Dear Milanka,

First, I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR, TO YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY AND STAFF.
Secondly, I would like to thank you for giving me an opportunity to bring my grand son Alonzo to the Holiest Land, mankind have ever known.

This note is a little late cause I plan to make a surprise visit to your office weeks ago with my grand son but… most likely during this Christmas Holiday.

This trip made Alonzo more attached to the biblical stories, he was able to correlate these stories to the sites where it actually happened like miracles in Cana, in Bethany, in Bethlehem, Sea of Galilea, etc.

He acted not only, like a very anxious tourist, always in front of our very knowledgeable tour guide, NADY listening attentively, asking questions, but also following me in interacting, helping, leading and directing the group.
He even called the group ALONZO’S GROUP. There was no dull moment for him and…still asking more jobs and responsibilities. While driving between sites he was taking a nap but once the bus stopped he was awake again and leading the group to be out of the bus.

The highlights was at the Via Dolorosa, We went there at 3:30a.m. and he was awake earlier than his parents, and repeatedly carried the cross and lead the song “Where you there” while we were doing the station of the cross. At the foot of the Holy Sepulchere he wept and had tears in his eyes. A very emotional moment for us, and kept on asking why, why Jesus was crucified?

It seems Alonzo is destined to have a good Christian life and I know fully you had a good part of it.
My profound and sincerest gratitude to you.

Regards and GOD BLESS!
Albert

I thought you might like to see what I wrote about our trip to Europe. Thank you again for the planning and my special thanks to our guides and drivers. They are all first class.
Carolyn Thompson

Christmas 2012 We await the birth of the Christ Child. Have an Advent filled with anticipation.
In November I had an experience of a lifetime – a Pilgrimage to Europe. David, my brother, drove Janet and I to Denver to fly to Minneapolis, Amsterdam and on to Lisbon, Portugal. Those overseas flights are long………. Verlene Wilson and Treva Wilson Bergquist were on the tour also. Our guide, Jesus and our bus driver Pedro met us at the airport and off we went. Our first major stop was at Fatima. That is where Mary appeared to the three children, Lucie, Francesco and Jacinta. In the evening we joined with other pilgrims in a procession. Each had a lighted candle. David Weber from our group carried a lighted cross and others carried the Fatima statue the base covered in white flowers. Our spiritual guide was Father Michael Elan from Oakley. Each day we were able to have a private Mass in one of the extraordinary churches. In the Basilica the three children are buried. There are so many steps and inclines. I hurt my leg and had trouble walking the rest of the trip. Everyone was so kind to help me up and down and at times I couldn’t go on the long walks.

The guide and driver were Spaniards, so they were so anxious to have us leave Portugal and enter Spain. I was surprised about the interstate highway system in Europe – it is excellent and in Spain had light traffic. In Spain the landscape is much like Kansas. They grow winter wheat and cattle. Jesus and his father have a ranch. We first stopped in a small town near his ranch and saw where St. Teresa died. We next went to Salamanca and on to Avila. Avila is amazing – it sits on a hill and is completely surrounded by a tall wall. We ate at a B and B outside the walls. A portion of the Castle of the Duke of Alba can be seen in the distance. The line of royals from Alba is still current. Then it was on to Loyola where St. Ignasius was converted following injury in battle. Our Mass was in the Conversion Chapel. They wanted us to see the northern coast of Spain and where the Camino de Santigo passes through so we went to San Sebastian. Janet and I enjoyed our first gelato!. If you get a chance to see the movie "The Way" with Martin Sheen, about this spiritiual tour, it is worth your time. Several of our young Pilgrims hope to go back to Spain to take the walking tour. We left Spain and entered France. It was at this point that our bus driver returned to Spain. It had been his first trip with a tour – he owns his own bus lines.

Our next three days were spent at Lourdes where Bernadette saw the "lady" who asked her to dig in the grotto where she discovered a spring in the rock. That spring continues to run and delivers water for blessing, drinking and healing baths. We had Mass at the grotto with Father Michael, Father Jim Walker, who joined us for the rest of the tour, and two other priests. We participated in our own procession. The next day we visited Bernadette’s birthplace home. There is a full size Way of the Cross up a hill from the grotto. I couldn’t navigate the incline so Father Jim and I did the way of the cross in the Pius X Basilica which is underground and is shaped like an up-side down ship. Janet and I experienced the baths and had the opportunity for confession.

We flew out of Toulouse to Rome and spent three days there. Our guides were Gai and Marian. There is not a large car in downtown Rome. Many drive scooters. The gas is $15.00 a gallon. We walked all over downtown. The next morning we went to the Catacombs and the Colosseum. At Vatican City we toured the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Benedict had his weekly appearance on Sunday and the square was filled with people from all over the world.

We got to go to the Trevi fountain in downtown Rome and Janet threw a coin in the fountain. If you want to find love, you throw one coin, if you want to return to Rome you throw one coin and if you want a divorce you throw another coin. The guides said only to throw two, not the third!

We had great weather and since the season was over for many of the sites, we had less people. It made for a wonderful experience. May 2013 be your best year.

Love Carolyn Thompso

Rosalie,

My schedule has finally returned to normal after our wonderful trip and the Thanksgiving Holiday to allow me time to provide you with feedback.

This was my first trip with 206 Tours and I was very much impressed with the itinerary, accommodations, transportation and especially our tour guide Sami Tawil. When we started on the journey we did not know any of the other 40 fellow pilgrims. During the trip we felt very comfortable with this group and by the end of the journey we felt sad that we had to part ways.

Sami Tawil was the utmost professional in his attention to details. His knowledge of the Bible, Israel’s history and culture help provide us with more insight and information than I’ve experience with any other tour guides in my years of traveling.

I appreciated the midnight flight that gave us an additional day in Jerusalem and the great “last supper” at the Naurah restaurant in Abu-Ghosh.

This was a great way to end our trip.

My wife and I would definitely be looking to 206 Tours for future pilgrimages and travel arrangements.

Thank you for making our trip to the Holy Land such a wonderful and delightful experience.

Regard, Norman Jung

Dear Ms. Milanka Lachman and staff,

I recently accompanied my Mother and her friends from October 21- 28, 2012 on a pilgrimage to Rome, Lisbon, and Fatima. I went with my Mother because my Father is not able to make a long airplane trip. To be honest, I didn’t think much of the pilgrimage other than keeping my Mother company and make sure that she was safe. The whole trip was more than I expected. My Mother and her friends had such a great time. My Mother has always been a devout Catholic. I had a great time just being with her and knowing that this is what made her happy. Oh, and shopping endlessly for rosaries every day in every city.

All the arrangements for the trip were amazing. Our days were long, and busy, but extremely organized which I liked very much. The two priests that were with us on our tours were wonderful. I couldn’t believe we had a priest with us each day. It made the trip very spiritual and memorable.

Since there was a canonization in Rome the weekend before we got there, our hotel room for the first night in Rome was moved. Of course, this caused some dissatisfaction in our group since it was an inconvenience to move around. My Mother and her friends expected to be in the same location for all three nights. Well, I was glad we got moved to Hotel Columbus for our first night, which was about two blocks from St. Peter’s Basilica. We had an amazing view of St. Peter’s from our window. I went running the next morning, and I couldn’t ask for a better location. The hotels we stayed at the rest of our trip were top quality and were in great locations also. The service was excellent and the meals that came with the trip were good.

I want to thank our tour guides and drivers (which I apologize that I can’t remember all the driver’s names) that had tremendous amount of patience towards their pilgrims and were very professional. I’m in the healthcare industry myself, which requires interacting with many people and takes a lot of patience, so I can imagine what your tour guides go through. We had Helga Ruhmann, and Marianne in Rome. Both of these women were wonderful, very knowledgeable, and extremely patient. Marianne was very detailed and I really enjoyed that about her. Helga made sure we made it to dinner and checked in on us before leaving for the evening each night, and clarified our schedule for the next day. There was Felipe in Lisbon. My Mother and her friends liked him during the sightseeing afternoon in Lisbon. They said he was very detailed as well (I didn’t get to spend the afternoon with them). There was Jesus Garcia who met us at the airport and stayed with us from Lisbon to Fatima. I’m sure this is not new to him, but my Mother and her friends couldn’t believe his real name was Jesus. He was professional, knowledgeable, very patient and made sure everyone had everything they needed each day and before the end of the day. If there was a request or question from one of us, he made sure that it got answered and attended to. He made sure there was plenty of time for shopping for most of the women in the group.

When we came back from our pilgrimage, I was asked by many of my friends and co-workers how was my experience? I don’t know how many times I have opened your website, or said the name 206 tours to people letting them know that if they want a very detailed, and an organized pilgrimage experience, to go with your company. I told many of my friends that this is a trip they need to take with their parents or tell their parents because it was an experience they will never forget. When I interact with my patients and the subject of going on vacation comes up, I don’t know how many times I have talked about the pilgrimage and the wonderful experience we had and attached your company name in my conversation each time.

About a month after our pilgrimage, my Mother was hospitalized and had suffered a minor stroke with very minimal deficits. The good news is she’s doing well. While she was in the emergency room and I was on the phone with her very worried (I live in another state) the words that came out of her mouth was that, “we need to go on another pilgrimage next year. I want to go back to Fatima, then Spain, and Lourdes”. She had the tour schedule in her purse during her hospitalization just to let you know. With that said, you will definitely be seeing my Mother again on one of your tours. I’m hoping that it will be me since I can help her monitor her medications, if not my brother. The plan on another pilgrimage in two years has just been moved to less than a year.

On behalf of my Mother, Thelma Ang and her friends, we thank you. Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ang Dunham

This trip was not advanture or experience, it was a spiritutal journey that left me breathless, to be able to go to the places that my catholic belief and faith brought me to. This was beyone my dreams. Every day I would wake up with a feeling of joy and thank God for letting me be on this pilgrimage. I thought I would be traveling with no companion, but the attention the people gave me on this pil grimage was so warm and loving it me feel like part of them, all hold a special place in my memories. You could not ask for anything better.

This was the second time I traveled with 206 Tours, and I said to myself how could this trip be better than the first. But this pilgrimage had it’s own special spiritutal history of our Catholic Church.

A special thanks to the two I.V.E. Priest that accompanies us Fr. Walter and Fr. Franco from the Incarnate Word. We were Bless to have them say Mass everyday for us.

And of cource I can’t leave out our tour guide ( Simona ) and our bus driver ( Luciano ) they all did a FABULOUS job !!
By the Grace of God I hope to take another pilgrimage with 206 Tours.

GOD BLESS
JOE MARQUEZ OUR LADY OF PEACE SANTA CLARA CALIF

The trip was awesome. We squeezed in a lot of activities in a short period of time but it was well planned out. We had a great tour guide that was very familiar with all the local sites and their history.

We were blessed to have Fr Eric and Fr Fernando on this pilgrimage.

Now it is easier to relate when we read the Scripture concerning the short Life of Jesus and his travels and Ministry in the Holy Land.

We would recommend this pilgrimage to anybody.

Jim & Fran Tucker

Dear Yaritza,

Please see the picture below of my mom Paula Lopez and I Millie Khemiri.

We were both extremely pleased with 206 Tours. You really took great care of us prior to the trip. Every detail counted from the nice tote bag sent to us, to the window seats for my mom and the Kosher meals. You really went above and beyond to cater our needs.

Once we arrived to Rome, Italy we received a very warm welcome from out tour guide Karin. The 3 hotels were excellent and provided magnificent accommodations. The bus was comfortable and the bus driver Lucciano really made us feel welcome by playing music and a video.

The local Tour Guide Roberta was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Simona the Tour Guide was incredible! Super genuine, nice and with a great sense of humor.

I will definitely recommend 206 Tours to anyone that is looking for the best travel experience ever.

Millie Khemiri

Hi Amanda,

My wife and I were so happy with our Holy Land trip.

You were superb in arranging our tour itinerary to visit places Jesus walked on, in logical sequence.
We were thrilled too that you were able to book our daily Masses on the main altars of
the important churches, like the Church of Transfiguration, the Church of All Nation,
the Church of Holy Sepulchre that even Fr. Eric and Fr. Fernando were so thrilled
and called it a highlight of their priesthood to offer Masses at those very spot.

We told Fr. Eric to arrange with you a trip to Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal in the future.
My wife and I like to thank you for arranging our stop over in NY to spend Thanksgiving with our
son family, and our grandson.

Thanks again and hope to see you soon.

Tito

WOW! the 14th time was even more incredible. Thank you both and all of 206 Tours for the incredible journey we were able to make. We had such a beautiful and Spiritual Pilgrimage. I have not heard one single complaint and that has to be a first. We were talking to our group and said this was our 14th time and 7 is the perfect number in Scripture and so this was a Double Perfect Pilgrimage. Everything worked out well, except we were not able to visit the site of the Visitation due to the long line and time spent at Bethlehem, but that was OK. It was rainy so probably just as well that we did not make that “Gentle Slope” as I call it. We did visit the site of John the Baptist.

Everyone has raved about the hotels and the food. Thank you for the generous gift of the wine. It was awesome. We would take the partial bottles and sit by the Sea of Galilee and recap the events of the day and how everyone was touched. We did not get the opportunity in Jerusalem, except once, as one night the group did the Shroud, and then another night the Holy Hour, which blew everyone away, It was Fr Pat’s favorite. We feel that that time spent in quiet prayer is so vital to a successful pilgrimage. The lines were long and large crowds every where so this gave all of us a time to just calm down and then Wednesday morning was the icing on the cake with Mass in the Holy Sepulchre. Our Mass at Galicantu was also incredible. We were outside and overlooked the old City and the Kidron Valley. It was powerful.

In past pilgrimages, Fred and I would have to spend time sorting out details but it was totally smooth on this trip. We were able to spend time in prayer and meditation. Thank you again. We offered up the 206 family at all our Masses and Holy Sites. It had been 3 years since Fred and I were back and it was so exciting to see everyone we knew from years past.

Thank you again for an incredible pilgrimage and for working with us to make this possible.

Many Blessings to everyone and we hold the 206 family in our prayers.

Deacon Fred and Lorine Bourland

Amanda,
The trip was fantastic! It was so much more than I expected. The food was great and the hotels exceeded my expectations. Walid, our guide, is exceptional (and perhaps the most intelligent man I’ve ever met). Mohammed’s driving skills are amazing. This trip will be difficult to top, in my book. What an experience!

Peace,
Sally Zadra

Amanda,

My trip to Medjugorje with 206 was a very spiritually rewarding pilgrimage. I would recommend 206 to anyone going to Medjugorje. My son has expressed interest in going in the spring of 2014. My daughter-in-law has been there twice before, about 20 years ago, and would love to go back. They went to Mass together this past Sunday for the first time for my son in over 20 years. I think that is a “Fruit of Medjugorje”.

I found the Zovko Pansion to be very comfortable, the food was good, and the rooms comfortable. It was more than what I had expected. The one thing I think would have been good is if they could have had tea and/or instant coffee available in the evenings for free. I can understand the extra cost for bottled water and other drinks. It was nice that the Pansion was close enough to St. James Church that it was an easy
walk for all of us.

Father Bryan was a real treat. I’ve never met a priest like him. Really down to earth. He made the trip so memorable.

I world definitely recommend 206 Tours to anyone going to Medjugorje in the future and I would use you again.

Thanks for everything.

Carol Doria

Dear Yaritza,

Our recent trip to Portugal, Spain and Lourdes was quite special. Although the group was much larger than any other trips I have taken ( one to Greece with 206 Tours) the pilgrimage coordinator was well organized in handling effectively 46 people. Cora Reyes did a great job throughout the trip and the selection of guides throughout was excellent. One of the reasons I chose this trip was the visit to Montserrat. That is such a special place that I would hope you would include it in more of your journeys to these countries.

Thank you for your part in making the pilgrimage so memorable.

Linae Frei

Hi Amanda,

I do believe the consensus from everyone who went with me to Medjugorje was the same – we loved our guide and would definitely request her again. She made us feel like friends she had known forever – She was excellent in giving us the history of the country and all the side-trips – and her clarity of the English language was excellent.

Pansion – I believe I told you how much we enjoyed staying at Zovkos – the food – excellent, cleanliness – also excellent; Location – perfect. Highly recommend them and would put them on my first choice list for another trip.

Also Amanda, I do want to tell you and the owner of 206 Tours what a superb job all of you did. When we received our travel docs and information, everything was covered from showing us the location of our Pansion in regards to the church to the prayers we would be saying. 206 does an excellent job in selection of Pansions, providing their clients with detailed information on their pilgrimage and friendliness of guides. The backpacks, name tags and travel document holder are first class. All side trips requested went very smooth and very much appreciated. I certainly would recommend 206 Tours over any other company in putting together a pilgrimage.

Thank you again – hopefully we will be putting together another pilgrimage, and if you would work with us again, it would be appreciated.

God Bless,
Dot

Dear Samantha,

Here I am with a few words of gratitude for the wonderful pilgrimage to Fatima,Spain, Lourdes and Rome on Nov. 7th- 19th. My long awaited dream was made possible with the help of 206 Tours. I experienced you as God’s instrument. I thank God for this wonderful privilege given to me as the Spiritual Director of this pilgrimage.

I highly appreciate all your planning and arrangements. The tour guide Jesus was excellent. He was very confident and well informed of the Holy places. He was very patient with our group and was always willing to walk an extra mile for us.

Our hotels were fantastic. The location of our hotel in Fatima and Lourdes were only 5 minutes walk to the sanctuaries. In Rome to we had a fantastic hotel and wonderful staff.The food was great, especially in Spain. There was little issues for a couple as you explained in your email. Everything was excellent for most of us.

Thank you Milanka and 206 staff. You did an excellent job. and we are eternally grateful for your hard work. We as a group are very much renewed in our faith. This is my 2nd pilgrimage with 206 Tours and I look forward to work with you in the future as a spiritual director for any of your pilgrimage. I will highly recommend 206 Tours to any one who would like to make a pilgrimage.

You may use, if you like, this email and picture for future trip promotions. You and all other 206 staffs are in my thoughts and prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Michael Elan

Dear Samantha,
First off, Gold star to you for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also appreciating with high accolades Rinda’s last minute efforts when I was snowbound at JFK and rebooking my flight as well as arranging Petra for me. The taxi driver and tour guide were exceptional and Vicki kept checking in to make sure everything was top notch!

Very imperssive.

Regarding the Holy Land pilgrimage itself, I was able to compare the pilgrimage as I booked the same pilgrimage last year and I must admit this tour was even better!!!!!!!!!!!

Sami Tawil rocked as a tour guide. He put the entire footsteps of Jesus together in such a way that I did not grasp last year.

It is imperative that you request him every pilgrimage you do in the Holy Land.

Sami is extremely knowledgeable and knows quotes from the bible that were referenced with precision and impeccability.

Having a Franciscan priest as our spiritual leader accessed areas that I did not see last year as well. This year Mass was said at sights that we did have access to because of his Franciscan priesthood.

Fr. Andrew Nowak is a bright man and gave insight tat the sites hat I had not seen before last year.
We’ve become good friends!

I saw places this year that were not part of the tour guide last year and I am very grateful having done this pilgrimage again!!!!!!

Lastly, with all said and gold stars across the board, I would avoid the Olive Tree Hotel in the future as it was not a user-friendly place and the food needed rethinking.

I’m highly considering tour 41 this Spring!

God bless for your superior quality and expertise.

And many thanks to Milanka!!!!!!!!

Ted

Dear Samantha,
Here I am with a few words of gratitude for the wonderful pilgrimage to Fatima, Spain, Lourdes and Rome on Nov. 7th- 19th. My long awaited dream was made possible with the help of 206 Tours. I experienced you as God’s instrument. I thank God for this wonderful privilege given to me as the Spiritual Director of this pilgrimage.

I highly appreciate all your planning and arrangements. The tour guide Jesus was excellent. He was very confident and well informed of the Holy places. He was very patient with our group and was always willing to walk an extra mile for us.

Our hotels were fantastic. The location of our hotel in Fatima and Lourdes were only 5 minutes walk to the sanctuaries. In Rome to we had a fantastic hotel and wonderful staff. The food was great, especially in Spain. There was little issues for a couple as you explained in your email. Everything was excellent for most of us.

