Marian Pilgrimage
June 16 Monday – USA to Rome
Pilgrimage begins as we depart the USA destined for Rome, Italy.
June 17 Tuesday – Rome
Upon arrival in Rome, our host will greet us at the airport and transport us to the hotel where we will meet our fellow pilgrims. We will celebrate Mass, have dinner and overnight in Rome.
June 18 Wednesday – Rome
After breakfast we will journey to the outskirts of Rome to Tre Fontane, the grotto where The Blessed Mother appeared to Bruno Cornacciola and his three children in 1947. During these apparitions to Bruno, Our Lady introduced herself as The Virgin of Revelation. This title was particularly significant to Bruno who had fallen away from The Catholic Church and joined the Seventh Day Adventist cult, actively attacking Catholic Marian dogmas. During the apparition Our Lady communicated a direct message to Bruno to “stop persecuting Holy Mother Church and return to the sheepfold”. The Virgin also imparted an important message to be delivered to The Holy Father. Bruno subsequently returned to the true Church. The heavenly message given by The Queen of Heaven to Bruno was delivered to Pope Pius XII which provided the confirmation The Holy Father had been awaiting to proclaim the dogma of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. In addition to these important messages, Our Lady promised many miracles of conversion at this holy site for sinners and fallen away Catholics and their family members who would come to pray on the soil of these apparitions. The Missionaries of Divine Revelation will lead us on a tour of these grotto grounds. We will celebrate Mass at this Holy Shrine named by JPII, St. Mary of The Third Millennium at the Three Fountains.
In the afternoon we will journey to downtown Rome to learn about its rich history, visiting the Piazza Navona, the Piazza Spagna, and making a stop at the world renowned Trevi Fountain before traveling on to the Pantheon. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
June 19 Thursday – Rome
Our day will be dedicated to the iconic Basilicas of Rome. Departing our hotel after breakfast we will make stops at St. John Lateran and The Holy Stairs, St. Paul Outside the Walls, celebrating mass at Saint Mary Major (the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome). In the afternoon we will participate in THE JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE passing through the Holy Doors of St. Peter Basilica. Time will be made for confession and prayers to be offered for The Holy Father disposing of pilgrims to obtain the plenary indulgence. We will have a guided tour of St. Peter Basilica then return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
June 20 Friday – Rome - Lyon - Par Le Monial - Ars - La Salette
After an early breakfast we will go to the airport boarding our flight to Lyon, France. Upon arrival in Lyon, we will be met by our driver and embark on our journey toward La Salette. Along the way we will visit the small town of Paray-le-Monial where the great apparitions by Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque took place revealing the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. We will celebrate Mass at The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paray-le-Monial. Moving onward from there, we will make a stop at the Basilica at Ars. There we will have some brief time to venerate the incorrupt body of the Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney who is widely known for his ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Arrival in La Salette in the evening for dinner and lodging.
June 21 Saturday – La Salette
The morning will begin with breakfast followed by Holy Mass at Notre- Dame de La Salette Basilica. Today we will enjoy the French Alps town of La Salette where the weeping Blessed Virgin appeared to two shepherd children, Melanie and Maximin on September 19, 1846. Our Lady’s message to the children at La Salette was one of conversion to her Son Jesus Christ. During the apparition Mary addressed specific offenses grieving Almighty God, “Six days I have given you to labor, the seventh I had kept for myself; and they will not give it to me.” It is this which makes the arm of my Son so heavy. Those who drive the carts cannot swear without introducing the name of my Son. These are the two things which makes the arm of my Son so heavy.” During our stay in La Salette, we will have an opportunity for prayer, reflection, confession, spiritual guidance as well as time to take in the natural beauty of this holy gem! We will dine and overnight in La Salette.
June 22 Sunday – La Salette - Lourdes
In the early morning, we depart via our chartered bus for Our Lady of Lourdes Sanctuary. Along the way we will stop in Montpellier, the home of the beautiful and historic Basilica Notre-Dame des Tables (Our Lady of the Tables). We will have lunch and continue. We will arrive in Lourdes to participate in the candle procession. Sunday Mass. Tonight we will eat and sleep in Lourdes.
June 23 Monday – Lourdes
After breakfast we will attend Holy Mass at the grotto and touch the healing water at the site of the apparitions of The Blessed Mother to Bernadette in 1858. The day's activities will include viewing a recorded historical overview of the apparitions while we contemplate Our Lady’s messages to Bernadette and the world, to “pray, pray, pray, especially the rosary for sinners, to do penance and to have compassion for the sick.” We will walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette and have time to collect Lourdes holy water and do some shopping. We will participate in adoration and the candlelight procession. Dinner and overnight.
June 24 Tuesday – Lourdes - Loyola - Garabandal
This morning our mass will be celebrated in a private Chapel. After the Liturgy we will return to the hotel for breakfast then reboard our bus to depart for Garabandal, Spain. Along our journey we will make a stop in the city of Loyola where in 1491 St. Ignatius was born. St. Ignatius, a Mary devotee credits his becoming a priest to answered prayers to The Blessed Mother. It is recorded that while discerning his vocation Ignatius spent three days in prayer before Our Lady. In an act of commitment to Christ, he lay down his sword in front of The Black Madonna.
