After breakfast in the morning, we will leave Manitowoc for the historic town of St. Nazianz, arriving at the Holy Resurrection Monastery where we will join the monks for Divine Liturgy and then enjoy lunch in their refectory prepared by Abbott Moses, the chief baker and Culinary Institute of America-trained chef. After lunch, one of the monks will offer a reflection on monasticism and Byzantine Catholic spirituality after which, weather permitting, we will go for a short walk along the Wisconsin Way from the monastery to the chapel of our Lady of Loreto then back to the monastery.

In the afternoon, we will visit an authentic Wisconsin cheese shop and museum to sample fresh curds and discover the traditional art of cheesemaking.  

In the evening, we will enjoy traditional Wisconsin cuisine at a historic dining spot in downtown Manitowoc.

Breakfast and Lunch are included.

After breakfast, our pilgrimage continues onward to the city of Green Bay into the heart of the Catholic Diocese in which the apparition of Our Lady of Champion was deemed “worthy of belief” by Rome, making it the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition in North America.  Schedule permitting, we will have an encounter with the Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay's office, under whose auspices the Marian apparition received Vatican approval.  Mass will be in the center of Green Bay at the National Shrine of St. Joesph then we will enjoy lunch with local fare at a restaurant just outside of Green Bay. 

After lunch, we will visit the Norbertine Monastery in De Pere then head towards the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion stopping along the way, time permitting,  to pray with the Carmelite nuns at the Monastery of the Holy Name of Jesus.  Once we arrive to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, we will familiarize ourselves with this new Shrine then pray a rosary before heading to dinner. (This is just a short visit as we will spend the next day at the Shrine too.)

Dinner will be in Manitowoc at a local restaurant.

Breakfast and Dinner included.

After breakfast, we will reach the culmination of our pilgrimage as head to Champion to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion where we will attend a private Mass at the site of the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States.  

After Mass at the Shrine, we will have the opportunity to hear the story of Our Lady’s visitation to Adele Brise and to better appreciate the historic roots of Catholicism brought to Wisconsin by early immigrants.  There will be time for silent prayer and reflection followed by lunch at the Shrine’s cafe.

After lunch, pilgrims may be able to participate in enrollment in the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary at the Shrine in a brief ceremony. We hope that this will provide each person with a tangible way of entrusting themselves to Mary on their journey toward Christ. Anyone who enrolls will receive a certificate after the ceremony.  

From the Shrine, we will head down the road to a local vineyard and winery founded and owned by Catholics that supplies grapes for the annual blessing of the wine at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. We will tour the vineyard and partake of tastings in the winery accompanied by seasonal charcuterie and local cheese. 

On the way home, we will visit roadside “rogation shrines” in the local area and learn how these important chapels were an integral part of the lives of Catholic immigrants in Wisconsin. 

We will conclude the evening with a farewell dinner at a restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan.

Breakfast and Lunch Included

After breakfast, we depart for Milwaukee where we will visit the Basilica of Shrine of St. Josaphat and attend our final private Mass together.  St. Josphat is a patron saint of Unity.  He died trying to heal the Great Schism -- between the Orthodox and the Catholics. After Mass, we will have lunch in downtown Milwaukee and visit other Catholic churches as times allows.  We head towards Chicago in the mid afternoon for an early evening non-stop flight to Ft. Lauderdale. 

Breakfast included.