Thank you Milanka and 206 staff. You did an excellent job. and we are eternally grateful for your hard work. We as a group are very much renewed in our faith. This is my 2nd pilgrimage with 206 Tours and I look forward to work with you in the future as a spiritual director for any of your pilgrimage. I will highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone who would like to make a pilgrimage.

You may use, if you like, this email and picture for future trip promotions. You and all other 206 staffs are in my thoughts and prayers.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Michael Elan

It was the trip of a lifetime and I gained much in my spirituality. Your guides and drivers are wonderful. My special thanks to Pedro, Jesus, Gia, Marian. Father Michael is a blessing. Everyone on the tour were kind to me and helped me navigate the steps. I hope I wasn’t too much of a burden to the group.

The hotel in Lourdes was close to the shrine and there were plenty of shops and restaurants. We enjoyed the restaurant staff – especially the young Mexican man.

Thank you for everything.

Carolyn Thompson

P. S. I love Spain.

Rosalie,

I cannot praise Jesus enough on the great experience he gave to us. Pedro our bus driver was very sweet and enjoyed getting to know him. The whole trip was so inspirational and deepened my faith even more. Giae and Maryann in Rome were very nice and did a great job making the trip memorable. Thank you for the service your company provides.
The only negative comment I have is try not to eat so late. 9:00 pm is very late for Americans.
The hotel room in Lourdes was very small compared to the other hotels we stayed in.
All in all I enjoyed my spiritual pilgrimage and will never forget each special place we visited.

Janet

I noticed the information for the pilgrimage to Medjugorje next year with Michael Brown and family. I just took my first trip there a little over a month ago and it was incredible – a wonderful holy place and I wish very much that we could bring a life centered around the church back to America. However, that is not the reason for my email. On our tour, we had two ladies in their 80’s and one was traveling with her granddaughter who was still healing after 2 surgeries from a severe fall she took several months before and she had limited mobility due to her leg being in a removable cast. Their participation in some of the activities as you can imagine was limited. However, on the last day we discovered you can hire the young men from the drug rehab center to carry you up the mountain. One of the ladies in our group, while she would like to have gone back up Apparition Hill and Mt. Krizevac, she had already done so on prior trips. However, this was the first trip for the other woman and her granddaughter and they were very disappointed to learn this news so late. I do not have all the details about this but it might be a good thing to look into and let the people who will be going to Medjugorje with you know about.
God bless you.
Sharon

One cannot express in words what a wonderful and blessed trip this was to Medjugorge. So many miracles occurred and so much has happened since…and so much clarity…and so much feeling of love, protection and awesomeness.

I would like to thank IVAN BOSNJAK and Msgr. John Meehan for guiding us along. Msgr. John was always available and his delightful personality was an added blessing. His spiritual direction goes without saying–but I’ll say it, gracefilled.

Ivan was wonderfully warm, extremely knowledgeable and intelligent, well organized, and sincere in his faith, and I can’t say enough about him. We miss him here in the United States, and we welcome him and his family any time.

Love and peace,

Jane E. McCarty
Harrison, NY

My sister and I were glad to have picked our Pilgrimage trip through you. Our tour to Israel "Holy Land" was an unforgettable trip. Our Guide, Rimon, was excellent, very knowledgeable and also nice and kind. We were very lucky to have him as our Guide. He caught up with Holy Sites we thought we were not going to be able to see because of our delayed. Our Priest was also wonderful. We were very happy to have him in our group. Without him, it would have not been the same.

We were touched in so many ways at Holy Land. The hotels were very nice and the food was very good. Love the boat ride in the Galilean Sea. We love the music the boat played as it approach the deck. In Jerusalem and all the Holy Sites we went to. Seeing where Christ was born, baptized, preached, performed miracles, where the Last Supper took place and then crucified for our sins to saved us. An overwhelming experience we will never forget! We thank God for the opportunity of being there. I have problems with my knees but our Tour Guide was helpful and very thoughtful with me. He helped me when necessary and made it easier for me. I will not hesitate to contact you if I decide to go to another Pilgrimage. Now I am praying for peace in the Middle East and that Jerusalem stays untouched so more people can have the same experience I had. May God also protect the hundreds of Pilgrimage visiting "Holy Land." My life will never be the same after being there!

When I contacted your Insurance Company for the claim regarding the cancellations and hotel stayed do to Sandy’s storm on our way to Israel and then the second one on our way back, they were very nice and prompt sending the form I needed to file the claim. We did it right away and we are waiting for the results. We also would like to thank you for calling my husband to let him know about the cancellations and the new arrangements. It makes things easier since I did not have a phone to give my husband the final changed on the reservations. You did your best.

Irma Joyce and Lourdes Bellatti

The trip was awesome. Guide was the best and the driver was great We all had a great time. Looking forward to next year.

Fr. Eric J. Hill

Dear Rosalie and 206 Tours

What a WONDERFUL, SPIRITUAL GIFT of visiting your tour to Fatima, Spain, Lourdes and Paris!!!!! We learned so much and deepened our spiritual life. It was a blessing and fun. Our guide, Jesus, was very kind and caring of all his charges ( AKA-clients). All the special guides were also very knowledgeable.

I am now interested in visiting Garabandal. When, is not yet definite. Thanks so much for what you do. God Bless the folks on Long Island. I grew up in Queens, then lived in Baldwin 40+years before moving near Albany NY.

Keep up the Lord’s work. Hope to contact you in the near future.

God Bless, Loretta Donohue

(Helen Marie was with me on Tour# 40)

Hi Liz,

Our pilgrimage was wonderful! I felt such peace and as though my faith had been given a spiritual B-12 shot!

We had a fabulous guide! She became like family, immediately, and there was no problem she couldn’t handle. She was delightful, full of energy and always ready to listen to anything you had to ask her. Our bus driver, Maximo, kept us safe, rocked us to sleep as soon as we started moving, and performed incredible feats of maneuverability with our extra large bus (which we loved all the window seats!! thank you) The pilgrimage was just what I needed and I can’t say enough about the wonderful guides we have always had with 206. You have some fabulous people who work for you, their faith and their kindness is inspirational.

Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful experience!

Margaret

Hi Liz,

I can’t thank you enough for all you and 206 did to make this pilgramage so pleasant and so memorable. The accommodations were excellent, the guide was fantastic and very special. The bus driver, Maximo, was the best driver I have ever met. He turned corners on a dime that I had never seen anybody do.

The spiritual elevation I have received in this year of faith is such a blessing. Having Fr. Savoie say Mass at a different chapel everyday was so inspiring. I saw so many beautiful churches, paintings, frescoes, architecture that I have never experienced in my life. Our group really gelled (we got along so well) and they were wonderful, good, holy people and it was an honor to be in their presence.

The highlight , of course, was being in the audience with Pope Benedict XVI. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and communion with groups from all over the world.

I could go on and on, but I will just say thank you and Amen.

Dottie Conner

Thank you, Liz.

Our pilgrimage was wonderful and we are looking forward to "seeing" each of those holy sites again as we read about them in the Bible. Our tour guide, Fr Angelo, was terrific, and our driver, Issom, was amazing. Everything about the pilgrimage was positive and we have no negative feedback on anything.

Burton & Nancy Pauly

Dear Samantha,
It is so kind of you to follow up with our Holy Land experience. My husband and I truly consider our pilgrimage a trip of a lifetime— rich in incomparable sites, inspiring memories and incredible experiences.

Our guide, Rimon was stellar — a virtual walking (and talking) biblical historian. His ongoing narrative was essential to our deepening understanding and appreciation of all we were experiencing.

Father Lee Descoteaux was the perfect spiritual leader, celebrating Mass and leading prayer in both reverent and heartfelt ways. His ease in relating to and ministering to everyone in our group was truly admirable.

Although we experienced some travel challenges—both to and from TelAviv—because of weather delays necessitating complex re-routing—we tried to remain focused on the “inconvenience” to us which was rendered insignificant by the enormous devastation for so many in the Northeast. I know that Rimon did everything he could to rearrange the schedule and to accommodate those who arrived later than scheduled. His knowledge of the best times to visit various sites helped to manage our daily schedule and minimize the waiting times and long lines often encountered in touring.

We trust that your office was doing all you could to communicate changes and ameliorate difficulties and appreciate being prayed for throughout our journey.

We ask God’s blessing on all you continue to do for so many who choose to travel in your able hands.

Sincerely,
Bill and Linda Carson

Yaritza,

We were truly blessed in everyway. I believe everyone benefitted spiritually. If there was one change I could make….it would be to add an extra day to Assisi.

Your tour coordinators (Ines, Victoria and Slava) were excellent and willing to accommodate us. I believe Victoria even learned a good deal from us and even relaxed in the midst of scheduling pressures.

In my book, 206 tours is A+! Please thank your entire team on my behalf.

Sincerely in Christ……..Father Vince Inghilterra FSD

Dear Samantha,

I truly enjoyed every moment of my tour. I had great apprehension about travelling with unknown people, that too from America and undertaking a travel through an unknown agency and not from your own country. But the entire experience changes my thinking totally. My co-travellers were more than friendly than my Indian friends and they all showed me great concern and love. I have undertaken pilgrimage tours through Indian agents twice before. But nothing compared to this. The arrangements, the food, the stay, everything were distinctive. I even told my other friends that if you are planning for any pilgrimage, that should be with you. What a difference.

The guide was too good and very considerate and compassionate and loving. He is a wonderful person.

I have been undertaking many pilgrimages and many retreats for the past 20 years. But nothing changed me so much. I wanted a radical change in my spiritual life. I hope this one will give. Lord made me understand that obtaining eternity (walking the narrow path) is similar to the very very difficult walks we took to the El Camino.

Thank you once again for giving me an opportunity to experience this. Yes, of course I would like to go with you in the coming years also. I will approach you at the right time for my next year pilgrimage.

Best regards,

Starla

Ms. Godfrey,

I am writing as a two-time 206 pilgrim.
My first pilgrimage with 206 Tours was the Santiago de Compostela, Fatima, Spain & Lourdes tour June 13-24, 2011. I will tell you that both my mother and I had an amazing experience. We were beyond satisfied with all aspects of the trip. The hotels, guide (Jesus), local guides, spiritual director (Fr. Donald), and driver were all exceptional. The food was amazing and the organization that went behind every detail of our trip was obvious. After such great treatment, we knew that we would travel with 206 Tours again.

The Canonization Pilgrimage to Rome, I knew, would be my second pilgrimage with your agency. My mother could not travel with me this time but a close friend joined me. Once again, our guide (Gaia) was awesome! She went far beyond her call of duty. In her, I found a lifelong friend I’m sure. Our spiritual director (Fr. Damien) was a patient, understanding and enlightening figure. I would love to do all of my pilgrimages with this pair! Our food was excellent, as usual.

My only complaint on my second trip was the hotel check-in. Having traveled for more than 8 hours or more, it would also have been nice to come to rooms that were ready and available. Arriving with the first group by 10:00am, we had to wait until after 2:00pm to be able to settle into our rooms. Although this gave us time to explore , many of us were exhausted and were wanting to shower/freshen up before venturing out. I think that the hotel could have had the rooms of the first group ready, as they had a list of all of our arrivals.

Honestly, that was the only kink that I encountered on this trip. It still does not change my wonderful opinion of 206 Tours. In fact, I think that I may try one of your secular trips next.

I hope that our comments help to improve your agency so that many more experience the remarkable service that I have.

Yours truly,
Lourdes Chavarria

Hi Liz,

The trip was great and the tour guide was very patient with a very independent group. She did a great job balancing the group and letting the independent pilgrims wander a bit.

The hotel in Medjugorje was nice and the staff was very accommodating.

The hotel in Dubrovnik was nice and the food was good.

I was surprised we did not have time to go to the refugee center. I know in the past, people generally enjoy that little trip. There is one thing you do not have any control over, which I would like to share. There was very little time by the shrine for quiet prayer. There is quiet adoration only from 2-5pm. The rest of the time, both the church and chapel, are busy for Masses. The Oasis of Peace has been closed for some time now. The sparse accommodation of prayer and Eucharist I found disappointing.

206 Tours was marvelous. I very much enjoyed working with you. Though Fr Paul was the point man for him and I, my impression of your communication and administration was A+ for you.

Thank you very much for making our trip a success.

God Bless
Fr Moe

We had a wonderful trip and everyone was very helpful, especially our tour guide, Gaia and Spiritual Director: Father Damien. But all of the tour guide’s from each place we went to were very knowledgeable. We remember also Rebecca, she was very good as well.

We were in awe of the places we visited. The hotel where we stayed at served good food. We will recommend your tour to anyone who would like to visit places and be spiritually enriched. We were very impressed.

The only complaint that we can think of was that we had a few problems and our airline seats, as we were all separated despite the fact that we booked early. But when we arrived in Rome everything was handled efficiently.

 Ellen Davis 

Dear Rosalie,

Before I begin, I would like to say that our tour guide in both Rome (Kerin) & Medjugorje (Ivan) were GREAT! Kerin conducted her job well and took care of us with love. She was great!

Being that I was on this trip with a back problem, somewhat bad knees and a weight problem, I managed to participate in most activities. Kerin was nice enough to recommend to us when to take a taxi and it proved well to listen to her advice. Being that I traveled with said problems, I just want to say that by the end of our tour in Rome, I was in more pain than when I started the trip. I attribute that to the fact that most of the places (i.e. St. Benedict Monastery, San Giovanni Rotundo, Assisi & Siena) were places that had back-to-back “HILLS” to climb. Thank goodness we did not have the chance to climb Apparition Hill & Cross Mountain because it rained.

We arrived in Rome and was greeted by Kerin. On arrival to Hotel Quirinale, our rooms were not ready. Mind you that we flew 20 hours with 10 hours layover to get to Rome from Guam! Rooms not ready until late afternoon was not a plus in my book for 206 Tours even though you have no control over the hotel you choose for the tour. Frankly, I would never use that hotel in future trips.

Two notes: Tipping adds up when you have a different bus driver during the duration of the tour. Secondly, although we know this is a pilgrimage, we traveled so many miles, and not being able to spend at least 15 minutes to bring back religious articles at all the places we visited saddens me. There needs to be more time to “shop”.

I thank the office staff for their assistance in arranging the trip, and our tour escort, Kerin who is the best tour escort I’ve had in all my years of travel. I would also like to thank Ivan, Fr. Andre and Fr. John, our Spiritual Directors.

God bless,

Lucia Aponik

Dear Ms DeFilippo,

This pilgrimage was a special experience for me. I loved every step of the trip. Visiting Santarem and Fatima were very moving.

And seeing the fervor and devotion of all our pilgrims and also the ones filling the shrines of Fatima and Lourdes was exceptional.

We were blessed with the presence of Javier as our guide. He was friendly and diligent in sharing with us his knowledge of all the places visited as well as making sure that we had the best care in comfort and food. In fact, he is the best… a very caring and genuine man.

I thank you for giving us Father Joseph as our spiritual director. A holy and kind man who supported us on our pilgrimage of faith.

We were fortunate to attend daily Mass and in such special locations… specially at Santarem in the presence of Blessed Sacrament.

I also have to mention our coach drivers who got us safely without any fuss to our destinations.
The hotels, food and drink were very good.

I cannot forget Carmelita and Chiqui, the organizers of our group here in Vallejo. They did a fantastic job of coordination.

Most of the locations, especially in Portugal and Spain were new to me. I know that this was a pilgrimage to visit holy sites and I have now been and prayed at many shrines that are not usually seen…. but I wish we had more time to absorb and appreciate Lisbon, Fatima and the Miraculous Medal shrine.

This was my first trip with 206 Tours and I commend you on the organization and smooth running of the pilgrimage. And although I cannot join the group on the planned trips next year, I anticipate and look forward to more pilgrimages with your company.

God bless
Marie Hendow

Yaritza,
Our trip went very well, the pilgrimage was very nice, it is always a treat to travel with Fr. Robert.

I do have a couple of comments about the trip.

First, 206 did a good job of putting us in nice hotels, centrally located and the staffs did a very good job of making us feel welcome and the meals were very nice. The buses were clean and comfortable and the drivers were competent and helpful with the luggage.

I will definitely recommend 206 Tours if anyone asks about putting a trip together in the future.

Now on to the tour guide. Karin was simply amazing.

She has an inexhaustible knowledge of Italy, and even told us what our city tour guides would be telling us when we left her.

She is a delightful person, and clearly had our best interests in mind the entire trip. Every single day’s event was planned meticulously.
The amount of effort she put in to make everything run smoothly is just not anything we can understand.

Karin is smart, funny and just a delight to be with. I have never been on a trip that was planned and executed as well as this one was.

Being in business, I can tell you that it is always evident when some one enjoys their job and is conscious of making it turn out excellently.
If you had to have one tour guide be the face of your organization, it would have to be Karin. I cannot stress enough how capable she is.
I would not hesitate to join one of her groups in the future.

I trust you value her skills, there can not be very many people that have her unique skill set. She is a joy to be around.

We all will miss her.

Thank you for your time and efforts on our behalf. We enjoyed our trip immensely.

We look forward to employing your organization in the future.
Tom and Cindy Luca

First of all, we would like to thank God for the special graces and blessings He had bestowed upon us all. Secondly, we would like thank 206 Tours for putting together another spirit filled and faith enriching pilgrimage. This is the 4th time, since 2008, that we organized a group to go on pilgrimage with your company. Our group blended with 206 Tours pilgrims with Father Joseph Mundakal as spiritual director.

Our 13-day pilgrimage was truly a blessed one. We were blessed to have three priests in our group. We were also blessed with an awesome tour guide, Javier Gomez. Although we were a big group, 23 from our group and 20 from 206 Tours, we became a big happy family. As Chiqui and I have observed, everyone in the group enjoyed the trip.

We thank God for Father Joseph Mundakal, our spiritual director. He brought everyone to focus on prayer, especially the praying of the rosary everyday in the bus. Whether every one was tired or sleepy, we continued to pray. Praying together everyday in the bus reminded everyone that we were pilgrims, not tourists. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was always the highlight of the day. His prayers and faith sharing helped others to open up.

Our awesome tour guide, Javier Gomez, was very caring and patient with everyone. He served as acolyte in our daily Masses and we saw his love for God, not only during the Mass, but by the love and care he gave us. He walked the extra mile for us. We had our fill.

We thank God for our co-pilgrims, from the 5 to the 92-year old, who made the daily sacrifice of waking up early and going to bed late without complaint so that we can make the most of the day. Every bit of sacrifice we made was worth it.

In conclusion, we were a BIG happy family. Everyone was friendly with one another. All the pilgrims departed with a BIG friendly smile. Beautiful memories of the pilgrimage will remain in our hearts.

There is one thing that we would like to see improved, if possible. The airline seat assignments. We hope to see families seated together.

Thank you 206 Tours for making this pilgrimage possible for everyone. Our 4 to 5-star hotels were fantastic! The location of our hotel in Fatima and Lourdes were only 3 to 5 minutes walk to the sanctuaries. The food was great, especially in Paris! We were always filled.

THANK YOU, MILANKA! We give 206 Tours a 5-star rating. : )

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank your friendly staff — Rinda, Stefanie, Samantha, the Accounting and IT staff in assisting us in this pilgrimage and also to Eva, Sandra, Liz, Amanda, Patrick who assisted us in our previous pilgrimages.

May God continue to bless you all — and 206 Tours. You are God’s instruments in bringing people closer to the Lord.

There are two more pilgrimages ahead of us in 2013, God willing We look forward to working with you again.

God bless.
Carmelita Torres and Chiqui Ramos

Dear Rinda—

First, I wish to thank you and your staff who worked with us and was so patient with all of our questions and needs.
I cannot begin to tell you in words what a fantastic, wonderful, spiritual experience it was for all of us, especially those who were touched the most spiritually. There is so much more I can tell you, but I don’t think my computer would have enough room to explain all the oohs and awes of our trip. What, I think, was especially wonderful was to watch our priests concelebrate Mass. They could hardly believe they were in Rome, no-less to be able to concelebrate. They were ecstatic!!!

We had the most wonderful guides, Suzanna with Gaia. We had all become very close to them and should we ever go to Rome again, we would like to have them assist us again. As a group we all became very close and attentive to each other. We all got along very well, and it was difficult to say our good-bye’s when that time came.

