Your flight arrives in Rome mid-morning. After gathering our luggage, a comfortable coach bus will meet the group and we will head immediately to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. One of the four Major Basilica’s in Rome, our group will celebrate Holy Mass, receive a guided tour then relax with a light lunch. Our bus will then take us to our hotel where you will have time to unpack, refresh and get settled before we walk to St Peter’s, the second Major Basilica of our trip, and the largest Catholic Church in the World. On our guided tour we will see Michelangelo’s Pieta, pray at the tomb of Popes St John Paul II, absorb the overwhelming beauty of every side altar, mosaic, and statue and have the chance to pray at the tomb of the prince of the apostles, our first pope. On our walk back to the hotel we will stop and enjoy a “Welcome to Rome” traditional Italian meal. Lunch on your own. (D)

After a leisurely breakfast we head to St Peter’s square and join other Pilgrims for the Papal Audience. Following the Audience, we return to the hotel and catch our bus to the Catacombs of St Sebastian where we will tour and celebrate Holy Mass. Following Holy Mass, we will take a short walk to a wonderful restaurant for a traditional Italian lunch. 

After lunch our bus will transport us to the town of Anzio, about forty miles south of Rome. In Anzio we will visit the 2nd largest US Military cemetery outside of the United States. If time permits, the bus will take us to the nearby church of St Maria Goretti where the remains of this child saint rest beneath the altar in the crypt. This church sits directly on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. After the tours we return to the hotel. Dinner is on your own (B/L)

A day trip to Assisi. After a quick breakfast, the bus will leave at 7:30am for the approximate two-and-a-half-hour drive to Assisi. On arrival we start with a guided tour of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli which played a significant role in St Francis’ life and where the Porziuncola is located. After a short bus ride, the group will walk up to the Basilica of St Francis where we celebrate Holy Mass before touring the upper and lower churches and praying at the Saints tomb. After a group lunch we will have the opportunity for an optional trip to St Francis’ hermitage (small additional cost of 10 euro per person) or shopping. Our day will conclude with a tour of the Basilica of St Clare. We depart for Rome at approximately 4:30pm. Dinner on your own (B/L) 

Today we leave the hotel at 6:45 heading to St Petr’s Basilica to celebrate Holy Mass in the crypts of the Pope’s. Following Holy Mass, we will take a short walk to the Vatican Museum (we will stop for a coffee and pastry during this walk).  Here you will enjoy a guided tour of one of the greatest museums in the world and storehouse of many of the world’s most stunning masterpieces. This tour includes the Sistine Chapel. Following the tour, we will meet back by the hotel and grab lunch at a local shop. After lunch, we break into smaller groups for a guided tour of the Scavi excavations under St Peter’s Basilica. The Scavi necropolis houses the tomb of St Peter himself and is one of the most sought-after tours in Rome. This tour concludes inside St Peter’s Basilica where you are free to continue touring on your own, walk the Cupola (tickets are at your own expense), enjoy the city or return to the hotel for rest. Lunch and Dinner is on your own. (B)

After breakfast at the hotel our coach bus will take us from the hotel to the third major Basilica, St Mary Major for Holy Mass in one of the side chapels. After Holy Mass we will be met by our guide for a tour of this beautiful Basilica. The guide with then take us on a short walk to the ancient minor Basilicas of St Prassede and St Pudenziana to see some of the oldest mosaics in Rome. Our group will then walk to the Church of St Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses and the very chains which tradition says held St Peter bound in Rome. Following a group lunch, you then have a guided tour of the incredible Colosseum and Roman Forum. After these tours, the group will walk back to our hotel, visiting local churches on the route. Dinner on your own (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will walk to St Peter’s Basilica to give this structure its highest purpose – praise and worship of God. The group will attend the concelebrated, multi lingual, 10:30am Mass at the Altar of the Chair. Following Holy Mass our group will gather back in St Peter’s Square where we will join thousands of others and Pope Francis for the Angelus at noon. After a light lunch, we walk to the Pontifical North American College for a tour. Following this tour, our guide will lead us through the streets of Rome to see Castel Santangelo, Piazza Novona, the Church of San Luigi Francese and the Pantehon. We will end the day with a stop at Santo Spirito in Sassia (The Divine Mercy Church).  Lunch and Dinner on your own (B)

The day starts with breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we take a short bus ride to St. Lawrence Outside the Walls and tour the first of our final three Pilgrimage Churches. We then journey to Santa Croce en Gerusaleme, which houses relics of the cross of Christ followed by a very short ride to visit Scala Santa which has attracted pilgrims who wish to honor the Passion of Christ.  Our morning ends with a brief walk to St. John Lateran, the fourth major Basilica in Rome and our final Pilgrimage Church, for a tour and Holy Mass. The bus will return us to the Hotel for lunch (on your own), our return trip Covid Testing (IF REQUIRED) and free time for touring, shopping, resting and packing. The Pilgrimage concludes with a wonderful farewell group dinner (B/D) 

Check out from the hotel and transport to the Airport for our direct flight home to Chicago