy!

Under the leadership of the Vice President for Mission, Barb Rezac, a group made up of MMU students, alumni, and their families will travel to Italy on a 10-day journey to learn about the life and works of St. Benedict while also visiting many of our faith’s most holy places in Rome. Traveling in a Jubilee year, the group will also qualify for a Jubilee Indulgence offered by Holy Father.

Kingdom Tours has arranged daily Mass, excellent food, relaxing hotels, informative guides, and comfortable transportation so that all who participate can focus on the personal and spiritual growth that they seek. 

The Mission Scholars of MMU invite you to join them on this unforgettable pilgrimage! 

Our pilgrimage begins with our long flight across the Atlantic. Full of anticipation, we enjoy meals, drinks, and entertainment aloft. 

  St. Paul Outside the Walls : Welcome Dinner :

Arriving in Rome, our group proceeds through customs and collects our bags before we are met by our Tour Escort. We then transfer to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome’s four major basilicas. There we will celebrate Mass and enjoy a tour before transferring to our hotel to check in and prepare for our Welcome Dinner later in the evening. 

Overnight: Rome (Dinner*)

 Church of Saint Benedict 'in Piscinula' : Circus Maximus : Colosseum : Roman Forum : We begin our first full day in Rome with a visit to the Piscinula, one of the many names for the church that houses the Cell of St. Benedict. Our group will celebrate Mass and be given some additional time for prayer and reflection afterward. We then walk across the nearby Tiber River to tour and explore many of ancient Rome’s most famous monuments. Starting with the Circus Maximus, our group will also visit the Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Forum over the course of the day. In the early evening, we transfer back to our hotel for a group dinner. 

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast, Dinner)

Vatican Museum : St. Peter’s Basilica : Free Afternoon :

After breakfast, we board our bus and return to the Vatican for a tour of the famous Vatican Museum. The immense collection contained within has been amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries and includes several of the most well-known Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. To exit the Museum, visitors enter St. Peter’s Basilica and are given the chance to view Michelangelo’s masterpieces, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgement. Our tour complete, the group will celebrate Mass within one of the many chapels of St. Peter’s Basilica. With Mass concluded, the group will be given the balance of the day to explore the Vatican and Rome to each pilgrim’s individual tastes. 

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast)

Subiaco Day Trip : Monastery of Saint Scholastica : Monastery of San Benedetto : Shrine of the Sacred Cave of St. Benedict : Just a short drive from Rome lies the picturesque mountain town of Subiaco. Here, we encounter the Sanctuary of the Sacro Speco (“Holy Cave”), which has been one of the most significant places of Benedictine spirituality for almost a thousand years. For here is enshrined the very cave in which the young Saint Benedict of Norcia lived in the early sixth century as a hermit, following the example of the Desert Fathers. We follow this with a visit to the Abbey of Saint Scolastica, built to honor St. Benedict’s revered sister. At each site, we will be given ample time for prayer and reflection before returning to Rome in the Early evening. 

Nursia Day Trip : Monastery of St. Benedict :

Getting an early start, our group begins the long drive through the countryside to the small town of Nursia. There, we will visit the Monastery of St. Benedict where we will celebrate a Latin Mass with the monks before receiving a tour of the grounds. Afterward, the group will transfer to the town proper for lunch followed by a brief visit to the Basilica of St. Benedict. In the late afternoon, we board our bus and return to Rome to close the day with a group dinner at our hotel. 

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast, Dinner)

Monte Cassino Day Trip : Abbey of Monte Cassino :

We begin our day with an early departure as we set out for Monte Cassino. Founded nearly 1500 years ago by St. Benedict of Nursia, the Abbey has endured as a place of Catholic spirituality and worship despite centuries of political upheaval and warfare within Italy. Spending the rest of our morning and afternoon, our group will experience a tour of the grounds, celebrate Mass in the Abbey, and enjoy ample time for individual prayer and exploration. In the late afternoon, we return to Rome to share a group dinner at our hotel. 

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast, Dinner)

 St. Mary Major : St. John Lateran : Papal Audience

This morning of Ash Wednesday, our group begins with a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one the most important shrines in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We follow this with a brief transfer to another of Rome’s four major basilicas – St. John Lateran. This magnificent structure houses a fragment on the table on which Jesus consumed his last supper and is one of Rome’s oldest basilicas. Just outside, we visit the Holy Stairs, so named because they are the steps which led to the Praetorium of the Roman Procurator Ponzio Pilato. We then enjoy some added free time as we await the late afternoon Papal Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina.

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast, Dinner)

Free Day : Farewell Dinner :

The last full day of our pilgrimage will begin with a return to the Church of Saint Benedict 'in Piscinula' to celebrate a final Mass in Italy. Finding ourselves in a central location, our group is released to explore Rome to our own individual tastes. Kingdom Tours will provide a list of nearby activities and private tours as well as assist with organizing private transfers (if they are needed). In the early evening, our group gathers for a special Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant as we celebrate the beautiful and transformative pilgrimage we have all shared with one another. 

Overnight: Rome (Breakfast, Dinner)Meteora Monasteries: We spend this day experiencing the breathtaking views offered by the Meteora Monasteries. Built high atop the rocky cliffs, these UNESCO World Heritage Sites have stood for centuries and hold within them the richly preserved artwork and history of Christianity in Greece. 

Overnight: Kalambaka (Breakfast, Dinner)

Flights to USA

Today, we bid farewell to Italy as we board our flights bound for home. Our minds and hearts full of joy and faithful devotion as we look back on the pilgrimage of a lifetime.

Overnight: N/A (Breakfast*)