It is funny, but already, my group wants to plan another trip. They want to leave tomorrow—ha ha. Anyway, when we do plan our next pilgrimage, you will be the first to know.

We do plan on putting a CD together of all the pictures taken, and hopefully to music. I know it will be a little while before that transpires, and we will be more than happy to share all that we have so you may share with others. I will send you a copy. Also, we managed get a wonderful group picture.

We are going to try and meet together, one more time, as a group to share our experiences. I am hoping we can do that in the next couple of weeks or so. By that time every one should be settled back into their schedules. I will let you know what comes out of that.

Rinda, again, thank you and your staff in all the time, effort, and your help in pleasing us in all aspects—from beginning to end—in our pilgrimage to Rome.

Most sincerely and blessings,
Bobbie

Dear 206 Tours,

What a great group, beautiful hotel, but oh my aching knees and feet. Ann, Kateri, and I all have blisters from the cobblestones and miles of walking. The people who were in charge did an excellent job. Again, the hotel was exceptional and good food. I did have a little scare when I really got behind the group (age you know) and took a wrong turn and a guard got me in St. Peter’s and took me to the main guard office; I kept thinking I am going to jail and no one will know where I am. We were fortunate to have seats at the canonization. This is my eleventh trip with your company and it is always a pleasure.

Peg

Our tour in Poland and Holy Land experience were overwhelming, most important of all the Holy Places where Jesus Christ’s sacrifices and sufferings to redeem our sins.

Our arrival in Warsaw, Poland was smooth and safe, wonderful experience flying the airbus, so exciting for the tour guide to greet us. That night, we were entertained by the local singers, great food, and introduced ourselves. The Zakopane cable car ride-view magnificent mountain, a beautiful site of flocks of sheep strolling along the mountain side, and local peddlers selling unique souvenirs. The Black Madonna Shrine was one of the highlights with Paulinian spiritual guide so persistent to take us to see all the beautiful paintings, & relics while a concelebrated Mass was going on – a chance to kiss the relics behind the altar. The guide has a sense of humor, funny with a strong personality. A disturbing experience in paying a visit to Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp and St. Maximillian Koebs picture in the cell.

The following day the flight to Tel Aviv en route to Munich, our luggage were lost due to security system breakdown and were found 3 days after, no store were opened at the time due to Jewish holidays to buy extra clothes. The airline only provided us with toiletries and had to do our laundry at night. The tour office driver greeted us at the airport and took us to the hotel. The tour guide was not aware we lost our luggage until we were hearing Mass at the hotel. There then he made contact to locate our suitcases. It was a great relief to finally recover our suitcases being brought to our hotel room after 3 days and 2 nights. Nevertheless, during those 3 days that our luggage were lost, it didn’t bother us much due to the great feeling of excitement and happiness to witness the Holy Places, and our marriage renewal vows in Cana, in unexpected occasion dressed in leggings and shorts. The spiritual guide commented that God will understand our situation.

Both the tour guides in Poland and Holy Land were knowledgeable and concise but there is always minute rush in picture taking for the group taking due time limitation.

Overall, we are so grateful with 206 Tours for giving us the opportunity to experience the greatest accomplishment, and highlights of our life. We feel refurbish and rejuvenated although this is not our first time to Holy Places.

With best regards,
Jose and Leoncia Grefaldon

PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST, NOW AND FOREVER, AMEN, ALLELUIA!

Dear Liz and 206 Tours,

Greetings in the Lord Jesus and our Blessed Mother Mary, PEACE AND GRACE BE WITH YOU ALL!

My HEART-FELT THANKS for all your care, sacrifices, and help to make our pilgrimage to England and Wales a reality. Thank you, sincerely, for your "Welcome back" message.

First, I give praise and thanks to God for He willed that our pilgrimage will materialize through all our prayers, sacrifices, and personal efforts. I know how much our coordinator, Gloria, worked so many hours day and night with you and the 206 Tour Company. Every time Gloria turns to me, I say to her, let us keep on praying and surrender all to the Lord and if it is His will we will go to the United Kingdom….and we did!!! PRAISE AND THANKS BE TO GOD!!!

Secondly, I sincerely thank 206 Tour Company with Milanka and specially you, Liz, for all your prayers, guidance,efforts, directions, and lots of sacrifices from the time Gloria asked you for help. I know you have been chosen by God to assist us in this blessed pilgrimage.

I am convinced that it was Divine Providence that Gloria asked me to be the priest chaplain of this pilgrimage.It was definitely a grace, a blessing,and a privilege for me since all those who got involved are all close to God.. from Gloria, 206 Tours who organized everything, the tour guides, and all the pilgrims. You carefully paid attention as always with the minute detail of each aspect from flights, time, places, food, accommodations,and pilgrims and those who helped us in so many countless excellent ways that made all the arrangements superb. It is my first travel to the United Kingdom but I feel confident for I have known all these pilgrims who responded except for four. These new ones are all very prayerful and close to God and to our Blessed Mother Mary and so they became like brother and sisters to me; we bonded so easily together with all the rest. Ester, our pilgrim guide from U.K., is very gifted and knowledgeable with the history of England and Wales and was very thorough and ready to help. She called us her "Darling" so we called her "Darling" too. I considered her our Shepherdess for she cared for us where ever we went. She introduced us to our local guides, to the priests where I celebrated Holy Mass, to the Carmelite Nuns, Sisters and the Friars of the Shrines we visited. All welcomed us with warmth and great joy. There were 17 of us including Ester, our Shepherdess, and Lawrence, our bus driver who is so excellent in his driving maneuvers and drives us to every destination safe and sound. Our bus with its amenities and restroom facility gave us a lot of assurance and comfort especially to me.

For me this pilgrimage to the United Kingdom is like discovering a "hidden treasure", for the country is so beautiful with such rich, and great history. First it was Catholic with many cathedral basilicas, monasteries, churches and shrines. Then the introduction of the Anglican church by King Henry VIII forcing himself to be the head of the state and the church. The sufferings and persecutions that happened to our Lord Jesus and his followers were repeated during the reign of King Henry VIII so we have Saints like Thomas Moore, John Fisher, Thomas Becket, and many other Martyrs who remain ever faithful to Christ and His church, who were ready to lose everything even their very lives. So this special pilgrimage is very timely and meaningful during this year of grace, the YEAR OF FAITH. It is my prayer and hope that more pilgrims will discover this hidden treasure and be inspired to deepen their faith in action. We did not have an audience with Queen Elizabeth of England but we were constantly in the company of the Queen of Heaven, Mary our beloved Mother who always guides and protects us where ever we traveled. I am sure we pilgrims returned home with more knowledge of England and Wales, spiritually richer, fired up by the Holy Spirit, inspired with the great discoveries of the United Kingdom and surely filled with God’s graces and blessings.

Thank you so much Milanka, 206 Tours and specially to Liz Shea. I am praying that God bless and reward you abundantly now and always.

Sincerely in Jesus through Mother Mary,

Fr. Peter

Dear 206 Tours,

I am very grateful to God for the wonderful faith filled experience that I recently had in the Holy Land. This is my second pilgrimage but I learned so much about the holy places where Jesus ministered. The tour guide was excellent and knowledgeable. The bus driver was super and the pilgrims were awesome. Each of them blessed the group with their faith experience. I would also like to thank the 206 Tours staff for your professional assistance and expertise in all the details and preparations for the pilgrimage. May God continue to bless you all!

In Christ,
Fr. Nils Hernández, Pastor

Rosalie,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
It was a trip of a lifetime and one to remember. Our guide Ray, driver Joe and Father Nils Hernandez were all fantastic!!
Ray was the most knowledgeable guide I have ever come across and Fr. Hernandez will remain a good friend forever.
I am happy to give 206 Tours a high recommendation – your trip was awesome and life-changing!!

With All of My Thanks,

Mark S. Vukelich

Dear Rinda,

We just got back from our pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land. I would like to first thank you for your patience and for making this trip very special! We had the most amazing trip, the group was extra special and Raymond is very knowledgable of our Christian heritage and our Father was very kind during the trip. Most of all, I would like to thank you for all the arrangements you made from the security personnel that greeted us once we got off the plane, to the ride to the airport and escort to the immigration. As you are well aware, before entering paradise one must stop in purgatory, and without your extra push it wouldn’t have been possible as I am originally Lebanese. It is such a dream come true! I must have spent the very best Birthday ever celebrating with the beautiful group, while Raymond ordered a special cake for me.

Again, Thank you and Hod Bless you.

Very Best,

Joseph

Dear Samantha,

Our experience was wonderful. Our tour guide, Rimon, was absolutely outstanding. His knowledge is impressive. My wife is Catholic, I am Jewish, and Rimon was sensitive to my faith and made certain to point out sites of special interest to me. I felt very comfortable. There cannot be a better guide in Israel. We were fortunate to have him.

Father Hernandez was very warm and understanding. He was also fun to be with. My wife and Carmen are both Spanish, and with Father being Spanish as well, it was like a bonus for them.

The hotel accommodations were clean and comfortable, although the food at the Olive Tree was not that good.
Getting back to reality after such a moving experience won’t be easy. We most certainly will consider 206 tours in the future.

You may use any or all of my comments. Photos will follow in a few days.

Best regards,

Buddy 

+JMJ

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Dear Liz, Milanka, Sandra, Patrick and the 206 Staff,

Happy Feast Day of Saint John Paul II tomorrow, Oct. 22!!!

What a blessing to be in England and Wales as we ushered in the Year of Faith! It is just so timely as the Holy Spirit designs–to be in this part of the world that had sacrificed so many lives for the witness of the faith.

As you know my car was hit in the rear two days before our flight as I was driving after I left the printing shop for our pilgrimage booklets. So after I got home from UK I paid attention to the problem. Not to mention Father Aquino’s car was also hit two weeks before our departure to England. I was so unsettled then and disturbed as I was talking to Liz for some final instructions. Liz’s words to me "keep up the faith" was so consoling and helped me refocused my mind. Yes, I have these trials before leaving for our journey of faith and I have to keep up my faith: "I believe, Lord. Increase my faith".

Our flights were on time outbound and coming back. Our accommodations were excellent for me, although some were not satisfied in Walsingham, but we all were amused about it and were enlightened after telling them why we were booked there for a reason which is for our own good, geographically and spiritually. The food was excellent as well. The Priests, Nuns and Friars in the Monasteries and Priories we were in for Masses were so delighted to accommodate us, and we experienced their warmth and hospitality with community, audiences, and snacks. This includes also the Shrines of our Lady of the Taper, Slipper Chapel, Relic Chapel in Aylesford, etc. Our bus driver was superb in maneuvering into the tight little streets and alleys of Walsinghams and Oxford Carmel Priory. Our bus was so comfortable — I even liked the color–pure white! Our tour guide, Ester was so knowledgeable–an expert in Church History and I salute her for that!!!

Father was so conscientious in emphasizing the core of our pilgrimage. Every day we went over the cross section of our Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter "Porta Fidei". Father helped us refocus our attention to the main reason why we are on a pilgrimage and in such specific places on this time of the year. Most of all, we have our Lord daily in the Eucharist because of him. Our Holy Hour for Priests and for our country was religiously kept every day.

As with any other event in our life we can only strive and aim at perfection by doing the best possible ways we can. Even then there is always an imperfection, because we ourselves are not perfect at all. Everything happens for a reason and that’s where our faith comes in. We got to hold on to our faith!

Thank you all sooo much for all the arrangements. We are really a team! I really hope I did not wear you out?!! Looking forward to the next itinerary with you as the Holy Spirit leads, in accord with His Holy Will.

My personal exhortation to our pilgrims was my hope that after having gone to those places of martyrdom, we ourselves, with the grace of God, will be constant, steadfast, courageous witnesses to stand up for our faith in our own homes, in our workplace in our country at ALL COSTS for the greater glory of God.

Peace in Carmel,
gloria o. sison, ocds

Dear Liz,

Thank you for all you did to make this a very successful pilgrimage for me. I called my husband from England and told him this was the BEST pilgrimage ever!

I thought I knew some of Britain’s history. I realized how naive I truly was once I learned more about the 800 monasteries destroyed by the reign of King Henry VII. The churches were incredible inside and out and I loved the architecture and stain glasses in all of them. The appreciation to all the talented craftsmen in those days. In Canterberry, we had an opportunity to stay in a 14th century Inn. I loved it all, and that was part of the fun to experience, how it must have been to live back in those days with horse and buggy. I loved how people from other countries open up their doors to visitors, not to mention, those on a Pilgrimage.

I will be going on another pilgrimage to Poland and Israel Nov. 5 so back to the suitcase. And then a rest for a while until the next trip.

To you and your family, have a wonderful and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Thank you for your prayers for the group, as we returned the prayers in full to all of you from my heart.

Love,
Mary

Dear Amanda,

The pilgrimage was filled with blessing and for the most part went very smoothly.

I doubt there could be a better guide than Slavenka whose knowledge, insight, kindness and planning are superb. I also love her sense of humor! Naturally our group varied in physical abilities for walking and climbing and she was most attentive to the needs of all helping whenever she could.

Julie worked hard on planning and making reservations. She and her husband, Randy, did a great job. Having Fr. Luke along was a huge blessing.

I recently chatted with a couple who went on a pilgrimage on their own and I didn’t have the heart to tell them how much they missed out on by not going on a 206 tour.

Of course 206 can’t take the credit for the great weather God provided but that certainly helped our experience to be outstanding. On the other hand, 206 really can not be blamed for any room assignments, crowing roosters, or other small irritating factors which which perhaps helped to test our patience and to make us grateful for all we did have.

May God continue to bless your company,
Martha Harpin

Dear Rinda,

Greetings in the name of the Lord. I wish to express my profound gratitude for the opportunity given me to serve as Spiritual Director for the pilgrims to All Shrines in Italy from 3-15, October, 2012. I count it a privilege because it served me spiritually in a way that I may never have had it. if I had made it in any other way.. For me it is prayer answered by God beyond the request and expectation. I thank God almighty for it through your agency. Besides my personal preparation before the trip, the written words of the agency stating their expectation of me, added to my preparation Among these was the stress on SERVICE. My life as both a christian and a catholic priest has been enriched greatly. The group for me was fast to become a spiritual and affective family that at the parting, I was emotionally disturbed. I had to leave fast to my Room so as not to betray my emotion before them. The tour guides were wonderful. Karin and Elena know their job and in fact they are doing it as theirs to do. May God bless them. In my mind, I have their names and most likely to remember them in my prayers. Though I have never met you or Goeffrey Samantha and Stephanie, your mails in themselves have brought you all to my mind to be remembered together with the entire agency, 206 TOUR in my prayers. Once again, I thank you.

May God bless you all.
Fr Andrew Otu

Hi Liz,

The trip to Medugorje was truly a blessing. This was my second visit. The flight over was good and we were prepared.
The accommodations were beautiful. I’m not sure who planned the meals (knowing the two priests who were involved they might have left it to the hosts) but I would suggest that breakfast include some kind of whole grain cereal and fruit. Our breakfasts consisted of mostly eggs and bread, but for anyone who needed to stay away from simple carbs, such as a diabetic, it was difficult to get a balance for such a full day. The other meals were lovely, well cooked, and tasty.

Our guide was a gift. At the very end of our visit, we got a few minutes to share and I learned that she had been a teacher…I should have known. She was informative and very helpful and very spiritually oriented—everything we could have wished in a guide. She worked hard to keep us safe and focused and she worked very patiently with both priests.
The only real issue I think was our preparation for Dubrovnik and its currency. We were told by the guidebook that Euros would be good in Croatia, but that was not the case. In fact, using any form but the Kuna in the old city was really a hassle for more than one of us. Although the old city was beautiful, I found it to be too much a tourist trap to be really valuable.

The airlines were both very good.
Other than that, it was a beautiful trip full of graces. Thank you so much for all that you do for Christ and His Mother.

Peace and prayers,
Rita

Dear Rosalie,

I think I can speak for the whole group, when I say that we had a wonderful time in Medjugorje. Our guide, Ivan was wonderful; he was very informative and helpful in every way. The picture (below) is of our group and the Massachusetts group and the others are from atop Cross Mountain. When we were descending the mountain, someone yelled out, "Look at the sun!" It was pulsating and in the middle was a bluish circle. I took these pictures of the sun and this is what developed and we all thought they were amazing. Thank you for everything you did to make our trip memorable. Yelka, her husband, her mother and daughter worked very hard to make our accommodations quite comfortable. I would definitely use 206 Tours again for my next pilgrimage.

Sincerely,
Dede Juergens

Dear Rinda,

I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to be the chaplain on this pilgrimage. It has blessed me more than you will ever know. I went feeling physically and mentally warn, I returned feeling and being restored spiritually, physicaly, and mentally restored and renewed ! The people of my parishes have confirmed this and friends have said that I seem like a new man. One of the greatest blessings of all was Javier, a real man of God who was patient, giving , wise, and very knowledgable about the faith space, he is a true model of what it means to be Christian man and was very inspiring for me and all who were on this pilgrimage. Thank you for this blessing. Know that I will keep you and all who work and travel with 206 tours, in my prayers.

Your brother in Christ

Fr Scott

Hi Rosalie,

My husband and i just got home from an extended time in Europe, which was fabulous.

I very much enjoyed my experience in Lourdes. It was more then I imagined and the spiritual journey was bot fulfilling and enriching. The guide we had (Jesus) was very kind and compassionate. He made himself available for the group in an unconditional manner.

I would not hesitate to do another pilgrimage with 206 Tours in the future. Thank you for the help I received from your end too.

God bless you and keep up the good work,
Lorna

Dear Rinda,

I texted you from the Athens airport on Monday but not sure you received it. Our pilgrimage was absolutely perfect. The accommodations, and our guides Mara and Kostas were absolute angels. All members of our group bonded tremendously and the 3 not from our original group are planning to come to Wisconsin for a reunion! We took hundreds of pictures. Many are interested in a 206 tour to Medjugorje with Fr. Dominic.

Thank you for all your help and we look forward to booking future pilgrimages with you!

Marie

Dear Ms. DeFilippo,

First and foremost, I would like to thank 206 Tours for giving me the opportunity to be the Spiritual Director on the Footsteps of St. Paul pilgrimage. All of us on the tour were very impressed with the outstanding accommodations provided. Every detail of the tour was perfect. Our guides Mara and Kostas were our Guardian Angels throughout the tour. They were very knowledgeable, gave clear explanations, and patient answering our questions. They were very compassinate to all, especailly to the older pilgrims whenever they need extra support.

The group truly enjoyed the hotels, food, trips on the bus, cruise and flight.

The service on the Lufthansa Airline flights was the best anyone had ever experienced. The staff attended to our every need and concern.

In closing I would like to thank you again for this opportunity; the general consensus of the group was that we will be planning another 206 Tour again soon.

Sincerely,

Father Dominic

Dear Respected Rosalie,
Greetings from Fr. John! Rome and I thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be with the pilgrims who visited the Shrines of Italy.

At the very beginning, I appreciate you arranging this pilgrimage to visit the Shrines of Italy though 206 tours. The custom of going on pilgrimage is not an invention of the modern Christian world as it has been the practice down through the centuries. Yet, preserving and perpetuating is a ‘Mission’ for God. Thanks to 206.

To be frank, I had previously been to all the Shrines we visited, except Lanciano, since I have been in Italy for the past three years. But, my experience with the 206 group of pilgrims, and with our efficient and resourceful guide Mrs. Karin, it was a new and enriching experience for me personally. I collected tons of information through this tour, besides my spiritual experience. I am sure the same goes for all who had participated.

I appreciate all the members of 206, and my prayers and blessing to continue to work in the vineyard of the Lord.

– Father John

Hi,

We took a leap of faith,when we decided to join the pilgrimage and PRAISE THE LORD, we were not disappointed. We felt very blessed to be able to visit all the shrines we went to. Karin was great, she knows her stuff well, accommodating, and a people person. Constansia and Marainne were good.

Overall, we rate this pilgrimage an A+ and will surely recommend it to our friends.

