Join me on a retreat to Italy from April 28th to May 8th. Below are the details of the trip.
Click here to download the official brochure which includes prices.
For further information:
TEKTON MINISTRIES
9924 Cedar Ridge Drive
Carmel, IN 46032
Phone: (317) 574-4191 or
Toll Free (866) 905-3787
Fax: (317) 574-4195
E-mail:pilgrimage@tektonministries.org
Day 1 – April 28: Depart U.S.A.
Our pilgrimage begins as we depart on our overnight flight to Rome. Meals and refreshments will be served aloft. (D)
Day 2 – April 29: Arrive Rome / Assisi
Upon arrival in the "Eternal City" of Rome we will be met by our local tour director and transfer by coach north to Assisi, a town that welcomes us in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare into its peaceful interior. After check-in at our hotel we will celebrate Mass at a local church with the balance of the day free.
Day 3 – April 30: Assisi
This morning we will visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, site of the Porziuncola, the tiny church in the woods where St. Francis began his ministry and where St. Clare began her religious life. Then proceed to the Basilica of St. Francis where the saint lies in rest, the Basilica of St. Clare and the Convent of San Damiano. For those with the stamina, take a walk up Monte Subasio to Eremo delle Corceri, the Saint's favorite retreat. Overnight in Assisi.
Day 4 – May 1: Assisi / Siena / Florence
This morning we will depart Assisi and drive to Siena, home of St. Catherine. Our first stop this morning and a highlight of our tour will be the Basilica of St. Francis where we'll venerate the Eucharistic miracle of Siena. Hosts which have remained incorrupt since 1730. Then we'll go to St. Dominic's, St. Catherine of Siena's parish church where she attended daily Mass and went into ecstasy. Adjacent to the church is her home, which we'll tour and see the cell where she fasted and prayed. Then we'll stroll the ancient Gothic streets which converge on the Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful squares in the world where we can stop for lunch. Driving north through the beautiful Italian countryside we'll reach our final destination of the day, the "Cradle of the Italian Renaissance," Florence.
Day 5 – May 2: Florence
After Mass, tour Florence is an artful experience as we take in the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and the Baptistery with its renowned bronze doors. Continue to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella Church and the Basilica of Santa Croce. The remainder of the afternoon is free to discover this fascinating city on our own.
Day 6 – May 3: Florence / Orvieto / Bolsena / Rome
Depart Florence this morning and drive south to Orvieto where we'll visit the Cathedral of Orvieto and venerate the sacred Eucharistic miracle. There will be time for prayer and adoration. See the steps of the Papal summer residence where Pope Urban IV held up the blood-stained corporal and announced his intention to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi. We will then proceed a short distance to Bolsena, a lovely lake town where we will pray at the altar where a Eucharistic miracle occurred in 1263. Venerate the blood stained marble stones involved in the miracle. Then proceed to south to the “Eternal City” of Rome, out home for the next five nights.
Day 7 – May 4: Rome
This morning we'll head to the Mamertine Prison where St. Paul was kept in chains, view the Forum (outside visit) and Coliseum (outside visit) and stop at St. Clement's, to see the second century dwelling of Pope St. Clement, the third successor of St. Peter, and the original fresco depicting St. Clement celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This fresco gives us a picture of Eucharistic worship at the end of the first century or beginning of the second. Then proceed to St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's magnificent Moses followed by a stop at St. Mary Major.
Day 8 – May 5: Rome
We'll begin our day in Rome with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, followed by a tour including the Pieta and Adoration Chapel which our Holy Father opened in 1981. We'll then tour the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum, focusing especially on Eucharistic art and artifacts. In the afternoon we'll visit St. Paul Outside the Walls which was originally built by Constantine in the fourth century over the site of St. Paul's tomb, the Holy Stairs, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, and the Catacombs.
Day 9 – May 6: Rome
This morning we will visit the Trevi Fountain; the Pantheon; Piazza Navona with the famous Bernini's fountains; and Campo de' Fiori, one of the most colorful street markets in Rome. Continue to the Basilica of San Andrea del Fratte, where Alphonse Ratisbonne was instantly converted when Our Lady appeared to him. This is where St. Maximilian Kolbe said his first Mass and where Our Lady also appeared to St. John Bosco. The remainder of the day will be free for personal activities.
Day 10 – May 7: Rome
This morning we will experience a highlight of our pilgrimage, attendance at the Papal Audience at St. Peter's (subject to the Holy Father's schedule). Join thousands of pilgrims from throughout the world to listen to the Holy Father and receive His Blessing. The remainder of the day will be free for personal activities. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 11 – May 8: Rome / U.S.A.
Following breakfast, we will transfer to the airport to catch our return flight home.
