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

Welcome to Rome, also known as, “The Eternal City”. Upon arrival at Rome airport, collect your luggage in the baggage claim area and continue to the Arrivals Hall, where you will be greeted by a tour escort and/or driver. You will make your way to the bus and transfer to your hotel. Following check-in, this afternoon, your group will meet in the hotel lobby for a “Meet and Greet” with your fellow pilgrims and depart for Mass. After Mass you will attend a welcome dinner. After dinner, you will have the opportunity to walk to St. Peter’s Square, as a group, for the Rosary (optional).

This morning after breakfast we will celebrate Mass. Following Mass we will visit the Pantheon, an ancient Roman building, that is renowned for its large concrete dome. After lunch, visit the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was built in the first century AD and was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire. Christians were often persecuted in the Roman Empire, and many of them were martyred in the Colosseum. Some of the most famous Christian martyrs who died in the Colosseum include Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Saint Polycarp, and Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicitas. The Colosseum is a reminder of the persecution that early Christians faced, and it is also a symbol of their faith and courage. The Roman Forum was the heart of ancient Rome, and it was the site of many important government buildings, temples, and shops. It was also the place where public meetings were held and where the laws were debated and passed. The Roman Forum was a busy and bustling place. It was home to a wide variety of people, from wealthy aristocrats to poor laborers, and it was a place where people from all walks of life came together. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Witness history on the momentous day Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is declared a Saint! Known for his joyful spirit, Frassati was called “the Man of the Eight Beatitudes” by Pope John Paul II. 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. He greatly enjoyed the theater, opera, literature, and the arts. He was pure, happy, and enthusiastic about everything true, good, and beautiful. He was a true model for all Christian young men. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati died of polio, which he contracted from the poor and sick whom he visited in Turin’s slums. He was only 24. Despite his short life, he left a lasting impact by living his faith with passion and serving others with a generous heart. 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 other English-speaking devotees of Frassati  to celebrate this historic event. This unforgettable day concludes with dinner and an overnight in Rome.

This morning, we will make our way back to St. Peters for the Memorial Mass. After, we will 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 and pray at the tombs of Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II. Afterwards, we will visit the Church of the Holy Spirit in Sassia, which St. John Paul II designated as the Divine Mercy Spirituality Center in 1994. The Church is cared for by the sisters from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. After lunch, continue down the Appian Way, one of the earliest roads built in ancient Rome to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and the Catacombs. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Today we start with a visit the one of the oldest and major Basilicas in Rome, the Basilica of St. John the Lateran. This Basilica is where Pope Francis was installed as Bishop of Rome and is home to the relics of Saints Peter and Paul. Next, you will cross the street to visit the Holy Stairs. These Holy Stairs are believed to be 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. Ascend these stairs on your knees, in memory of Christ’s agonizing Passion. Visit the Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches which is believed to hold relics of the True Cross. We conclude our day with a Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. This Church, dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, is 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. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and a restful overnight.

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.