God bless you all!
Macalalad family

Thanks so much, Milanka, Stefanie and Slavenka, for another great travel experience to Medjugorje.
Everything was perfect, from flight details to our wonderful stay at Jelka’s.
I look forward to our next journeys through 206~~you are the BEST!

Love~
Maureen

Hello Rosalie,

This is the first of any religious or any other pilgrimage and took it mainly because my mum is elderly and has always spoken of Fatima so googled Fatima and read through your website and the many positive comments of your previous clients and decided to do Fatima to Lourdes.

The tour was wonderful and I’m sure I got more out of it than my mum. I enjoyed every aspect and enjoyed the company of the other members of our group, most of whom I will continue to communicate with. Jesus was our guide and he was so helpful and knowledgeable. He kept us on our toes and also kept us amused whilst giving us all the support and necessary information. Father Robert Villa (the voice of our conscience) was delightful and inspiring.

Hotels and food were great and we could not have had a better tour.
I will certainly recommend your company and hope to do another tour with you next year.

Regards and thanks,
Maria

I just got back Oct.1st as I met my family in Paris then went to Rome then Zurich.

It was my first pilgrimage and on top of that I went alone. Confident and just knowing that I will be in a group when I get to Lisbon. I was so happy to join my pilgrimage group and extremely thankful for the guide Jesus, the driver Pedro and Fr.Vila for everything they have done to make my pilgrimage a memorable one. Jesus was extremely knowledgeable of the task he had to do and really took great care of all of us. He is an expert in what he is doing and is an asset to 206 Tours. I will not hesitate to do another one with any of your pilgrimages.

Thank you,

Fe Moreo

Amanda,

We had a wonderful pilgrimage. Filipe was a wonderful guide – I hope to have him again in the future on other pilgrimages. Our hotels were great and the scheduled activities and meals were perfect. I am very happy with 206Tours and appreciative that you would accommodate such a small group.

God bless,

Rev. Robert Hughes

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for the "welcome back".

I just got home 3 hours ago so I am a bit tired but I wanted to respond that the trip was all I could hope for and I think every one agreed. All went smoothly with flights, tours, hotels. I have some great pictures but it will take a while to organize them.

Fr Hughes was great as always and having Mass every day in a different place was very special. The shrines were extraordinary and we had plenty of time to explore each one of them. and ask questions and have private time to pray. Having the last day free to explore Paris on our own helped us to understand the city so that we would be more comfortable if we return.

One suggestion was adding a stop at Normandy Beach if it could be fit in.

Our tour guide, Filipe Carreira, was excellent. He was warm and friendly and handled all the details that made the trip so special and was attentive to our questions, special needs and requests. His directions were clear. If we decide on another pilgrimage every one said they would like to request him again. He shared experiences about his home in Portugal that made us want to go there.

That’s just a brief summary for now so I can fall into bed.

Thanks for your hard work that also attributed to making this pilgrimage memorable.

Jeanne Daly

Dear Ms DeFilippo,

We had a wonderful trip. Our guide, Karen, did a great job in planning and executing our trip. I owe her many little attentions that made the trip so informative and enjoyable.

It ended too soon!

Thank you for making this trip available to us.

Sincerely,
Tony DeSerpa

Dear Ms. DeFilippo,

While I hate answering surveys, I’ll do so in this case because praise is due.

Fr. Robert Villa did a marvelous job as chaplain. He is a staunch, orthodox priest, who saw to it that what we experienced was what was advertised–a pilgrimage and not a scenic tour of holy places. He had labored over his homilies before he set out, so was well prepared with authentic messages. Every day we had morning prayer as well as Mass and the rosary, and sometimes stations of the cross too! It was my privilege to act as lector during the whole tour (a thrill at the grotto in Lourdes!). When a number of pilgrims were leaving the tour in Fatima, he said a vigil Mass for them late Saturday night so they would fulfill their Sunday obligation despite their travels the next day. Book him whenever you can!

Both tour guides were excellent and good at shepherding the straying sheep. Completely knowledgeable about what we were seeing and "connected" with the people necessary to open the doors. Without meaning to detract in any way from Claudio, I wish to single Jesus Vivas out for special praise, as it was clear that he considers his job as an apostolate. He is brimming over with Spirit.

The trip as a whole was well planned–distances/times were bearable even for me (I’m 75), and the days were as stuffed with sites and activities as we could manage.

The hotels were well chosen–clean and comfortable. The proximity of the hotels in Fatima and Lourdes to the sites made it easy to visit repeatedly. Excellent food at Hotel Carris Casa Troya in Santiago.

The only suggestion I have is that you make clear on your website that you have the ability in some cases to mix and match tours. I had the mistaken idea that they were stand alone tours–but pilgrims were joining and leaving us at various cities to continue their pilgrimage on other tours. For example, I might have continued on to Paris had I known that was possible.

You have my permission to reproduce any of these remarks.

Yours truly,
Hurd Baruch

The tour guide of any tour makes such a big difference in the overall experience and I want to let you know that Karin Videbaek is a great asset to your company. She was always pleasant, accommodating, answered each question with respect no matter how many times it was asked and made the experience even more enjoyable with her historical knowledge. She deserves an A-plus rating.

Pat Belanger

Dear Ms. DeFilippo,

The trip to Italy was wondeful!!! Karin our guide in Italy was wonderful. Our prayer group would love to go with her again on a future trip. She was knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. I recommend her to everyone!

Italy is amazing and the tour’s schedule was perfect. The basilica’s and miracles that we visited were stunning. I think the trip was a success to the 206 Tours planning and excellent consideration on the travelers.

Thanks and blessings,

Cindy

Bob and I had a wonderful pilgrimage. It was great balance of spiritual and sightseeing activities. We felt blessed to have a wonderful, spirit-filled priest, Fr. Robert Villa, with us. Our guides, Claudio and Jesus, were knowledgeable and holy. We were extremely pleased with the quality of the hotels and also their proximity to the holy destination site at each location. It was comforting to be able to walk around outside without feeling frightened at any time of the day or night. I was amazed at Pedro, our driver, who was able to navigate the big bus in such narrow places. Also, we never had to worry about losing our luggage or our items we left in the bus for convenience.

We had a great group of pilgrims also. It was a fun, holy group.

We thank 206 Tours for the opportunity to have the spiritual experience we did! We traveled with 206 Tours several years ago when we traveled to the Holy Land, and this experience matched that in quality.

Mary Young

"The power of a good woman is unlimited."

Thank you for the opportunity to have assisted with the recent pilgrimage. I met many delightful people and very much enjoyed celebrating the Mass for them as well as learning about the places that I visited.

One beautiful highlight: A week before the pilgrimage, some friends of mine who were on their own pilgrimage in Paris saw something advertising that Jesus’ crown of thorns is kept in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. But they couldn’t see it or venerate it because, unfortunately, it is only brought out at 3pm on the First Friday of the month. When we arrived as scheduled at Notre Dame (I think we arrived around 4:30pm and had only planned a brief visit), it was a First Friday, and it just so happened that the line had formed and people were already walking up to the priest standing in front of the altar with the relic. So, after a brief tour around the perimeter of the church, we got in line (the line had shortened by the time we completed our lap), and we were able to go up and venerate Jesus’ crown of thorns with almost no added time to the schedule. The way it all just fell into place, along with the great gift of being able to venerate Jesus’ crown of thorns, left most of the pilgrims amazed at God’s providential love for them.

Also, I wanted to add that Javier (for the France portion of the pilgrimage) was a phenomenal guide, going out of his way for everyone, such as walking someone who wasn’t feeling well to the hotel from the restaurant, then coming back for the rest of us. It was also a delight that he attended Mass with all of the pilgrims.

God bless,
Father / Padre Jim McCormack, MIC

It’s hard to put into words just how wonderful this trip was for our group. It’s not everyday that you get to enjoy the company of your Mom, your Mother-in-Law and your Aunt. The logistics were flawless and all three of our 206 Tour Guides were fantastic. We especially loved the energy and enthusiasm of Javier who was with us in both Lourdes and Paris. He made us feel so welcome and went out of his way to accommodate the needs of all. While the entire trip was fantastic, I must say we were especially blown away by our time in Lourdes. We all appreciated how easy it was to let go of our daily stresses and just be present in such a powerful place. It was mind boggling to hear the stories and then have the opportunity to visit Nevers and see the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette. The trip was full of precious and prayerful moments and we’re so happy we chose 206 Tours because of the extra perks. The private daily Masses, small group tours, transportation, meals, etc. It was wonderful waking up every day and not having to worry about any logistics.

We won’t hesitate to book another trip with 206 Tours and would happily recommend the company to anyone!

Thanks again for a wonderful trip.

Carrie Barrett

DEAR ROSALIE,
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS CHAPLAIN FOR THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PILGRIMS.

AS WE BEGAN THE PILGRIMAGE I PREPARED MANY SPIRITUAL AIDS TO ASSIST THE PILGRIMS ON THE PILGRIMAGE. AS WE BEGAN I PREPARED A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL FOR EACH PILGRIM WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE PURPOSE, MEANING, HISTORY, ETC OF PILGRIMAGES WHICH ALLOW THEM TO JOURNAL ON EACH DAYS EVENTS. IN ADDITION AT EACH SPIRITUAL SHRINE WE VISITED, I MADE A SACRAMENTAL EITHER, A RELIGIOUS MEDAL, SCAPULAR, HOLY CARD, ETC THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE SITE VISITED. I HAVE ATTACHED SOME OF THESE SARAMENTALS. AT THE APPROPRIATE SITE WE CELEBRATED SIGNIFICANT LITURGIES THAT GAVE EMPHASIS TO THE SITE BEING VISITED FOR INSTANCE AT THE CHURCH IN CANA, I PREPARED A LETTER AND REFLECTION ON THE HANDS OF MARRIAGE AND GAVE THE PILGRIMS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW THEIR MARRIAGE VOWS. AT THE CHURCH OF BETHANY, WE CELEBRATED THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK. ON THE WAY TO THESE RELIGIOUS SITES, ON THE BUS, WE PRAYED THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS, ROSARY IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES,CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY, ETC.

WHAT WAS MOST BENEFICIAL ON THIS PILGRIMAGE WAS TO HAVE OUR GUIDE, NIDAL. BEING A THEOLOGIAN,SCRIPTURAL SCHOLAR, BUT MOST OF ALL, A MAN OF GREAT FAITH, WAS A GREAT GIFT TO THE PILGRIMAGE. AS A CHAPLAIN FOR MANY PILGRIMAGES, I HAVE FOUND THAT PILGRIMAGE GUIDES CAN KNOW MANY THINGS BUT UNLESS THEY ARE PEOPLE OF FAITH, THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING IN THEIR GUIDANCE. HE KNEW EVERYTHING AND GAVE GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE VARIOUS PLACES VISITED,AS WELL AS GIVING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SACRED SCRIPTURE. HE WAS VERY ATTENTIVE TO THE NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF THE PILGRIMS.

I WOULD BE MOST HAPPY TO ASSIST YOUR EXCELLENT COMPANY, AS YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT A PILGRIMAGE IS AND

IT IS EVIDENT IN LIGHT OF THE PRE-PILGRIMAGE MATERIALS YOU SEND OUT.

MAY ST. JAMES THE GREATER, THE PATRON OF PILGRIMS AND OUR LADY BLESS YOUR MINISTRY.

MONSIGNOR STEFFEN

September 20, 2012

206 Tours group of pilgrims from Our Lady of Mercy Church, Daily City CA in audience with H.E. Patriarchal Vicar Bishop William Shomali at the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem on September 13, 2012. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction over all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus. In the Catholic Church, the title Patriarch is reserved for the highest ranking bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Latin Patriarchate is also the governing authority over the prestigious EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER. One of our pilgrims and OLM Parishioner, Loretta DiRienzo (seated to the left of the Bishop, in her official cape and mantilla), is a member of the USA Northwestern Lieutenancy.

I would like to thank 206 Tours for one of the best tours. Everything was planned and carried out very professionally. This was my third pilgrimage with 206 and they seem to get better. I don’t know how you do it.

Also, your tour escort Javier Valdivieso was super. He not only knew all the information about the places we visited, but so kind and so much fun. He called us his family and that is exactly how he made us feel.

I am looking forward to my next pilgrimage with 206 Tours.

May God continue to bless you for all you do.

Marie Georganakis

Hi, Milanka,

I just returned from my pilgrimage this past September 2 through 14. It was a very blessed trip.
I wanted to submit my recommendations of both Javier (guide in Lourdes) and Gaia (guide in Italy).

Javier was very good. It was clear that he was organized, well-informed and very sensitive to our needs as pilgrims (vs. tourists). He knew and responded well to the theme of pilgrimage and his own personal faith in Catholicism was very evident. It makes a huge difference when you have a believing Catholic guiding a pilgrimage group. Javier’s a real professional and it’s no surprise he’s been in the business for as long as he has – I would strongly recommend him to anyone considering traveling with 206.

Gaia was outstanding. I would rate her an 11 out of 10. Like Javier, she was organized, well-informed and very sensitive to our needs as pilgrims (vs. tourists). She knew and responded well to the theme of pilgrimage and her own personal faith in Catholicism was very evident. It makes a huge difference when you have a believing Catholic guiding a pilgrimage group. She is the consummate professional and it’s no surprise she’s been in the business for as long as he has – I give her my highest recommendation to anyone considering traveling with 206. I have been conducting pilgrimages for 10 years, having led 11 of them in that span of time. Gaia was by far the best guide I’ve ever worked with, hands down.

What makes Gaia special is that she treats her work as a ministry. So, she had a personal concern for each pilgrim and she readily made herself available to them without hesitation. Her discreetness in handling pilgrims who had emergencies; her charm and wit; her outstanding command of English and her personal participation at our Masses made all the difference. My pilgrims quickly became attached to her and could not stop praising her as we awaited our plane to return home. Leaving Rome was only made more difficult by having to leave Gaia behind. I must admit that I had hesitations about leading this trip, as I’ve lived in Rome and been to Assisi and Orvieto before. I generally like to visit new places and was concerned with leading a trip to places already familiar to me. Gaia renewed my love for the Eternal City and introduced me to places such as San Giovanni and Manopello and Lanciano (great stopping place for a break) that left me desiring to return there again. To me, that’s the sign of someone who is among the best in her business. Gaia’s style only lends to repeat business. She shares of herself and her genuine charisma inspires.

Thanks again and may God bless you,

Fr. Magat

Dear Rosalie,

We had a wonderful trip to Lourdes and Medjugorje! 206 did an outstanding job all the way thru. We had wonderful tour guides at both places, Javier and Ivan we so personable and knowledgeable, they made it so easy and pleasant. We will highly recommend 206 tours to everyone and hopefully take another one ourselves in the near future. The accommodations at both places were outstanding and the food was wonderful. I can’t think of any complaints at all! Thanks for a very memorable trip.

Trish Lawler

Dear Ms. Godfrey,

Thank you for your follow-up email! My trip to Medjugorje was AMAZING. I have no complaints at all- only good things to say!! I LOVED my tour guides, Dragan and Slavitza, my group, and another group that we did almost everything together. The priests in my group were wonderful – Father O’Sullivan was in my group, but my roommate was with another group, so I ended up spending a lot of time with her priest- Father Joe from Delaware. My roommate and I have become good friends- I really think that God wanted us to be together- she said we are like "kindred spirits" – and it is so true!! I will be going to Delaware soon to see her and the others in her group. They are beautiful people!!

Medjugorje was just beautiful. My spiritual journey while I was there would take a lot of time for me to write, but I will just say that I grew a lot spiritually through this trip. Jesus really led me to a better understanding of His mother, Mary, and Mary truly showed me how she leads us to Jesus. As a recent convert to Catholicism, Mary was someone I was struggling to understand, but now I really understand, and it has allowed me to move forward in my faith. I really appreciated the fact that there were plenty of activities that our groups did together, but that I could also do my own thing if I wanted to. This was important because when I needed time to pray, write in my journal, go for a walk, or go to confession, I could do that without feeling guilty that I wasn’t doing what I should with the group. I also loved the opportunity they gave us to go see St. Elijah Church – in Tihaljina. It is where the statue of Mary is located from which the picture that is all over Medjugorje came. Everything was beautiful, everything was so meaningful. Thank you so much!!!!

I will definitely go on another trip with 206 Tours, God willing!! Thank you for making my first big trip a wonderful one!!

With love in Christ and Mary,
Elise

Our pilgrimage was great from start to finish. Javier, our guide was awesome!

Fr. Joe McMahon

Dear Samantha,

We got back without any problems. Good spiritual gains were obtained with the help of Father Schill and our guide – Agnieszka Socha. We would recommened Father and Agnieszka anytime. The tour sites were all very good. Was great getting to know all the others on the tour – could travel with them anytime. Certainly would recommend the pilgrimage to anyone. Thanks for your time and efforts.

Thank You and God Bless,
Dennis & Marlene Symalla

Dear Yaritza,

Thank you for the wonderful arrangements 206 Tours made for us. This was my second trip to Medjugorje and the fist time for my wife.

When I was there two years ago I was on my own and never realized how much I missed. Besides the comfortable and friendly accommodations at Ivan’s home, we had the opportunity to enjoy our delicious meals all together as a group, homestyle. We had such a great group. We are all having separation-anxiety after being apart for just a week. One member in our group has created a page for all to download pictures. We have shared our e-mail address and hope to re-join as a group for another tour next year.

Ivan is a great host and spent a lot of time with us, allowing us to understand and experience the real spiritual Medjurgorje. Last, but not least, we had the best tour guide ever, Ivanka. She was always with us and and making sure everyone was taken care of. She is very knowledgeable and contributes 200% for her group. Having taken many tours with other groups, Ivanka is by far the best ever guide.

Look forward to taking our next trip with 206 Tours.

Bob & Theresa

Rosalie,

Thank you so much – I had a wonderful time and feel spiritually enriched both by the pilgrimage and also by spending time with wonderful people who share my same faith and outlook on life. It was truly much more than i had expected. this is my second trip with 206 tours and it won’t be my last. you people do a great job… i look forward to my next trip with 206. thank you again and God bless you all.

Teresa

Dear Samantha,

It is so nice to hear from you. We are now home and adjusting to being back from a most wonderful Poland experience. I would join the many folks who say that their tour guide was key in providing the optimum experience for the journey. Agnieszka, our Agnes, was super! What a delight to witness her love for Pope John Paul ll, Sr. Faustina, and her beloved Poland! It is also our beloved Poland! Agnes helped us enter and personalize the various experiences the pilgrimage offered and we so appreciate all that came before us. She took such good care of us and was also able to help us with our extended tour following the pilgrimage that brought us to our roots and connected with our ancestors from which we came in the Opole region. She helped us follow up on needed arrangements which made this part of the trip also a great experience. We will always carry fond memories of our time in Poland. Thank you.

Dave & Dee Czech

The most outstanding person that enriched our pilgrimage was our guide, Ivanka! In every way she was outstanding – especially spiritually. From a practical aspect, she made sure everything ran smoothly and was very available to sort out any problems. From a spiritual aspect I can’t begin to describe how much she enriched our journey. A++++++.

I hope to have her as my tour guide again. Will schedule to be sure to get her again. She is a large part of why I’ll be going back.

Keith & Cathy Riemersma

Dear Yaritza,

It was a pleasure to travel for the third time to Medjugorje with 206 Tours. It is an unbelievable experience to be at Ivan’s and watch as he has his daily apparition in the chapel. The time to share privately with Ivan is so precious. He recommended my brother and sister to Our Lady on the day my brother was receiving a kidney from my sister. The doctors said that it could not have gone more perfectly. My brother has not needed pain medication and was home in 4 days and my sister in 6.

Ivan’s guide, Ivanka was outstanding. The morning prayers she led were beautiful and her lectures were so thorough. It was all beautiful. And the fact that we had 3 priests in our group was a great blessing. Each one had so much to share but the highlight was a concelebrated Mass in Ivan’s chapel.

I have never ever seen Medjugorje with so many people. The outstanding experiences included outdoor adoration and indoor, the Masses at St. James, Apparition Hill and Cross Mt. Our group was a wonderful group of people. I was fine to have a roommate that I wasn’t expecting who is a photographer and offered to share her pictures.

