Make your way to your local airport where you will board for your first leg of flights to England. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board on overnight transatlantic flight.

Arrive at London Heathrow Airport and proceed to Passport Control, Baggage Claim, and then to the Arrivals Hall where you will be greeted by your Tour Guide/Drive to be transferred to your bus. From there, we embark on our English Pilgrimage with a visit to Aylesford Priory to celebrate the Mass. Located in the Archdiocese of Southwark, the Aylesford Priory is one of the ancient houses of the Carmelite Order and a major destination for pilgrimage. The word “Aylesford” means “crossing place for all peoples.” In 1242, a group of hermits from Mount Carmel were given land to establish a community by a crusader returning from the Holy Land. Five years later, in a Carmelite Chapter Meeting, Aylesford adopted the lifestyle of Mendicant Friars. In 1538, the Priory changed hands from the Carmelites to private hands at the Reformation, and became known as “The Friars.” It was purchased back by the Carmelites on October 31, 1949 (the vigil of All Saints). A Mass was celebrated once again, and in the words of the first prior of the restored community, Father Malachy Lynch, life returned! After this visit, you will have some time to enjoy lunch on your own, and then board the bus to Canterbury. Located on the River Stour, we will visit St. Augustine’s Abbey, a UNESCO Heritage site. The Abbey was founded by a monk who was sent there in 597 by Pope Gregory to evangelize and spread Catholicism, which he did for 7 years until he died. Canterbury became the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in England, at a time when Archbishop Thomas Becket was appointed in 1162. Next, we will continue the journey to Dover for a three-course dinner at a local restaurant. We will arrive at hotel in time for check-in, where you will be able to relax and enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

We will begin the day with breakfast at your hotel before heading to the Cliffs of Dover for some exciting sightseeing. We will tour Dover Castle and its tunnels – this medieval castle in Kent was founded in the 11th century and is one of the nation’s largest. Return to Canterbury to St. Dunstan’s Church for the celebration of Mass before heading to Canterbury Cathedral, another UNESCO World Heritage site. The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and while it was founded in 597, it was completely rebuilt in the 11th century. Many pilgrims visit this famous Cathedral to venerate the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket, who was murdered here in 1170. Following some free time on your own to grab lunch, we will board the bus to be transferred to Cambridge. After checking in, you will have some free time on your own before we gather to enjoy dinner followed by an overnight.

This morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before visiting Ely Cathedral. Formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, it was built in 672 and is attributed to St. Etheldreda. It is the oldest Catholic Church in England and served as a safe haven for Catholics who continued to celebrate the Mass despite the Catholic persecution in the 17th century. You will also find the Shrine to St. Etheldreda, an incorrupt Saint, who lived a life of austerity and saved many through her powerful intercessions from Heaven. Next, we visit Walsingham to visit the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, as well as the Roman Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. In 1100, Richilde de Fervaques, the wife of a wealthy Lord of the Manor of Walsingham Parva, dreamt that she was being transported to the house in Nazareth where the Virgin Mary received the Annunciation of Christ’s birth. In the dream she was told to build a replica of the house, and she followed through. Soon afterward, the wooden house was moved about 200 feet very mysteriously. News spread and pilgrims arrived, including many English monarchs who visited Walsingham over the subsequent centuries. We will celebrate the Mass here, and return to Cambridge for dinner and a restful overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will begin a half-day guided walking tour of Cambridge before lunch on your own. Next, continue to Kidderminster to visit Harvington Hall, a moated medieval Manor House. Here we have a guided tour visiting the tea rooms, malt house, visitor center, and gardens. As history teaches us, the great nephew (Humphrey Packington) inherited the estate in 1578. He is the man who built the house that we see today. He was a Catholic at the time of Queen Elizabeth I, which was a dangerous time for Catholics given that Mass was outlawed. For that reason, he built his house with a series of Priest hides. He would refuse to attend the Church of England, so they would fine him monthly with an increase each time. Not being able to afford the fines, he would attend the Mass but put wool in his ears. Later on, he would then go to houses like Harvington Hall to celebrate the Mass. Following the visit, we will transfer to Birmingham to check into our hotel and enjoy Mass before dinner and an overnight.

