Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Welcome to Italy and the beginning of what is to be the most memorable pilgrimage of your life. Upon arriving in Rome airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where you will be greeted by your guide and driver, who will transfer you to your hotel. Meet your fellow pilgrims and then participate in the celebration of Holy Mass. Conclude with dinner and a restful overnight.

After breakfast, enjoy free time, then meet up with the pilgrims arriving from Assisi. Visit the Basilica of St. Paul, outside the walls. Originally founded by Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, this Basilica is the burial place of Saint Paul the Apostle. Next, make your way back to the hotel for dinner. Following dinner, have the option to attend the Canonization Vigil at St. Peter’s Square. Enjoy a restful overnight at your hotel.

Witness history on the momentous day Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is declared a Saint! Known for his joyful spirit, Frassati strongly opposed the communist and fascist movements that pervaded Italy at the time. Although his parents were agnostic, he developed a deep spiritual life. He had a great love for the Blessed Mother and the Holy Eucharist. An avid lover of the outdoors, his favorite pastime was mountain climbing. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati died of polio, which he contracted from the poor and sick that he visited in Turin’s slums. He was only 24, and his final words were “May I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. We will make our way today to St. Peters Square to secure our spot for the canonization ceremony. Witness the grandeur, music, and moving speeches as Bl. Frassati is elevated to Sainthood. Pending confirmation, we will meet with the Congregation of Frassati from the USA to celebrate this beloved Saint. This unforgettable day concludes with dinner and an overnight in Rome.

This morning, we will make our way to the oldest of the four major Basilicas in Rome, and the home to the relics of Peter and Paul, the Basilica of St. John the Lateran. Next, you will cross the street to visit the Holy Stairs. These Holy Stairs are the very steps leading up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem on which Jesus stepped on his way to trial during his Passion. The Stairs were brought to Rome by Saint Helena in the fourth century. Ascending these stairs on your knees, in memory of Christ’s agonizing Passion. Next, we will visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major. This Church, dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, St. Mary Major reigns as the only Basilica that has kept its original structure and is an authentic jewel in the crown of Roman Churches. This Basilica contains a relic from the Manger of the Infant Jesus. After lunch we will head back to tour St. Peter’s Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter the Apostle was martyred. Here, you will have the opportunity to view Michelangelo’s Pieta sculpture. Continue to proceed to the Vatican Museums. At the world-renowned museum, you will see the most impressive of edifices, galleries, and awe-inspiring relics. Additionally, you will observe the Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo’s Masterpiece, the restored mural of the Last Judgment. The final stop on your Vatican tour is at the tomb of Saint John Paul II. Pray at the tombs of Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II before returning to your hotel for dinner and overnight in Rome.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, transfer to Rome airport for return flights home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.