I was totally satisfied with my pilgrimage and I hope to do it again through 206 Tours. Thank you so much.

God’s blessings,
Marcia

Dear Rosalie~
Indeed we were all extremely blessed during our pilgrimage to Greece! I always believe on the front end that the Holy Spirit designs the group for very specific purposes, and this time was no exception. As usual, the pilgrims benefited greatly from getting to know one another, and these relationships will continue well into the future. Many are planning to travel again together with 206/Pilgrim’s Place!

The accommodations and the food were exceptional, our local guides were wonderful, and most of all the spirituality during the Footsteps of St. Paul was life-changing for the pilgrims. I am forever indebted to 206 for enabling my humble ministry…encouraging people to discover their spiritual journey of discipleship in terms of pilgrimage. None of this would be possible without 206 Tours; and in my opinion/experience, no other travel/pilgrimage company compares!
Looking forward to many more years of ministry with 206.

Blessings,
Kristin

Hello, Yaritza, it is always good to hear from you and 206 Tours. As usual, I enjoyed my trip back to "Mothers Village." This was my 11th trip and I am scheduled to return with another group for my 12th trip in just nine weeks. I cannot put into words what I experience each and every time I go to Medjugorje. Of course, the faith filled experience is paramount but, it has become a "home away from home" for me now, because of the relationships that I have developed with so many of the local people within the village itself. Some fellow pilgrims call me "the mayor" because, it seems that so many people there know me wherever I go. I know so many people from the taxi drivers to the local merchants and I even have considered buying a home there. Nothing (other than being at Ivan’s home during the Apparition) can match my feeling of "belonging" when I walk into a restaurant or a shop and people smile and know my name and say how glad they are to see me again. The 206 Tour-guides who are waiting for the groups in Medjugorje have become my dear friends and I stay in contact with them when I return to New York. The truth is that I found my vocation to priesthood in Medjugorje and keep it strong because, every time I return to Medjugorje I renew it. It truly is my "home away from home" with an extended family always waiting and welcoming me back home. I am already looking forward to my next trip in November. All I can say is, ah, "home sweet home" to Medjugorje again in nine weeks! Thanks, 206 Tours for making it all worthwhile and possible.

Pax, Fr. Bryan J. Carney Brooklyn, N Y usa

Dear Rosalie,

we had an outstanding time and also a very religious experience.

Everything worked out perfectly! The hotels were the very best, the meals were delicious at every stop and the guides were superlative in their knowledge and care for us.

Father Bruce was a wealth of knowledge on St. Paul and we were enthralled with his fulfilling homilies. He is such a spiritual man and was also lots of fun to be around.

Kristen Walker did a superlative job of coordinating and she is such a devoted and spiritual young lady!! We just loved being with her. We were also very pleased with the attention given to us by Samantha prior to our departure. She had ready answers for our questions and always returned our calls in a most timely fashion.

We have done extensive traveling through the years and have used many different travel agents. We would rate 206 as the best travel company we have ever used and we intend to book our future travel through your Organization. Thank you so much for everything!!!

Sincerely,
John Devron

Dear Yaritza,

This was my first pilgrimage and I really did not know what to expect. As you recommended, I went with an open heart and mind and had an amazing spiritual experience.

The travel arrangements were hassle-free and very enjoyable. Lufthansa has pleasant crew members, great food and comfortable seats. All our connections went smoothly.

Staying with Ivan was also amazing. Our room was comfortable, the air-conditioning a blessing and the food was delicious. The ladies who prepared it were so sweet I only wish I could have communicated better with them. I told my husband that eating in the "basement" of the house as well as many of the meals they served reminded me of visiting his grandmother in Astoria. His family is Slovenian and she prepared many dishes the same way as we had at Ivan’s. He was a perfect host and always ready with a smile to stop and chat with us. And that we were able to be with him during the apparitions was such a gift, such a blessing for us. It’s still hard to believe it happened.

I don’t think the pilgrimage would have been as remarkable with anyone but Fr. Charles and Fr. Tony. The faith and spirituality they exuded is powerful. The love they have for the Church, Mary, Jesus, God is hard to describe but it touched my heart deeply. Their prayers and reflections have certainly deepened my faith and created a stronger desire to strengthen my relationships with Mary and Jesus. And they made us laugh and sing and enjoy our time together.

Ivanka was a marvelous guide. She is knowledgeable, charming, and truly dedicated to Medugorje and our Lady. Her faith is also very deep and inspiring. She was always available to answer questions, knew the dynamics of the group and could handle any situation with tact and a smile. She made Medugorje unforgettable.

I will have many, many wonderful memories from my pilgrimage that will keep me focused and strengthened on my spiritual journey.

Thank you for all you did – the meeting, the emails, the booklet-to prepare us for the trip. The backpack worked out very well for trips to church,walks up the mountain and carrying souvenirs home. It was a good choice.

Peggy Rupnick

Dear Yaritza –

I wanted to let you know that this pilgrimage was just awesome! I cannot say enough about how welcome we felt and how much effort people put into making this a very special time for each of us. This was my first pilgrimage and I cannot even consider going on another unless it is from 206 Tours.

I particularly want to commend our Tour Guide, Ivanka. She was so informative as well as being very spiritual. She was friendly, very organized and a wonderful example of 206 employees. Her efforts truly enriched my time there.

Our accomodations in Ivan’s house were wonderful! Our rooms were spacious, clean and air-conditioned – which we truly appreciated because the temperature was between 95 and 100 every day. It was a lovely oasis to be able to retreat to our rooms for a short rest when needed. The food was delicious and the ladies that cooked it could not have been nicer.

We had the opportunity to climb both Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain in the very early morning coolness. Ivanka, as well as Fr. Charles and Fr. Tony were with us every step of the way. They were encouraging and helpful as we made the climb. I also felt cared for by all the people involved in this trip.

My week in Medjugorje was made even more meaningful due to the wonderful prayer experiences we had with Fr. Charles and Fr. Tony. There aren’t words enough to express how they touched my heart.

Thank you for all you did to help us get ready. The advice and packing list was exactly right.

May God bless you for all the blessings you help others achieve.

Sincerely,

Linda Crowley

Thank you so much for a wonderful pilgrimage! It was a very spiritual experience. Fr. Charles and Fr. Tony did so much to help us deepen our love for Our Lord and Our Lady. I can’t say enough about them! Ivanka is a great tour guide who gives a real sense of the spiritual mission of the parishioners of St. James Parish in Medjugorje.

God bless you for the work that you do.
Alice Simmel

P.S. I enjoyed flying into Munich rather than Frankfort. The Munich airport is much more "user friendly".

Hi Amanda,
Thank you so much for arranging such good accommodations. Our Hotels was beautiful. We enjoyed so much of our pilgrimage. Our tour guide Massimo was great, very kind, accommodating, helpful and knowledgeable. I recommend him any time we have another pilgrimage. As always I love 206 Tours All the places we saw was great and beautiful sites.

God Bless
Remy

Wow, was such an Incredible Trip! The guide and driver were just wonderful! Fr. Eugene and his parish group were just wonderful! And it seemed that everyone got along famously! Such a grace and harmony upon the whole group and throughout all our travels through out the Holy Land. Very life changing and I am already seeing it as I read the Bible with the Holy Land giving more reference to my understanding.

So Incredible, So Wonderful! Thank you, Thank you 206Tours for organizing such a Wonderful Pilgrimage!

So Grateful,

Lisa and Mark Hassen

I spoke with Rinda today to tell her that everything was wonderful! The hotels and meals were outstanding. The greatest part of the pilgrimage was our tour guide, Nedal. He was just amazing! He shared his love of the Scriptures with us in very powerful way. Joe, our driver was also terrific! It was a superb pilgrimage, as always!

Sincerely,
Fr. Eugene Carrella

Dear Yaritza,

I loved everything about the trip. I don’t have one bad thing to say. I don’t know who is responsible for what, as far as what Rosemary, Father Charles and Father Tony did, but I can say that it was well put together and an experience I will treasure. Whatever Father Charles plans for next year, I’m in. Thank you for everything.

Loretta

The pilgrimage went really well. As far as I could tell everyone had a very good and spiritual pilgrimage. The youth on the trip made the heat very bearable. We all loved every minute of it, including Lufthansa Air, Mama and her home and of course our guide, Franjo. As you know he is really very special. His spirituality is what makes him so special. It is so good to be with someone who is really living the message of the Blessed Mother and is able to share it with us. Everything really went well.

Thank you for all that you did to make it all happen. Father Peter is already planning in his head for next year. Physically, I am really not able to do it again, unless I get a miraculous calling.

Thank you again.

My love and prayers are with you all.
Sister Marcie

Dear Milanka:

Words cannot express our spiritual and cultural experience during our recent pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Mexico City. Your staff both in New York and Mexico were excellent. I want to particularly commend our guide Elvira. She astounded us with her knowledge of the country and the Church in Mexico. Her facts, anecdotes and folklore and legends were so very interesting.The driver was very good. Not once did I feel any apprehension during the drive through the mountains. The program was full but interesting and we were very impressed by the reverence and devotion of the Mexican people especially their devotion to the Blessed Mother. This pilgrimage really made me realize what an awesome minitry that you and your staff are involved in and I hope that God will continue to shower you with his graces and blessings as you work in his vineyard.

We had the perfect balance of spiritual and secular activities.
Please inform the Mexico office how pleased we were with our guides and driver.

God bless!!!

Greta

Hi Samantha,

My pilgrimage to Medjugorje through 206Tours was an awesome spiritual experience!! The priests, (Father Jack, Father Vincent and Father Enrique) were incredible spiritual directors and our tour guide, Franjo, was amazing with his first-hand knowledge and history of the village and personal relationships with the visionaries. I never imagined I would have such amazing priestly ministry and a guide with such a spiritual connection to the degree that we experienced. I feel truly blest and thankful to Our Lord and His Mother for leading me to Medjugorje this year!

I would definitely take another pilgrimage with 206Tours and I would like to know when any of these three priests might be doing another pilgrimage in the future. God bless.

Peace,

Angela Vitale
Edmonton, Alberta
CANADA

Hi Milanka,

I want to thank you for allowing me to serve as chaplain for another 206 pilgrimage re: The Way of St.James (June25th -July5th). This is the fifth time that I have take a pilrimage with 206. The food in Spain was sumptous and tasty, the wine, water and sangria flowed copiously. The following hotels are for keeps: Hotel Carris Alfonzo IX, Hotel Pousada de Portomarine, A Painza, Hotel Amenal, and Hotel Compostela. Thanks to Elena for being our "foot doctor," her husband Gus for serving as our deacon, and Tommy Dee for being our altar server. Judy and Judith shares their supplies with us to assist in the alievation of our aching feet. MaryAnne (Senora Sangaria) ensured that sangaria awaited us at each meal. Jesus was very patient with us, some days with all the demands we made on him I thought we would drive him off the edge, and thanks to Pesro our bus driver who took us to Finisterre. This was not on the itinerary, but with 206 we always gaet a little extra. The Way of St.James is not for the faint hearted, but done with the right spirit it can be spiritually rewarding.

Pax et bonum,

Fr. Carlos

Hello, Just a note to let you know that we so enjoyed our pilgrimage in Italy. It truly was a spiritual experience that will stay with us forever. We especially were impressed with our guide, Gaia. She was very organized and so kind and sweet. Just a pure joy. Thank you very much. Hopefully we will be able to travel with 206 tours again. Kathleen and

Duane Potrzeba

Samantha,
We had such a wonderful time in Lourdes and Rome!
We are grateful for the wonderful tour guides, spiritual leaders, and accommodations that enhanced our journey and, ultimately, enriched our lives.
You have exceeded our expectations, and we are looking forward to our next journey with 206 Tours!

Sincerely,
Herman Pablo and Family, Regie Pablo, Nadia Pablo, Nathaniel Pablo, Rosa Pablo & Erlinda Ganon

Dear Christine –

Thank you for all the wonderful experiences we were able to enjoy on our Holy Land pilgrimage in July, 2012. My husband and I will remember this awesome experience for the rest of our lives.

206 Tours took care of everything – flights, transfers, good hotel accomodations, all meals, comfortable, air-conditioned coach tour bus, and friendly bus driver. In addition, any questions and concerns we had before our trip were answered by your associates in a very professional and timely manner.

Our outstanding and very knowledgeable tour guide ( George Said) provided us with the historical background of each place we visited and gave us a unique perspective of past and present day events and their impact on Christianity in the Holy Land. Our spiritual director, Father Garry Igot, also provided us with many insights about Christ and Christianity, which have fortified our faith.

Overall, this pilgimage was a blessing – a priceless gift for us, because we received so much spiritual enrichment from it.

We would highly recommend using 206 Tours to anyone planning a pilgimage anywhere in the world.

God Bless all of you at 206 Tours for your wonderful work!

Ramona and Henry Wisniewsk

Hello, Just a note to let you know that we so enjoyed our pilgrimage in Italy. It truly was a spiritual experience that will stay with us forever. We especially were impressed with our guide, Gaia. She was very organized and so kind and sweet. Just a pure joy. Thank you very much. Hopefully we will be able to travel with 206 tours again.

Kathleen and Duane Potrzeba

Praised be Jesus and Mary…

Milanka,
I have been meaning to send you a thank for putting together another wonderful pilgrimage. Of course, since my return I have been very busy getting ready for the family festival amidst many other things and time has slipped away quickly. Before any more time slipped away I just wanted to thank you tremendously and reaffirm the fact that you and all associate with 206 are a blessing from God! Be assured of my prayers and I look forward to catching up soon.

Peace and Joy,

Fr. Peter

Just a note to thank you for all that you did in making our recent pilgrimage to Portugal,Spain and France so wonderful. It was truly the best.

Our guide and companion Jesus could not have been better, so informed, gifted to communicate info as well as feeling, compassionate and caring, just a good good man.

The hotels were almost too nice but such a convenient location. Thank you for those of the group who were grateful for the close locations to the holy grounds we walked upon. We were blest to be so well treated.

Personally i thought we could have spent abit less time in Avila and thus allow the folks to see the beautiful cathredal in Borgos.

I was happy and blest to be a part of this 206 Tours…thank you so much,

Fr. Dan Wetzler

Dear 206 Tours,

I cannot express enough how phenomenal our tour guide, Gaia, and our Priest, Father Alves were in our pilgrimage journey. They provided the “best” spiritual guidance which I believe could of not happen without them. The hotels, transportation, and all arrangements were well planned but I definitely believe that was due to Gaia’s management. She was always on top of everything to make sure our pilgrimage journey carried on effortlessly. She was thoughtful, kind, and always had a willingness to help in whatever circumstances crop up. Her compassion for her job cannot be express enough in this letter.

Great job, Gaia – I will never forget you and hope to see you again. Thank You for the wonderful experience. I would definitely book another trip through 206 Tours.

Blessings,
Helene Gomes

Hi Samantha and Rinda,
We are so grateful for the opportunity to have travelled to the Holy Land as a family with the help of 206 Tours! What an amazing experience it was for the four of us!

Paul and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on July 4th while we were in Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee, and one of our sons had just graduated from high school a couple of days before we left, so it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate as a family and spend time together to be fortified in body, mind and spirit.

I want to thank you, Rinda, for booking us so efficiently and professionally. The trip went exactly as planned without any concerns or worries. We even found St. Peter’s Church in Tiberias as per your email, and were able to walk there each day to celebrate Holy Mass after enjoying our day at the Ron Beach Resort by the pool and in the Sea of Galilee. Our two sons, James 13 and Matthew 18, appreciated playing basketball at the resort, the meals were fantastic, the family owned and run resort was very friendly and personable, and the city center was a short walking distance away. We felt very comfortable and at home in the calm serenity of our surroundings. From our bed in the morning, we could watch the peaceful sunrise on the Sea of Galilee. After breakfast, we would sit facing the sea, read the Gospels, and reflect on Jesus’ time in this area.

On July 7, our private guide picked us up as you arranged, Rinda, and took us to Masada. We were all amazed by the change in topography from Galilee to the desert near the Dead Sea. The story of Masada, the history, and the Roman ruins were very captivating and the gondola to the site was spectacular. Our guide and driver, were very helpful and knowledgeable and gave us a lot of fantastic information and answers to our questions. They brought us to Tel Aviv to our hotel there by mid-afternoon, where we settled in nicely for a couple of nights.

The next day, a Sunday, we took a taxi to Haifa where we attended Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Church and enjoyed some free time walking along the Mediterranean Sea towards the city centre and saw the modern side of Israel. When we returned to the hotel, we met our tour group at dinnertime and were delighted to learn that we had two Catholic priests joining us! There were a total of ten of us touring together – two couples, two priests, and our family of four. We became good friends and enjoyed our time together very much. Our sons were very happy in the company of our group, and were particularly inspired by the two young priests – Fr. Michael and Fr. Garry.

We began our pilgrimage of eight days together the very next morning, and what an amazing pilgrimage it was! We now have a picture in our hearts and minds for every decade of the Holy Rosary – all four rosaries!

There were many highlights, too many to choose only one. We travelled to Nazareth, the site of the Annunciation, and to Ein Karim where Mary visited Her cousin Elizabeth. We celebrated the first Christmas in Bethlehem and sang Gloria in the Shepard’s Fields. We toured the Galilee region. For my husband and I, the renewal of our wedding vows on July 9 at the site of the Wedding Feast of Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle, was particularly memorable! We tried the fish that Jesus and His apostles would have eaten from the Sea of Galilee, we visited the Mount of Beatitudes and Mount Tabor, the site of the multiplication of the fish and loaves, and rode a boat across the Sea of Galilee. We travelled to the baptismal site of Jesus and the birthplace of St. John the Baptist.

On the Friday, our pilgrimage began its reflection on the passion of our Lord. Our sons were particularly moved at the site of the Garden of Gethsemane, to actually see the trees that would have witnessed our Lord’s passion. We went to the Mount of Olives where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, to the site of our Lord’s ascension into heaven, and to Mount Zion – the site of the upper room where Jesus washed His disciples feet, where He instituted the Holy Eucharist, and where the Holy Spirit descended after Jesus’ death and rising. We prayed in the Sacred Caves where Jesus was held prisoner prior to His death on a cross, and we saw the place that Peter denied Jesus three times. Praying the Stations of the Cross in the early morning on the Via de la Rosa, ending on Calvary and ultimately in the tomb where Jesus was buried, was especially moving! Our group was absolutely overwhelmed by the very special experience of being able to celebrate Holy Mass in the tomb with our own two priests, and spend some time together in silent reflection and meditation at this very important Christian site.

There were a few cultural treats we experienced as well. Our guide and driver took us to Samaria in the West Bank to see Jacob’s Well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. We could personally draw the water and drink from the well. We enjoyed so much the landscape of this Palestinian region, some of the fresh produce grown there (some unknown to us), and the hospitality of the Palestinian people who hosted our lunch feast that day. The warmth and welcome by all the family members who prepared and served a most delicious traditional Palestinian meal was very moving to me!

We ended our most memorable week with a tour of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, a refreshing float in the Dead Sea where we benefitted from the mineral rich mud on our skin, a camel ride in Jericho at the base of the Mount of Temptations, and Holy Mass in Bethany the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Gabriel, from 206 Tours in Jerusalem, entered our bus to warmly welcome us to the Holy Land and kindly presented us each with a special gift, one that we will cherish, along with the gifts of an olive wood rosary and cross presented by our tour guide, George. The rosary was given to us on the first day of our trip and was blessed by all the holy places we visited, while the cross was given to us as we began our walk of the Stations of the Cross.

We cannot thank you enough for the good work that all of you do in organizing this very special pilgrimage to these very special sites! We have truly been blessed by this experience and our faith has come alive for us! Thank you for your good work – all of you, and may God bless your efforts as you continue in faith, dedication and expertise to offer these pilgrimage experiences. We hope for an opportunity to travel with 206 Tours in the future.

God bless!
Elizabeth, Paul, Matthew, & James
Calgary, Canada

It was a wonderful pilgrimage!! It was very well planned and the tour guides were superb!
Karin in Rome is amazing and wonderful.

And Franjo in Medjugorje was in Ivan’s first prayer group and still is. He is one of them and shares the information.