We will arrive in Garabandal in the afternoon and proceed to “the pines” where St. Michael and The Blessed Mother are reported to have appeared to four young village girls: Conchita Gonzalez, Jacinta Gonzalez, Mari Loli who were 12 years old at the time and Mari Cruz Gonzalez who was 11. During these apparitions which occurred from 1961-1964, The Virgin Mary conveyed numerous messages to the girls urging them to pray the rosary, make sacrifices for sinners and seek the conversion of hearts. Our Lady who introduced herself as Our Lady of Mount Carmel foretold a series of supernatural events that would serve as signs and lead humanity back to God. These prophecies included a warning of a great worldwide event and a subsequent miracle that would take place in Garabandal. We will pray on the apparition hill at the pines before returning to the village for dinner and overnight.
June 25 Wednesday – Garabandal - Covadonga - Santiago de Compostela
We will eat breakfast and make a quick visit to the modest village church before boarding our bus. We will then travel on to the beautiful hilltop Sanctuary of Covadonga. It was in this cavern in the 700’s that Our Blessed Mother appeared to Visigoth soldier Don Pelayo who at the time was one of the last faithful Catholics in the battle for Spain against the Muslims. In what looked like imminent defeat Pelayo entered the cave to pray. At that moment Our Lady appeared and spoke these words to Pelayo, “Arouse thy strength; go forth in the name of Jesus Christ, and thou shalt conquer.” Having delivered her message, The Mother of Our Lord disappeared. Thanks to Our Lady of Covadonga, Pelayo's victory was such that the Moors were completely driven from the mountain. We will climb the mountain stairs and celebrate mass in the Sacred Cave Chapel. There will be an opportunity for lunch and shopping before we venture on. We are scheduled to arrive in Santiago de Compostela in the evening. If time permits, we will walk to the piazza acquainting ourselves with this marvelous city. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.
June 26 Thursday – Santiago de Compostela
There is much to see in this beautiful, historic city! Our guide will meet us after breakfast and lead us around the highlights in Santiago. St. James, the apostle of Jesus, namesake of this great city, patron saint of Spain and pilgrims was blessed to have received the first apparition from Our Blessed Mother in 40AD. Aside from being the first known apparition in the history of The Church, this apparition was unique in another way. Since Mary was still alive and living on Earth at the time, this apparition was also a bilocation. Her message to St. James was one of hope for his evangelization efforts. We will celebrate the pilgrim Mass at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral where the relic of St. James resides under the main altar. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.
June 27 Friday – Santiago de Compostela - Fatima
We leave after breakfast to continue our pilgrimage to Fatima. It is here in Fatima that Our Blessed Mother first appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta in the year 1917. Our Lady who identified herself to the children as Our Lady of the Rosary delivered a powerful message meant for the seers as well as for the whole world! She asked the children to pray, to pray the rosary daily, to repent and to consecrate themselves. In two of the apparitions, first in 1917 and again in 1925 The Virgin asked Lucia to spread The Five First Saturday Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart. We will arrive in Fatima in the afternoon to attend the international Mass and candle procession. Dinner and overnight.
June 28 Saturday – Fatima
We have the whole day to soak in the grandeur of the Holy Fatima Shrine! After breakfast we will visit the Sanctuary: Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary where the relics of St. Jacinta and St. Francisco reside, tour the small town of Ajustrel visiting the homes of the seers at the time of the apparitions. During the afternoon we will walk the hill where St. Michael the Archangel first appeared to the children to announce and prepare them for the coming of Our Lady. Here we will pray at The Stations of the Cross. We will attend Mass. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.
June 29 Sunday –Fatima - Lisboa - Paris
Following breakfast we depart Fatima heading to Lisbon International Airport. We will fly to Paris, France arriving at lunchtime. From the airport we will journey to The Chapel of Graces of the Miraculous Virgin for our Mass celebration. It is in this Miraculous Medal Chapel that Our Lady first appeared to Sister Catherine Laboure in 1830. The Holy Virgin entrusted an important mission to Catherine. The Mother of God declared to Catherine that these words be placed on the Medal, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” When Mary spoke to St. Catherine, she said “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be, in a special manner, under the protection of the mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.” After our time at the shrine, we will meet our guide and do some sightseeing in Paris: The Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and other notable sights. Dinner and overnight in Paris.
June 30 Monday – Paris
It is fitting that today nearing the culmination of our Marian Pilgrimage we will follow breakfast with a visit to the village Montmartre and The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as we acknowledge the truth that devotion to Mary always leads directly to the heart of her Son! We will celebrate Mass in the Basilica contemplating the various messages Our Savior has spoken to the world through Our Lady’s many apparitions. We will give thanks to The Holy Trinity for the gift of Our Blessed Mother under her numerous holy titles! In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to take in the view from the Siene River Cruise and time to spend at our leisure enjoying one of the most prominent cities in the world! We will have dinner overnight in Paris.
July 1 Tuesday – Paris - Los Angeles, USA
After breakfast we will depart to Paris International Airport to return to our homes in the US.