Wake up and enjoy breakfast. Our first visit is to Birmingham where we will enjoy a short panoramic tour around the city. Driving through we will see the rich history, culture, architecture, and parks the city has to offer, from the Birmingham canals through Victoria Square. Take in the unique shape of the Victoria Law Courts where the stones were laid by Queen Victoria. Drive past the Birmingham Library which is one of the largest public libraries in Europe. Next, we will arrive at the Oratory on Hagley Road. Also known as “The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri” or the “Cardinal Newman Memorial Church,” the Oratory is a community of priests and brothers and is a Parish in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Founded by St. John Henry Newman in 1848, the Church is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and was also the first house in the Order of the Congregation of the Oratory. We will then continue to Stratford upon Avon for a half-day sightseeing tour, as well as celebrate the Mass at St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church. This town is also famous for being the hometown of William Shakespeare. Enjoy some time on your own for lunch in the town then board the bus to make our way to Woodstock to visit the Blenheim Palace – a UNESCO Heritage site and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. We will finish the day in Oxford where we will check in at the hotel, unpack, and enjoy dinner and an overnight.

After breakfast, we start the day touring all that Oxford has to offer – including Oriel College, Wolvercote Cemetery to visit J.R.R. Tolkien’s gravesite, the Holy Trinity Church, and the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Continue to visit St. John Newman’s House at the College at Littlemore. While visiting, we will celebrate the Mass. St. John Henry Newman was recently Canonized in 2019. He is an important figure in English Catholic history as he was a poet, scholar, and theologian who converted to Catholicism in 1845 and worked tirelessly to restore Catholic roots in England. Return to Oxford for some free time to explore the town before gathering in the evening to enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel for a restful night’s sleep.

Start the day with breakfast, and then head to London to visit Westminister Abbey. The Abbey is inspired by Gothic architecture, containing numerous paintings, stained glass windows, pavements, textiles, and artifacts. The Abbey is also the resting place of many monarchs and therefore is held as one of the most momentous locations in the United Kingdom. After lunch on your own, enjoy a panoramic tour of London – including historical landmarks like Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Square, Regent Street, and Trafalgar Square. Feel immersed in British culture as you explore the city on a guided tour. Celebrate Mass at Westminster Cathedral (subject to availability). From there we will make our way over hotel and enjoy a delicious dinner and a restful overnight.

After breakfast, we start the day with a celebration of Mass at Brompton Oratory, also called the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We return to central London via Chelsea and Lambeth and continue our tour with a visit to the Tower of London. It is worth noting that St. Thomas More was imprisoned here from 1534 until the day of his execution on July 6, 1535 – His remains are buried beneath the Tower Church of St. Peter and Vincula (St. Peter in Chains). He remained King Henry’s loyal servant, but God’s servant first. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure before reconvening for dinner at a local restaurant and a West End musical show. End the evening by retiring to your room for a restful overnight.

After breakfast, we will visit Milk Street near Crutched Friars to see the area where St. Thomas More was born. Nearby, visit Guildhall Square – where St. Thomas More served as undersheriff – and St. Lawrence Jewry, the More family parish church. We will continue touring this great city with a visit to St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, including a tour of the Crypt on the lower level. From there, we see the iconic sites like the Tower Bridge. Continuing through our day we will also visit the Parliament Houses. Enjoy lunch on your own at a local restaurant in the area before you make your way to celebrate Mass at Tyburn Convent. The word “Martyr” means “witness” – it would later be applied to those who witnessed their faith in Jesus Christ by laying down their lives for Him. In the Martyr’s Shrine at Tyburn Convent, they honor more than 350 Catholic Martyrs. 105 of them are known to be Tyburn Martyrs who stood up for their faith by dying during the Reformation in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Some of them include Edmund Campion, Oliver Plunkett, John Roberts, Margaret Ward, and Ralph Sherwin. You will then have the remainder of the afternoon to continue exploring London on your own. You can return to destinations we visited, take in some new sites, or go shopping for souvenirs. This evening we will celebrate with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, then return to your hotel in time to pack and enjoy a restful overnight.

After a restful sleep, a full breakfast, and wishing heartfelt goodbyes to your fellow pilgrims and to England – you will board your transfer to the Airport for your return flight(s) 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.