Fr. John in Rome and Fr. Kevin in Medjugorje were both very nice. Fr. Vincent and Fr. Henrique are a 10 plus on the scale of 1-10 for priests, with 10 being the best ever. They are amazing priests and we were so fortunate! Thank you again for a great pilgrimage!! I would definitley go again with your company and would recommend you to others.

God bless all of you!

Sincerely,
Anne Hedges & daughter

Hi Sandra,

Recently, I returned from Medjugorje with 206 Tours and wanted to tell you how grateful I am for the experience your company helped to provide for this pilgrimage. The travel experience went smoothly and the materials, including our bags and Magnificat were very helpful. Our tour guide, Ivanka, was so welcoming and not only did she bring a beautiful depth of spirituality to our pilgrimage, she also brought a wealth of Croatian history for which we now have a greater appreciation. This was my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje and hopefully just the beginning of more to come. Thank you for all you do to make these pilgrimages possible.

Sincerely,

Delores Irlbeck

Dear Rinda and 206 Tours,

A personal "Thank You" to you for all you did to make our trip such a blessing. I would also like to thank Stefanie for helping to finalize the arrangements.

It seemed Our Lord hand picked each person on our pilgrimage. We were so fortunate to have had our guide Javier Gomez and Father Peter Dugandzic guiding us with prayer, excellent information and patience from Lisbon through Fatima,Portugal, Spain, and on to Lourdes, France.

One of the highlights of my pilgrimage was having the honor of leading a decade of the Rosary in Fatima and partnering with Edith to lead the singing of hymns for our Masses celebrated along the way especially in the Grotto at Lourdes where Father Peter officiated at the English Mass.

A special cake in celebration of 50 years as a Carmelite Sister of St. Therese was an unexpected and joyful surprise! Thank you Javier for your thoughtfulness. Father John Breslin joined us in Paris and was a delight to visit with as we continued our pilgrimage.

I feel very blessed and hope to again have the privilege of going on another 206 tour. Of course, I’ll spread the news for others to come too!

God bless you in your ministry,

Sister Susan Jane Clark C.S.T.

Dear 206 Tours,

All was beautiful! Our accommodations were comfortable and friendly. Our tour guide, Franjo was fantastic. He and his son Anthony took care of making sure all of the pilgrims were going at their pace when we climbed or went for walks. His stories and witness of faith were enjoyed by all in the group. The pilgrims all enjoyed each other’s company and the prayerful nature of all of the group. Having Father Enrique Salvo, Father Vincent Dudling, and Father Jack O’Kane enriched our experiences too.

The pilgrimage was another rich time of grace! I appreciated all the work 206 Tours did behind the scenes and at the scene to make sure we were cared for, comfortable, and had ease of travel. Our flights and connections all were perfect.

One of the pilgrims had been to Medjugorje with another tour group last year and experienced this pilgrimage with a grateful heart for its spiritual focus! Of the people who came on this pilgrimage with me from New Jersey, all are counting the days until they return to Medjugorje! They all are sure they will travel with 206 Tours.

Thank you for all you did to make this pilgrimage so successful!

God bless you!
Sincerely,

Lucille Hess

Thank you so much for going through with our tour even though it was a small group. Our tour guide Karin was unforgettable. I would request her any time I traveled to Italy. What a fun spirit! My Mom is suffering from Parikinson’s and this was a very important trip for you and you made it 5 star. Thank you so much. Also I appreciated Father Jasanski. He did whatever we asked of him! I look forward to booking with you again and would recommend you to anyone. One thing though if you could allow more than 50 min flying into Amsterdam.

Thank you so much!
Karen Schlichting

Dear Samantha,

My Medjugorje pilgrimage was exceptional and very blessed! Our local guide from Medjugorje, Franjo Zubac, was incredible and a very prayerful and spiritual man. He led us on a very beautiful and prayerful pilgrimage that was very powerful. He was extremely knowledgeable about Medjugorje and had some very beautiful stories and experiences that truly enhanced the trip. Our spiritual advisor Fr. Jack was a very holy and prayerful priest. He dedicated his week to us and made sure our spiritual lives were nourished. Thanks you for all your behind the scenes work to make the trip go so smoothly.

Peace & blessings,
Cathy

Dear Lady Milanka,

Walking the El Camino was a great experience because I learned so many things along the way. Most of the things I learned were from Jesus, our terrific tour guide. He was very knowledgable about nature, Spain, history and religion. I enjoyed our walks together, we had wonderful conversations. It was awesome to receive my Compostela certificate. It was an amazing privilege to serve Mass with Fr. Carlos and Deacon Gus along the way.

I enjoyed both my trips ( El Camino & Holy Land) and I look forward to going on another pilgrimage with 206.

Sincerely,
Tommy D (age 12)

Dear Samantha,

Please also convey this message to Milanka.

My husband and I were not quite sure on taking this trip in the beginning. It was with prayers and preparation that we finally decided to sign up with 206 Tours. Since I had a great experience with another pilgrimage with your tour last year to Poland which was excellent, I convinced my husband about taking this tour with me for The Way of St. James.

This was beyond our expectation. We had a wonderful guide in Jesus Vivas. He was organized & detail oriented, but also caring and understanding. He was knowledgeable in every way and we felt very blessed to have such a guide with us who is also devoted to our Lord. Fr. Carlos was wonderful. Each homily that he delivered inspired us to be more Christ like.

The bus was comfortable and we felt very safe having Pedro as our driver. The food was excellent and the accommodations were good. We especially love Hotel Compostela. There is no question that I will use your tour again for other pilgrimages in the future. I also recommended your company to some of my friends who are also interested in doing The Way.

God bless you and your staff and wish you continued success.

Victoria and Andreas Taeubel

Dear Samantha,

Words cannot describe what George and I experienced on our Catholic Shrines of Italy Tour. Our pilgrimage was THE MOST beautiful event we’ve ever encountered, besides the birth of our children. First of all, our tour guide, Gaia Meuti, is an exceptionally spiritual and knowledgable person. She was extremely organized and went our of her way to make all transitions smooth. She arranged the best experiences for us along our pilgrimage. As a result of her efforts and kindness, we now consider her, along with our fellow pilgrims, family friends. We plan on keeping in touch with everyone! Fr. Alves was phenomenal! His Masses were absolutely beautiful.

The best part of our pilgrimage was when George and Fr. Alves surprised me with a renewal of our marriage vows at St. Peter’s for our 26th wedding anniversary! It was very touching, spiritual, and brought tears to everyone’s eyes, especially mine and George’s. We feel so very blessed by this pilgrimage and the people we toured with. We loved our group, Fr. Alves, and Gaia so much, that we wanted to continue on with them, instead of taking our side trip to Sicily. As expected, Gaia tried to help us, but in the end, it would have been too expensive for us to handle.

We cannot say enough about what a treasure you have with Gaia. I am heavily promoting 206 Tours amongst interested friends and co-workers and will highly recommend Gaia as their guide. We have also invited Gaia and her family to our home if she ever wants to visit Florida. When we looked at our 206 Tours catalog after we returned home, I was disappointed in not seeing Gaia or Fr. Alves’ pictures in it. You may certainly use this letter and pictures attached.

Our trip to Taormina, Sicily that you arranged for us was also amazing. I have never seen a more beautiful beach and mountain area in my life. Pictures do not do it justice either. Everywhere we went was absolutely breathtaking, especially seeing Mt. Etna. Our hotel there was top knotch. All who work there were so kind to us and most accomodating. Meals were the best ever and served just as we requested.

All in all, your company is exemplary and will be highly recommended by us. We are hoping and praying to go back someday soon. We will certainly book through 206! Please keep doing what you do so well. Keep us in your prayers, so that we may be with you all again soon. May God continue to bless you and increase your good works. Thank you from the heart for our most wonderful, “peek at heaven”, trip!

Blessings,
Stephanie Klein

I would like to thank you for the opportunity you gave me to see the Shrines of Italy on June 26 – July 5, 2012!

Your guide, Gaia, provided safe transportation and beautiful hotel accommodations.

I did find a peace in this spiritual journey.

Thank you very much.

Joe Rangel

Dear Cara:

The Holy Land tour June 13-22 2012 was simply fabulous. We all had a magnificent time. Your tour 206 did an outstanding job in making arrangements for everything, A to Z. the best part of all was the assignment of Rami the tour guide. He was an excellent tour guide and we all are very pleased with him and his hard work in showing us around. He was one of the best tour guides I have ever seen. I highly recommend him to any of your future tours. He is simply outstanding and has such a pleasant and friendly personality.

Attached you will find a group photo and I hope it is helpful for your public relations purpose. Also I will like to begin making arrangements with Tours 206 for the “Footsteps of St.Paul” pilgrimage in 2014. Let’s start working. Thank you Cara for everything.

May God bless you.

Father Tom Coughlin, OP Miss.
Dominican Missionaries for the Deaf Apostolate
143 Honeysuckle Lane, San Antonio TX 78213-2527

Hi Milanka:

I just had to write and let you know just how much I appreciate my whole experience with 206 Tours! You have been fantastic.

Yaritza and Sandra have been very helpful. Yaritza was very supportive and encouraging and her belief in the goodness of God and the aid of the Blessed Mother was very evident whenever she had to boost my spirits. She made me realize that faith should always be steadfast and I thank her for that.

Thanks for everything and as Yaritza will say the Blessed Mother will be with us during our pilgrimage. I am definitely sure of that and I am very excited. Some of the pilgrims have been to Mexico but not on a pilgrimage so we are all excited.

My regards to the staff and continue this work of evangelisation. You and your staff are blessed.

God bless
Greta
Nassau, The Bahamas

Dear Samantha,

I absolutely loved my tour experience! Everything was so well-organized and so well taken care of. I was pleased with hotels, with food.

Our guide, Javier, was very personable and tried his best to make sure we all are comfortable.

Father Peter was an exceptionally good spiritual guide, very knowledgeable. I really appreciated that he knew a lot about Ukrainian catholic church and rites.

I went to Lourdes looking for a miracle, and Mother of God did bestow it on me – my health is significantly better and continues to improve.

I hope to go to Lourdes next year again, this time with my 3 children and my mother. I will certainly consider 206 Tours for this trip.

Thank you for your assistance.

Please stay in touch.

Nadia

Hi Linda – just wanted to let you know that our family experience in Italy was more than I ever expected. The culture, food, scenery and architecture was just breathtaking.

I will give you a short breakdown of our personal feelings – some of which may be helpful information.

Hotel info:
Hotel Cicerone – very nice; clean; staff friendly; dinners good.

*Hotel Fontebella – clean; terrible air-conditioning (slept with wet towels on my body); staff not friendly; only ate one dinner there as portions and meal very limited.

*Hotel Astoria Palace – dirty rugs; very dirty, depressed neighborhood. Coming out of the bus, I stepped in dog feces. We took a cab to a nicer area in the evening by the water which was very nice. Breakfast started out nice and each day we were offered less and less. Dinner OK – buffet style but I only ate there one evening.

(*206 Tours response to our pilgrim’s letter: This was a custom pilgrimage which included hotels that we do not normally offer our clients and were booked by a special request. 206 Tours has strict quality control policy with all our standard hotels. 206 Tours pride’s itself on our 1st rate pilgrimages and reputation)

Hotel Della Valle – very nice; beautiful pool. (This was the first hotel with a pool – we were dreaming of having a pool, especially in Assisi where is was about 100 degrees). Nice dinner/breakfast.

Hotel Villa Esperia — OMG!!!! heaven…saved the best for last. spectacular view/ first class room, pristine clean. I am still dreaming of it. As a matter of fact, we found an oil painting that captures the exact view we had from our room. We swam in the Mediterranean and the pool was wonderful.. Breakfast was fine – we ate dinners out at wonderful restaurants.

Tour guides were excellent; informative and very friendly. We loved our main guide (Luca). He was extremely patient as it was not easy to orchestrate 44 people some with canes and ages ranging to 89!

Our personal day in Florence was wonderful as well. We had a great escort and guide. We invited them to lunch, but just the escort, Emmanual joined us. We sang songs and played games on the way back. The ride to Florence took 3 hours, but we were fortunate to see everything we wanted to see. I thank you for planning seeing DAVID. It was extraordinary. I understand why people told us not to see it because of time limitations. There was a three hour wait – but our guide had reservations so we walked right in!!! That was the highlight – not to mention the Duomo!

I could go on and on about this trip – but in summary; I think for us, the three highlights were being indoors in a private audience with the Pope; I am still dreaming of our lunch in Fontanasalsa in the olive garden where I can still taste the capanata. They even served stuffed zucchini flowers!!! that my grandma made and then…. Taormina! Too beautiful for words…We tried to capture every moment of our stay there. Up until midnight before we left, we sat at an outdoor cafe, listening to a jazz musician while eating gelati!

On another note- I think people should have been warned about the intensity of this trip. As my husband described it – it was much like “boot camp”. Lots of steps; climbing and walking – not to mention the heat! We are amazed that many of the people (some elderly and some heavy or with canes) survived this without getting ill or hurt. I was so relieved that my mom decided not to join us on this trip – she would have never been able to withstand it.

Another thought that may be helpful – the brochure mentioned carry-on bags from JFK to Rome weight 30 lbs. However, the flight from Rome to Sicily weight limit was 17 lbs. Many of us had to quickly take out items and re-shift weight at check-in.

All in all – I can’t believe how much we experienced in a two-week trip. It captured so much in such a short period of time and we will always be grateful for this experience. My husband took 4,000 pictures!!! I’m sure we will be re-visiting our stay with pictures as I don’t think he missed anything!

Thank you so much for your expertise in planning this trip. I hope my “survey” was helpful. I think I covered everything. If you have any other questions, let me know.

Until next time….
xxxx Elisa
God Bless…xxoooooo

Dear Rinda,

Our pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and all sites between was inspiring and worth every moment.

The expertise of your staff and the care to detail was exceptional. Our group “family” was amazing. The activities at times seemed exhausting, but all was beyond rewarding.

The enthusiasm of all the guides, especially, Javier Gomez, is well remembered. When one is experiencing so many overwhelmingly beautiful experiences in breathtaking locations, it is essential to have people around you to explain the surroundings. Javier helped all of us understand so many aspects of the journey. He is priceless.

Our Spiritual Director, Father Peter Dugandzic, was exceptionally well suited for his role. His attention to the liturgy, traditions, and his explanations regarding doctrine, enlightened us all. I can personally say that this pilgrimage was a transformative, as well as valuable experience.

I sincerely recommend 206 Tours.

Love and blessings,

Abby McGurty

Dear Amanda,

I wish to thank you and 206 Tours for the wonderful trip to Italy & Sicily that I went on from June 25-July 8.
The tours, the hotels, the food, the people, and Fr. Greg, Fr. Tony and the group from St. Frances de Chantel all made this experience so wonderful and memorable for me. We became a family by the end of the trip, and I would love to do another trip with them again.

Thank you for the book Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly that was part of our tour travel bag. I read it on the trip and finished it. It truly was helpful on my journey to God. My intention is to continue to read spiritual books and keep my relationship with the Lord alive on a daily basis.

Rome was spectacular! Our audience with the Pope was so exciting! I kept asking myself if I was really there or was it all a dream. Each city that we visited was amazing. To walk in the footsteps of the saints of our Catholic Church was truly humbling and I believe it should be the goal of everyone to experience it at least once in a lifetime.

My sister and I searched for the house that our grandmother lived in as a child in Agrigento and found it with the help of a tour guide that the hotel contacted for us. That was the icing on the cake!

Our flights were wonderful! Alitalia flight attendants were very courteous, the food was plentiful, and takeoff and landing were so smooth!

I can’t thank you enough for all your help in making this such a memorable experience for me.

May God continue to bless you and 206 Tours.

Fran Gargano 🙂

Dear Linda,

We returned last night from our 12 days in France. It was all great. I’m so tired still because I averaged 4.5 hrs of sleep each night because we were having such a good time.

Our hotels were all wonderful, no complaints from anyone about the accommodations or locations. Service was very good at all of them.

Javier was great for our group…everyone loved him. Javier and I were on the same page from the start and I really enjoyed working with him. He was great at taking wonderful care of all needs of our group. But we had wonderful local guides everywhere we went. No one was disappointed in the pilgrimage.

I’ll talk with you this week, all went very well and we all had a fabulous experience.

Father George and I are planning on flying up as Milanka suggested to visit all of you on Monday, October 22 in your office.

Looking forward to talking with you.

-Diana

Hi!

I just got back from your Way of St. James tour. It was wonderful! Everything was very well organized, and I especially appreciated the daily walking maps. Our guide, Jesus, was great! All the restaurant arrangements went smoothly and the food was fantastic. Jesus was always there to show us the right path, and he made the trip fun. I hope that I’ll get to go on another tour with your company, and I’d love to have him as the guide! The bus driver, Pedro, was very nice too and helped with all our made suitcases.

Thanks for such a great trip!

Robin Costanzo

Dear Samantha,

This was my second pilgrimage with 206 Tours, and once again, I remain totally impressed with the organization of detail and level of professionalism displayed. The hotels and food were above standard.

More importantly, our local tour guide, Javier, was extremely competent, accommodating and knowledgeable of so much! Combined with his sense of humor, he offered us a feeling of security & had complete patience traveling from one country to the next that there was never a doubt about our itinerary. His knowledge of the Catholic faith is beyond admirable and he was more than willing to share it with us.

And finally, and most importantly, was the spiritual leadership from Fr. Peter. He very graciously led us in the rosary and shared his spirituality and love of God during phenomenal homilies at Mass each and every day.

Thank you for the opportunity to travel to such holy places with complete peace of mind.

God bless you all,
Laurie Forster

Milanka,

last year when it showed up on the 206 web site that you had been invested into the EOHSJ, and by Card. Foley, I tried to reach you to congratulate you. I too was invested into the order by then Archbishop Foley of Milwaukee, Wis. in 2008. It is a wonderful group. I fell in behind them for the Eucharistic Procession at the IEC2012. Watching the video feed from Ireland I actually found myself in the procession. That was a most inspiring trip you put together with Father Ed Murphy. Looking forward, God willing , to going with him to Medjegorje next year.

God Bless you ,your family and your work

PAT MACH

Dear Rinda,

I am back from my most wonderful Pilgrimage with 206 Tours to the IEC (Eucharistic Congress) in Dublin. The trip was just overwhelming in all ways. The devotion and honor given to the Eucharist by people from all over the world was most impressive. God was so good to us as to turn off the rain during the three outdoor Masses. It was truly inspiring. The visits to other places of Ireland were great but Knock was special. Our chaplain Fr. Murphy was a special priest the kind you don’t meet too often.

I even finally met Patrick McKenna. Have a nice picture of the two of us.

Sr. Mary Henry Bernard (aka) Helen Bernard
Have a Blessed Day

Dear Samantha,

We had a wonderful, spiritually enriching time. I can’t believe just how close we were to Apparition Hill, the visionaries, and the center of town. As 206 tours was recommended to us, I would recommend them to anybody.

Peace,
Kristin Shields

Samantha,

I really enjoyed the 206 Tours pilgrimage to Medugorje.
– the food was great
– the accommodations were fantastic
– the tour guide was wonderful
– the schedule was well planned
– the transportation was wonderful

I am thinking about some of the details and pretty much everything was fantastic. I really am looking forward to being able to take a group to Medugorje especially with your tour company. Pretty much everything was taken care of.

I can’t really think of any feedback to help you improve the tour.

It will take some time to really unpack all that God was doing while I was there !
again thank you!

sincerely,
Fr. Alvaro I.

Amanda,

Please know that we had a fabulous time on our tour. It was spiritually enlightening and most fulfilling. Our guide, George, was great with his knowledge, flexibility and his ability to quickly read the group’s needs.

Our bus driver was fantastic in safely driving in the narrowest of places – amazing! We have begun to share our experiences and have already recommended 206 Tours to others. We are also looking forward to sharing time with 206 Tours in the future. Thank you for everything. Have a most blessed day!

Sibyl & Laura Kobza

Amanda:
Thank you for your follow up email. On behalf of Cindy, Ray and Rita, I would like to thank you for all of your assistance in making our pilgrimage to the Holy Land a success and quite uplifting spiritually.

George did an outstanding job as our guide and friend. I have attached a few pictures of our family for you to enjoy and share. The older couple (at Cana) is Ray and Rita and the other is Cindy and me in the Sea of Galilee. I have also attached a photo of me with George.

Thank you again for all of your assistance. I would highly recommend (and in some cases already have) 206 Tours for those interested in the future.

God Bless you and your entire team.

David Kordecki

Dearest Rinda,

This is our last full day in Beit Sahour! It has been so amazing beginning with the incredible pilgrimage: being instructed about each of the Holy Places by such a knowledgeable personality as is George Maklouf. He makes each Holy site come alive for you. Our kind driver, Abid, with a brand new bus, so helpful willing and desiring to care for each of his pilgrims on board. Then to have such a holy spiritual man of God, Fr John Gillis, who tells it as it is, which by the way, so urgent and needed in these times. One experiences his deep love for God and his faithful following of Jesus Christ. Then our visit with the family is like the cherry on top of the sundae! Fouad has been so overwhelmingly joyous like a kid given free reigns in a toy shop!

There just not enough words to express this most precious pilgrimage which has injected life into each mystery of the holy rosary and our walk with God.

Thank you Rinda for your helping us step by step to get this time prepared and that throughout the pilgrimage all moved along smoothly and never did we feel pressured nor rushed, just filled with God’s loving presence.

Thank you, Thank you and thanks to 206tours and their tremendous efforts to bring each Pilgrim closer to God.
May God bless this tour company, 206, always!!

A huge hug and will be in our prayers,

Jo Faraj
Honduras

Dear Cara,

This was the experience of a lifetime!! Bob and I had a wonderful time.. For the first time we felt "normal" we were able to understand everything without hesitation!!! Fr. Tom was so wonderful and helping enrich our spirituality. He truly is an amazing priest and I don’t think we would have had such a wonderful time had it not been for him! Brother Adam was wonderful as well. Our tour guide, Rami Munayer, was spectacular and out of this world! We could not have had a better tour guide. He was so knowledgeable and explained everything in depth. I cannot say enough good things about him.

Thanks again and God Bless,
Bob and Lil Pokorny

It was definitely an awesome trip. George was very knowledgeable, the driver was the best, and the person in charge of 206 in Jerusalem was very inspiring with his words of wisdom.

Marcie was also instrumental in our church in guiding the people ahead of time together with Fr. Grady.
Fr. Grady was a highlight for me and I am sure for others as well. He related the sites to the Gospels with deep spiritual direction and knowledge.

Amanda, you organized everything to a T. I especially appreciate your help getting me aisle seats taking into consideration my health concerns. THANKS. You also answered my emails promptly and eased my mind when I had concerns.

I would have loved a little more prayer time, for example-adoration.
Very well done 206 Tours- many wonderful memories were formed, and friendhips were born.

God bless,
Ali

Hi Amanda,

I had a wonderful trip to Ireland. Fr. Murphy’s Masses were super & one homily was like hearing from St. Louis Demonfort. One parish priest looked like St. John Vianney! The chapel at the monastery we visited was an art treasure that should be shared with the world (I’m a museum docent.) The opening Mass at the Eucharistic Congress was like the church universal.

The dinners in Zetland & Ennis were like the heavenly banquet. I thought the Lord was going to show up any minute & start waiting on us!

In many ways I needed a foretaste of heaven & this trip did it for me : )

Thanks so much for all your efforts.

Love in the Lord,
Elaine Luzzetti

Hi, The pilgrimage was wonderful. This was an extremely Holy time, thanks to our guide, Rimon and our priest, Father John. Ramon shared his love of our faith and the Holy Lands with us. We were given extra Bible reading’s in preparation for the next day. At most Holy sites we were also read an appropriate verse from the Bible. Father John not only offered daily Mass but also gave us the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Penance while in the Holy Lands. Father John also was very clear on our religious beliefs and on some of the teachings of our Church in relationship to what we were doing at any specific site.

The only things I could have done without was the floating in the dead sea. However, most of the other Pilgrims did enjoy the experience. I don’t know if I will be give the opportunity to go again, but I would include the village of Magdala on future tours. We did get to drive by and see what was available at this time.

The hotels were clean and the food was healthy and good.

So you see, who could ask for anything more!

Thank You for a spiritual Pilgrimage, God Bless all of You,

Darlene

206 Tours did a fantastic job! The hotels were wonderful, and the food was outstanding. Our tour bus driver, Greg, was a good guy. He shared lots of stories about the history of Ireland, and did a very good job getting us around to the different sites. The IEC was such a treat! Having the hotel within walking distance was a bonus! It meant we could go easily back and forth to the different events. The shrine at Knock was beautiful, simple and spritual. Being able to attend Mass in the different churches with Father Muphy, Father Monihan and Monsignor Beeson was so meaningful. I feel so blessed and enriched. Thank you for putting it all together!!!

God bless you!

Joan Priolo

HI AMANDA,

JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THE WHOLE TRIP WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND OUR WONDERFUL PRIEST FR. ED WHO IS TRULY AN INSPIRATION OF HOLINESS. WE PRAYED MUCH, LAUGHED MUCH AND TEARS AT THOSE SPECIAL TIMES….THE FOOD WAS EXTRAORDINARY AND EVERY HOTEL NOT A COMPLAINT FROM ANYONE BECAUSE THEY WERE CLEAN, LOVELY AND ACCOMODATING.

WE ALL LOVED THE CHURCHES, MUSEUMS AND SIGHTS AND MEETING THE OTHERS ON TOUR WITH US. SEVERAL TOLD US THEY HAD BEEN ON OTHER PILGRIMAGES AND TRAVELS WITH GROUPS BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE WHERE EVERYONE WAS ALWAYS ON TIME WITHOUT EXCEPTION AND NO ONE GOT LOST…..THANKS IN GREAT PART TO DEACON BOB WHO IS WELL ORGANIZED.

THE HOTEL FR. ED TOOK US TO WAS BEAUTIFUL….INSIDE AND OUT….THAT WOULD BE HIS FRIEND…ZETLAND HOUSE….HE PULLED ALL THE STOPPERS OUT FOR US….AND ONE OF THE DAYS WE CELEBRATED Mass IN A GROTTO BUILT ON THE GROUNDS BY HIS WEALTHY FRIEND IN HONOR OF OUR LADY…HER LARGE STATUE ARRIVED THE DAY BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL.

AT THE OLD GROUND OUR FRIENDS PICKED….ALSO VERY NICE….. THEY ARRANGED FOR 10 MUSICIANS, DANCERS, SINGERS AND ORGANIST AND TEACHER OF IRISH DANCE….FOR OUR GROUP AND A DOZEN OTHERS WHO ARRIVED TO PARTICIPATE…..WHAT A TIME AND A GIFT. NO ONE WENT TO BED EARLY THAT NIGHT…TOO MUCH FUN!

OUR DRIVER WAS JUST GREAT AND INFORMED…..I WOULD HAVE ONE SUGGESTION FOR YOUR GUIDE BOOK…..MUCH LESS CLOTHING THAN LISTED…..MOST OF US OVERPACKED NEEDLESSLY.

AGAIN, THANK YOU AND 206 TOURS FOR SUCH A MEMORABLE TRIP DESPITE NOT THE BEST OF WEATHER…..BUT THAT IS IRELAND! WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO TAKE DANA AND DAMIEN SCALLON TO DINNER AT OUR HOTEL…THEY ARE FRIENDS.

IN HIS MERCY AND JOY,

PAULINE HOAGLUND

Good Day Amanda:

Pat and I had a wonderful trip and it exceeded our expectations from a spiritual and social perspective. Fr. Murphy was brilliant in his ability to infuse the group with the spirit and to allow us all to avail of the Mass, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and a general feeling of spiritual growth and enjoyment. The composition of the group, that is the Boston group led by Deacon Bob and Pauline Hoaglund and the Ohio et al group that was combined with us, made for great synergy and fun. It could not have been better overall. The transportation, housing accommodations, food, ticketing, etc was very well planned and went off basically without a hitch. The 206 Tours, the driver Greg that was assigned, the spiritual director, Fr. Ed Murphy, the Hoaglunds and all the participants made for a great trip. We even combined some music and dance the last two nights, one in Connemara and one in Ennis, to top off the spiritual with the social. Thanks for your coordination and if the opportunity comes again to go on a 206 Tour, if it fit, I would be there. We appreciated your openness and response to all our questions and we also appreciated your spirituality and professionalism.

Best Regards,

PAUL M. HORRIGAN

Amanda,

The pilgrimage went extremely well. Father Edward Murphy was a great tour guide. The hotels were excellent as well as the food. The International Eucharistic Congress was a great success. I was so privileged to attend. The touring went very well. Our Coach driver was so entertaining!. It rained most days but that is Ireland. You couldn’t do anything about that. The group was very cohesive and helpful. I really appreciate all that you did to make our tour so enjoyable and successful.

Msgr. Larry Beeson

Dear Yaritza,

Once again our pilgrimage was very enriching. Our tour guide, Ivanka Petrovic is a very spiritual woman. She helps us to understand the history of the country and the significance of Our Lady’s presence.
Father Sean’s Mother was a wonderful roommate. We had such fun!

We are already looking forward to next year.

Blessings to you,
Laurene

Dear Rinda,

Thanks so much for providing me a wonderful trip to the Holy Land. I was in the company of a great group, caring for each other. Fr. Ed S. was an extra nice priest helping with our spiritual needs, and at the same time humorous in times of leisure. Nadel, the tour guide was very knowledgeable, also the bus driver, Muhammad, very courtious. I really appreciate the great service of 206tours and will choose you as my tour agency. I already recommended 206tour to my friends.

Thanks again.

Mary Kallarakal
Silver Spring, MD

My trip to Holy Land was amazing.

I had an excellent pilgrimage. The priest was great and really clarified the theme for a lifetime spiritual journey for the best.

Nadel the tour guide in the Holy Land was extremely knowledgeable and courteous. The bus driver was courteous.
Karen in Rome just made us feel at home in Italy. She is just a wonderful kind and warm person, and an excellent host. She takes time for each and everyone and takes care of every detail.

I have recommended 206 tour to all my colleagues at work.

Thanks for a wonderful spiritual vacation …

Katrina De Vinci

Dear Rhinda,

We are back at home safe and sound and so grateful to 206 Tours and especially Nadal! Thank you!!!! Our trip to The Holy Land was truly a pilgrimage experience that will live in us for the rest of our lives, as we read the Bible everyday and it has come to LIVE for us. As we read we envision the many places and people we saw and met and where Our Lord lived some of His days. We were so at home with Nadal! The arrangements and timing and his information were so precise that most of us did not even think about our itinerary, we just did as Nadal asked, "Come to me". (smile) We had a wonderful and most down to earth Spiritual Director in Father Serena and consider him a new found friend and a great part of our Pilgrimage. We made great friends in Christ, and were all sad to leave The Holy Land.

The Rome experience was not as intense and emotional but there were great visions and history come to live for us. One suggestion on this part of the trip is that after a long day at St. Peters Square, the Vatican Museums, and Basilicas the group be provided with motor coach transportation back to the hotel, as it was a long and arduous walk back.

Once again, thank you for a wonderful and stress free pilgrimage and experience.

Ben and Linda De Luna
San Marcos, Texas

Dear Milanka, Javier, was God sent to us. What a Man,God bless him. He went far and beyond his duties. Courteous, knowledgeable, prayerful and sooo helpful, to all. Special thanks to him from all of us. What a soul. God Bless his family.All want to claim him our brother in Christ. So especial. Brought pastries for us, had a cake for me on my birthday after dinner. These small touches were very dear to me. God Bless the work you do, to take us to all these wonderful sights of the blessed Mother and Our Lord. Until next time,

Prayerfully,
Roshan Sethi

The pilgrims all embarked on their venture yesterday and am happy to report that they are safely in Medjugorje for their first dinner and evening in Mary’s Village. I know they are making lasting memories and I appreciate all Rinda, Stephanie and your efforts to bring this all together. As much as I was as I was dissapointed in not going, am grateful that my son Scott was able and willing to go in my place. Am having many flashbacks of previous trips so actually feel that I am with them. Thank you for your help in making this pilgrimage possible for my family. They met the priest, who is their director and bonded immediately with him. Thank you for choosing him, God bless you in your efforts to bring pilgrims to the special village of Medjugorje. 

Barbara 

Hi Rinda,
Thank you very much for your help. The pilgrimage when very well. 
Mr Orsini & I are very grateful for your professional service. 

God bless you. 

Fr. Diaz

Dear Christine,

My daughter and I had an incredible spiritual journey with 206tours.
I would definitely recommend traveling with this company and hope to make
future trips with 206tours!

Everything ran so smoothly. I never worried about any arrangements, which included
flights,lodging, meals, tours..we were just able to relax and soak it all in.

We were really touched by the warmth, compassion of our tour guide in Rome, Marianna.
Also Fr. Edwin was wonderful making us feel like a cohesive group, getting to know everyone
and relating our trip to our spiritual development. We had wonderful conversation and fellowship.
Our tour guide in Medjugorje, Slavenka was incredible! Very warm and personable and filled with
so much love and knowledge of her community.

Our lodging in both countries was excellent!

Thank you for a trip we will never forget and will always cherish in our hearts.

God Bless you,
Cathy and Sarah Garwood

Samantha:

Our tour went very well. The local guide was very well versed in both the local and national history. We enjoyed the side trip to Dubrovnik as well the local church and monestary. The museum was most interesting and we heard a little more about the status of the church under the various regimes. Our tour leader was excellent and even though my wife walks with a cane she was able to climb to the Blue Cross where some of the apparitions occurred with my help and another woman who was on the tour with us. This was a major feat for us and it was truly the high point of our pilgrimage. My wife is walking much better due in part to the walking that was required to go to Mass and the other religious events. The trip was long but we were well cared for by both Luftlansa Air Lines and Croatian Air. While the trip was tiring it was well worth our time. As a Deacon my spirits were very much uplifted and I was spiritually renewed. Thank you for arranging such a special time for us. As bonus we got to meet and be with a very special group of people and we look forward to seeing them in the very near future at a time and place that will be forthcoming from our group leader. Once again thank you.

Deacon Mike & Pat Hodges

Christine,

Sorry for responding so late but as soon as we returned life kicked into high gear.
Mary and I wish to thank 206 Tours for yet another wonderful pilgrimage experience. This is our third one and all 3were terrific. There are not enough words to describe the joy, beauty, and God filled moments that we experienced during the trip, and of theuniversality of our Catholic faith. Mary and I are now pilgrimage junkies and 206 is the only group we will use. She is already looking at trips to Greece, Ireland, Mexico and Poland. As money and time become available we will go again.

What makes 206 so special is that everything is arranged and organized. We just sit back and enjoy the sites. There are many aspects to praise but one in particular stands out. In each of our tours the guides were part of our group.

They didn’t just point out the areas and tell us to go see them. They walk with us, tell us about each site, pray at Mass with us, eat with us and sleep on the bus when we do. Jesus our tour guide on this tour (he assured us that was his real name) was priceless. He was educational, motivating, encouraging, spirtual, and fun to be with for 2 weeks. Moving 20-30 or more people across 3 countries in Europe is an arduous task, but he was always positive and understanding. I told him it is like “herding cats” who all want to go 20 different directions and do their own thing.

Tour 40 was the longest tour we have taken. Due to the long bus rides, it was wonderful for Jesus to have DVD’s available for us to watch. We watched videos on Lourdes, Bernadette, Fatima,and several documentaries. This helped educate us and to pass the time. Also, we were treated to lunches several times and that was very nice.
One area that may be improved is down time, specifically at dinner in the evening. Due to the lateness of starting dinners (usually 7:30-8, but sometimes later) it was difficult to do anything in the evening like shopping or visiting local sites like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Every moment is packed and can sometimes be tiring but we love it. We did have a couple of afternoons off in Fatima and Lourdes and that was nice. Still, the evening meals often take so much time that it usually too late to do anything but crash in the hotel. We know that typically lunches aren’t includedbut perhapsa lunchcould beexchanged for adinner and free time given in the evening to wander or tour individually, depending on the locations of course. This is just a suggestion not a complaint.

We loved everything on our tour. It more than met our expectations. Keep up the good work and know that you are always in our prayers. God bless.

Paul & Mary Nungester

Dear Christine,
The pilgrimage to Santiago will be for ever in my heart. I know now, that no matter what, I will have the courage to face it. To Fr. Jay, Javier and my new camino family and 206 Tours.

Thank you
Margarete Gielow

We, Jim and I, want to take this time to let you know we returned from our first 206 pilgrimage to Rome (May 1-14), and felt so spiritually blessed, and thankful to 206 tours for the amazing work you all do. Please thank Rinda and Stephanie for all the help they gave us in arranging flights from Canada. Please forward a message to Gaia Meuti for being an amazing tour guide and for helping me fulfill a prayer request to see the little museum on Purgatory (Piccolo Museo del Purgatoria) at the Sacred Heart Parish in Prati, Rome (Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio). All the holy places we visited during our pilgrimage testified to the love of God for his people. Our spiritual director, Fr. Leo, and all our group members really touched our hearts with their sharing, and Diane’s Mandolin playing during Mass was beautiful. We miss our little group gathering each evening. We want to thank all the other tour guides, and for our bus drivers (forgive my spelling ) Settismo and Johnny. God bless you all and thank you.

Hyacinth and Jim Yee

Dear Milanka,

I would like to express my gratitude to Father Harrington and Javier for an inspirational pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. Javier is a true professional whose wit compassion and acts of charity earned him high praise within the group.Fr Harrington was a true spiritual guide along the long and winding road to the Cathedral. His daily sermons were spiritual in theme and motivational in design. In addition Fr. Harrington was always accessible and made a conscious effort of walking with and listening to the needs of each group member. We all became one family. And we are all linked to the commonality of human experience. Fr Harrington and Javier was the thread that connected us as one. In closing I would also like to express gratitude to Tani (our bus driver) Maria and Claudio our site guides.

Kudos to 206 tours for hiring compassionate selfless guides.

Sincerely
Larry I

Hi, Stephanie –
I just got back from the Medjugorje tour yesterday. Thanks so much for making the arrangements. Everything worked beautifully – the flights, tour guides, and accommodations were all wonderful!

Thanks for making that a great experience,
Margy Kumpis

Christine,

I am very pleased with my first experience with 206 Tours. The guides, Jesus Vivas and Slavenka Jelavic were both excellent, courteous, considerate, and best of all know the areas giving us excellent background information. I consider myself blessed and priveleged to have had Fr. Murphy at Medugorje. He is a very special person indeed. Also, the accomodations were excellent.

I am attaching a picture showing my two friends who were very kind to stay with me during our climb up and down the Cross Mountain. Being the oldest in the group, their wives sort of asked them to look after me. without them and a cane of course, I would not have made the Apparition and Cross mountains. The hill at Lourdes’ station of the cross was an excellent preparation for me for the Medugorje mountains.

Next year, I plan to join the 2013 202 Ireland Tour, God willing. I would like to go in August close to when the Lady appeared at Knock (21st ?) Kindly send me the schedule when it becomes available.

Peace, Hope, and Joy to You in Jesus and Mary
Dr. Marietta M. Advincula

I am familiar w 206 Tours and religious pilgrimages but this trip was more than I could have prayed for and Xavier was an excellent guide. The group was so wonderful and I know we bonded on levels only a few can appreciate. I will never forget the daily events of last week.

Fr. Jay was a holy priest and made each Mass a special memory.
I will let my son, Sean send the pics

God bless,

Fran Black

Dear Milanka and Rinda,
I have just returned from the wonderful 206 pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Thanks for allowing me this unforgettable experience. Javier Gomez has done a splendid job as Tour Guide and I look forward to working with him again at any time. The group of pilgrims was also high in his praise. He is joyful, selfless, compassionate, funny, devout, sensitive and well organized. But you already know that. When Air Europa Airlines lost my luggage for several days, Javi had his staff working diligently to recover it. Those who assisted in the trip, Pedro and Tani our bus drivers, and Maria Jesus and Claudio, our on sites tour guides, were all very professional.

On a related matter, I found a novena to St. James on the web and provided copies to everyone on the trip. We incorporated the Prayers of the Faithful into the daily Masses and the other material was then available for their reflection. Javier suggested that I send it to you. He recommends it as a useful resource for this pilgrimage. I also prepared another resource containing prayers and a couple songs which I have also attached.

I look forward to serving with 206Tours again at some point, and I would be delighted to serve again with Javier. All of us pilgrims agreed that he helped to make this pilgrimage a spiritual experience and an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord through the intercession St. James the Apostle. Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Fr. Jay Harrington, OP

It was truly a remarkable and life changing trip. 206 Tours and our tour guide – Slavanka – did an outstanding job. We had a week of rain and they had so many things planned for us to participate in if we choose to – to keep us busy. It was nice to have Wayne Wieble as our tour guide and Mary as his assistant. We met so many wonderful people and made some lifetime friends. You just have to go and experience it. No words can describe what will happen to you in Medjugorje. If …no, when I go again, it will be with Wayne and 206 Tours.

Linda Wiese, Florence, KY

Thank you for asking for feedback about our tour to Israel. Only one word can describe this pilgrimage: MAGNIFICENT! The itinerary was impeccably executed! All of the hotels we stayed in, where exceptionally comfortable and left us with fond memories and a few extra pounds. Our tour guide, Mr. George A. Sa íd was extraordinarily competent and an amazing source of information. Mr. Sa íd was passionate and his love for the Holy Land and his faith was in itself, a source of inspiration. Additionally, father Tony Mugavero made this, a very spiritual journey.

Finally, the staff of 206 Tours is the most professional, patient, and efficient group I have dealt with in a long, long time. What a pleasure… a trip of a lifetime! I will treasure this Tour. Thank you 206!

You can see my pictures at tonydeo.shutterfly.com. 206Tours may download any and share or use them in any trip promotions. This is the least I can do! Thanks again!

Mr. and Mrs. DeOliveira

Hello Mike,

I returned to Norway just a few days ago, and know I will be processing my impressions and insights from our trip for some time yet… But I would like to share some of my thoughts on my experiences with Tours 206 with you:

Over all our accommodation and meals were very satisfactory.

A highlight was the apartments in Arzua, which was a perfect resting place for two nights. Likewise its restaurant served fabulous food and outstanding service (to illustrate this, let me just mention that they took the effort to make glutenfree croissants for me, something I did not know even was duable!).

Also the personal service of the hotel owner in Melilde was memorable. In addition to their excellent food, he served a special ‘magic potion’ which included the charming reciting of its ‘recipe’, to all our amusement.

Let me also add that I also really appreciated the accommodation, food and service in Sarria (a different accommodation than mentioned on your website outline of the trip).

In fact, the only accommodation which was a disappointment to me, was the hotel in Santiago de Compostela. The hotel itself was nice, but unfortunately located outside the city centre. Given the short stay and tight program, I really would have appreciated a more central accommodation, which would have enabled me to explore old town on my own (something the original hotel location on your website program offered). After all, Santiago is Santiago… Not just another stop on the way.

But when all is said and done, perhaps the one indispensable ingredient on our trip was our guide, Javier Gomez. He is a living encyclopedia in Catholic history, and never tired of answering questions. His honesty and sense of honor was admirable and highly appreciated. Javier balanced being professional with being personal, and had an eye for detail which made us all feel seen and taken care of. From knowing who preferred tea/decaf/espresso/cafe con leche at the local restaurant, to calculating how long it would take an individual to get to the next meeting spot (based on the geography and their physical capacity). There he would be anxiously waiting for the last one to arrive, ready with a hug and encouragement. His firs-aid kit was always close at hand, to assist those in need. And you could always rely on him to take care of unforeseen events.

In short, Javier’s leadership and dedication to our well-being was simply outstanding. In fact, we would fondly argue about whether he was a ‘shepard’s dog’ or ‘hen mother’, and have to settle for both…! 🙂

It would be unfair not also to mention our driver Tanni, who’s competent driving skills got us comfortably from place to place, and who’s stoic patience, flexibility (always accommodating access to our things in the bus when remotely possible) and sense of humor was an invaluable asset.

When it comes to not having received the distributed travel information ahead of time (see below), I think this is due to signing on in the last minute (a week before the trip). I could have requested the info myself before traveling, but really your quick reply to my questions were all I needed to get hooked up with the group. From then on all my needs were taken care of! Thank you!

Summasummarum, I had an absolutely most extraordinary trip. Doing El Camino de Compostela ended up being a transformational experience in my life. It is something I have desired to do for more than a decade, and I felt that I did it with the right people at the right time, thanks to 206 Tours and James Twyman!

Yours Sincerely,
Fride Vedde

Dear Michael, I wanted to let you and everyone in 206 tours to know that we had a wonderful trip. Thanks to all of you who has worked hard on arranging this trip. Everything went smoothly, i enjoyed it a lot and most of all my appreciations for Javier (our amazing guide) and Tani (our driver) for their loving care, patience, attendance on our every needs, queries and fatigues it was a magical trip.

So once again thanks to you all!

Sincerely,
Serap

Dear Rinda:

Thank you for your e-mail received. The Pilgrimage went very well thank God. All of the Pilgrims enjoyed a very good experience. While many of them had been there previous – it was evident that they came away with a deeper appreciation of what Medjugorje is all about. The group bonded very quickly and we all enjoyed a great sense of unity and sharing. Slavenka our Tour Escort was excellent. Her interaction with the Pilgrims and her profundity of wisdom and knowledge made the Pilgrimage all the more special.

Dragica and Marinko could not have been more kind. They are the essence of "hospitality’. It was my first time staying with them and I was deeply touched. We all had the privilege of attending Ivan’s vision at his Chapel on Sunday, May l3. It was a special moment! I too received a special grace during that vision. Ivan mentioned afterwards that Our Lady had prayed for each priest individually during his apparition. What more can I ask for? They were a rather private couple. All in all I was happy with the Pilgrimage. If there was anything negative I wanted to express it would be the lack of time to process the whole experience. Thank you again Rinda for making this possible. With much gratitude and thanksgiving.

Fr. Pat Crowley, ss.cc.

Dear Cara, The whole thing was outstanding in every way. Our guide, Dragan, was really special and went out of his way constantly to make our experience perfect. He even took us up Apparition Hill a 2nd time because we wanted to go in the evening. The Pansion Sulic was great and we loved the staff esp Irene the lady who served us and a girl named Rose who helped us with anything we needed.

We also had perfect weather which helped. Everyone wants to go back! But we want to visit Lourdes before we return to Medj. We relished every minute……….Praised be Jesus and Mary!

Thanks for everything – 206 is a gift!

MaryAnn

Rinda,

The pilgrimage is a wonderful renewal of faith–Charlie and Gertie Carpenter are deeply spiritual, thoughtful and organized. Marenko’s and Dragice’s pension was outstanding— as always! Father Pat Crowley was available to each of us and – at times was the only English speaking priest hearing confessions–he was a blessing! Especially appreciate flying Lufthansa –head and shoulders above the rest!

But, Rinda, your personal attention to adding our granddaughter, Rory K. Finn, to the pilgrimage at such a late date was a special gift. It had to be orchestrated by Blessed Mother!! Thank you so much.

Will always consider 206 tours for future pilgrimages.

Konnie (Mary C. ) Williams

Dear Yaritza,

The trip was wonderful. The hotels the sights, the restaurants were all beautiful. I think that I enjoyed it also because I would never have picked these countries to visit if it were not for you and Fr. Frank. I just loved every minute of it.

Thank you again for such a wonderful Pilgrimage.

Angela T. Pisano

Dear Michael,

I want to tell you how MUCH I appreciate the TLC offered to all of us on the Camino of Santiago by Xavier, our guide extraordinaire and Tani, the bus driver. They went way beyond the call of duty to take good care of the 12 of us. They were always kind, considerate, generous and pleasant. I would love to take another tour with them – any time!!

Blessings,
Meredith

Rinda,

The pilgrimage was most wonderful, especially the people. Gaia Meuti is a real gem – knowledgeable, good-humored, and reverent. The other guides were also very good, especially Mary Ann.

Also, the staff and services of the Quirinale Hotel and the Savoia Regency Hotel were outstanding.

It was a deeply faith-filled and joyous experience.

Blessings,
Fr. Leo, SJ

Just a little note to inform you that Javier (our guide) and Tani (our driver) were absolutely great during this adventure.

They made this trip a real pleasure even though at time the going was though. I will take any other trip with them in charge.

Love and Peace
Guy Mommaerts

Thank you, Rinda.
Everything went well.
Many God’s blessings

Fr. Mariusz

Dear Rinda,

Thank you for all you did in preparing my itinerary for my Pilgrimage Tour #37 to Fatima, Spain & Lourdes. I was very grateful to make all my connections and found that being in a small group of pilgrims was what I needed. The Pilgrimage was a very grace-filled experience. Each place we traveled to and visited had its own beauty and special graces. However, being in Fatima & Lourdes where our Blessed Mother appeared were very special for me. I was moved by the faith of the pilgrims from all over the world to honor our Beloved Mother and to pray for healing and special intentions. Highlights were the evening procession with the recitation of the rosary in different languages and taking a "Lourdes bath".

The weather turned out to be very nice. I thought it was going to be raining most of the time. However, we had plenty of sunshine! This made the tour more enjoyable. It was wonderful having Fr. Mariusz as our spiritual guide. He was a joy to be with and appreciated having daily Mass on our pilgrimage. Our Tour Guide, Jesus, was also wonderful! He really went out of his way to be attentive to us. I was also pleased with our bus driver and other local guides. It was a blessing to walk the journey with other pilgrims. I enjoyed each one in our group. At the last minute I was trying to get email addresses to connect with my pilgrim companions. One suggestion I might make is to have a list of the names of those participating on the tour, and, if possible, their email address.

Thank you again for making all the arrangements for me on this tour. I was very pleased. May God continue to bless you and all at 206 Tours for your efforts in trying to please future pilgrims.

God’s peace & love be with you,

Sister Angela Pacheco, CSJ

Dear Rinda,

Our first pilgrimage with 206 Tours was wonderful. The hotels were great and in excellent location. The cities we visited were picturesque and so special with the witnesses of the saints throughout the centuries . We enjoyed the trip very much. Thank you especially for Father Mariusz Olbrys who we love dearly because of his kindness, thoughtfulness, and his love for the Lord and His saints. We would like to hear from you if there is any trip in the future accompanied by Father Olbrys so that we can joint him. We’re looking forward to the next journey with 206 Tours.

Best regards,

DanThanh Le and Dung Nguye

Hello Yaritza,
Thank you for your inquiry. It was indeed a very memorable pilgrimage for me.

The accommodations were great and comfortable. The meals were good, and the best of all is our stay at Prague. The hotel was excellent, and the meals were the best for me, this was in hotel Diplomat.
I applaud 206 always for a good service and good accommodations. The tour guides were very good and friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed so much the company of Javier V, our tour guide from Madrid, on to Montserrat.

I will post some pictures soon. Yes, definitely I only join tours , pilgrimage organized by 206 tours.

Thank you again for excellent job.

Sincerely,
Remy Auditor

Hi Amanda,

My pilgrimage to Italy was fabulous! Luca, our tour guide was excellent , he went above and beyond for our group. He was extremely organized, knowledgeable, and very pleasant to be around. All the sites we visited were so beautiful. I loved going to daily Mass.

Although the hotel we stayed at in Palermo was fine, the area in which it was located, was a little sketchy. All the accommodations were above average.

For me, the papal audience was the highlight. We packed a lot in in two weeks, it was all fantastic.

I did have to fly home separate from the group, and my connection from Rome to JFK was a bit tight, but I made it. It was indeed a memorable pilgrimage.

Thank you and God bless,

Betsy Williams

The pilgrimage to Italy was an experience that exceeded my expectations by far. I had planned such for slightly over 4 years, and was not sure with whom or with what company I was to pick in order to invest a considerable amount in cash (to travel and to expense), and if such would be 100% thrust worthy in their offerings. But after travelling, arriving, staying, visiting, and returning back, I was overwhelmed with the service received.

I would never had imagined or thought that our small group would encounter in the Holy Sites, the very special secluded areas visited such as the restored Abbey of Monte Cassino, the tombs of martyrs, the relics of saints such as Catherine of Siena, San Padre Pio in Giovanni Rotondo, Saint Francis in Assisi, St. Claire in Assisi, and the visit inside St. Michael’s Grotto, the Porziuncola, and others.

I would never have imagined that we were to celebrate and have a complete Mass next to the burial sites of St. Benedict and Saint Scholastica, or to have an everyday Mass celebration in the Basilicas, Cathedrals, or even in the Tombs of St. Callisto. Also, we were granted time for ourselves to wonder around the different places, and even in Rome.

The Wednesday Papal audience was something I would have never imagined, even the guide was very helpful and knowledgeable when she instructed us where to sit, thus having the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, ride just in front of us!
Also, the group members were very friendly, and felt as if each member was part of the family.

The Guide, Karin, was excellent, superb, friendly, dedicated, very knowledgeable, always aware to our needs and concerns, highly professional, willing to help us with any situation that would arose.

Father Damien was superb and very accessible to guidance, offering facts and data of the different sites we visited. Also was available for personal counseling.

The whole trip was great, extraordinary, unforgettable! We had such a wonderful group of people to travel with, including the drivers, and the Museum Guides!

I will certainly opt to take a spiritual journey with 206 Tours in the future, possibly to the Holy Land in 2013 or 2014.

Waldemar Betancourt

My Dear Milanka,

First of all, the Lourdes trip was over the top. It was so great that I want to do the 12 day trip again next year.

I have to say, this was the best trip I have had. I thought I could never top the Holy Land, but this did it. People ask me what was the best thing, and I tell them, “the next day”, because it just kept getting better all the time. Our guide and I really clicked and he said he would plan a trip for me for next year. I told him to get it planned because I want to get flyers out ASAP.

Milanka, I just can’t express how great this trip was, of course being with Penny is always wonderful. Both priests were great. All the people were wonderful. One man may got to Poland with me. I really can’t say what was the highlight because is all was so wonderful. I know the bus ride was long for some people, but I ask what would want to cut out? My answer is NOTHING!!!!

The only problem I had was I fell in my room in Lourdes and had to go to the hospital, but even that worked our great. By noon of the day I fell, I could not put any weight on that leg, the next morning there was no pain at all. But of course, we were in Lourdes.

Our guide, Jesus is such a wonderful young man. After I fell, I told him “I fell for you!”

I am still absorbing the entire trip, I am the type of person who needs to take this type of trip at least twice to really be able to absorb it all. So I am already looking forward to next year!

Thank you again for all you do for people like me; without you and your company, I would not be where I am in my faith life, I am still a baby crawling, but at least I am at that point!

Prayers,

Mary Johnston

I wanted to write you/206 Tours a personal thanks for providing our group with a wonderful vacation and memories. It was organized and for the most part was perfect.If anyone did not have one of the best times of their lives it was their fault, so thank you again,

Carol Saracinskas
Father Rich Toohey trip

Dear Ms. Manise and everyone at 206 Tours,

Christ is risen!

Thank you so much for considering me as Spiritual Director for the Spain/Portugal/France Pilgrimage and for the stipend, which I received upon my return. The trip, locations visited, lodgings, and our tour guide (and driver) were exceptional. Everything was top-shelf, and every pilgrim was blessed and grace-filled by all of the shrines and holy places we visited. The comments by one and all throughout the trip were of amazement.

On a personal note, I would like to extend my gratitude to Penny, whose holiness and kindness I am sure you are well aware of; she kept everyone at ease throughout the trip. I (and the whole group really) were very impressed by the professionalism and accommodation of Jesus, our tour guide, who is a very conscientious and personable lead. On that note, I would like to send him an email if you would be so kind as to forward me his email address. Miguel, our bus driver, was also a pleasure, always on time, and a dexterous driver. Last but not least, thank you for your hard work. Don’t think because you are in the background, you are forgotten. I well realize the effort and difficult task you had in putting this trip together. God bless you for your diligence.

Believe me, from take-off to landing, everything was wonderful.
Again, I send you my gratitude, prayers and blessings.
Keep up the good work. I am a humble servant,

In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Joseph A. Nahas

Good morning, Rinda,

Where do I start???? It was an amazing trip!!! Thanks to you and your exceptional worldwide staff!

I have been on several pilgrimages before, but never on one with so much attention to detail! Our tour guide, Jesus, was attentive to every need of his “flock” as Jesus was in the gospels. He was cheerful, easy going, and eager to please and help us. He was especially reverent as he assisted as altar server at some of the Masses. (There were times in the tour that my 87 year old Dad needed to walk more slowly, have a cab or stay behind because of the walking and Jesus was very accommodating to him.)

The guides at each site were amazing—filling us with added details, stories, and facts of the places we were visiting! In Nevers, we were especially blessed to have Isabelle as our guide—–she was so inspiring—-she brought me to tears! She gave such a powerful tour—-her words were like homilies!! Several of us including the accompanying priest and my Dad, the deacon} commented how we wished we had recorded her words for future listening!

Having priests as part of the tour was wonderful. Our priest in Paris, Fr Charles, turned out to know my grandfather in New Hampshire many, many years ago…in fact my grandfather—a local doctor—-brought him into the world some 70+ years ago…what wonderful stories he had to tell!

Thank you for the reverent priests throughout the tour!
Organized prayer and movies on the bus were constantly keeping us on focus to our next destination.
The hotel accommodations were very comfortable and well located for touring the sites. The food was delicious. Occasional lunches at the convents were a treat—very fresh and yummy!!!
Breakfast at Le Marriot Paris Rive Gauche in Paris was terrific!

My only complaint/worry was when we arrived in Lourdes at our hotel. Our arrival there preceded the other tour with Jesus, which was to join us. We didn’t know this and us newcomers became worried when the front desk staff did not know if/when Jesus would arrive…and there was no sign/note was on the bulletin board to give information.

Your company’s attention to detail in their booklets and preparation recommendations was very helpful!
I would love to travel with you again….and will start saving right away!

Thank you for my new “prayer family”—we all met such wonderful people!!

Would you be so kind as to send me 4 tour booklets citing all the varieties of available tours you have to share with friends—several co-worker in my parish wanted to learn more about 206tours.

Many, many thanks and God bless you all, much love,

Mary Lou Slome

Dear Rinda,

This Pilgrimage was the best…I came back refreshed in mind, body and soul.
being able to be at the Cathedral for Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday was wonderful. And the group of people in our group were the best. Father Kaspar and all the people from Alaska were so supportive and I feel now that I have made friends for life with most of them. Thank you so much. I look forward to traveling with you on another Pilgrimage next year….God willing.

God bless you and all the folks at 206 Tours and thanks again.

Teresa

Dear Rinda,

The pilgrimage was terrific! I came home with a sprained ankle and a terrible cough & cold, but the trip was wonderful nonetheless. Everyone had a deeply spiritual experience. Ivan was our guide and he was perfect in every way, that is, kind, patient, informative, very helpful when I sprained my ankle and so wiling to meet all our needs. 206 Tours has certainly confirmed our confidence. The flight arrangements were exact and we all agree that Austrian Airlines was the finest airline we have ever flown. Professional staff, great food and attentive to our needs. When we flew from Sarajevo to Vienna, the flight attendant put me in first class first row because I was on crutches…very kind of them.

Once I’m up and about, I will forward pictures and other points of interst to you. More feedback to follow from the other pilgrims.

Thank you Rinda for such competent and excellent planning. I plan on coordinating more pilgrimages to Medugorje in the future. Many people have expressed a serious interest in Medugorje so I will give ample time in the future when planning this.

On behalf of myself and my fellow pilgrims, we thank you and Stefanie for making our pilgrimage successful in every way. 206 TOURS is the only way to go!!

May God bless you and all that you do,

Jane Thompson

Thank you for your letter, Rinda. My husband and I had a wonderful time on the tour. We would be pleased to recommend your company to others who would want to tour Europe, etc. We really had a wonderful time and I know we will receive many graces from going. I should have taken your advice about an umbrella…the tour guide was most kind in letting us share his one evening.
The hotels and food was fit for royalty!! We feel privileged to have been able to make the trip.

Thank you,
Barbara & Chuck Sherman

Hi Yaritza,

It was a lovely pilgrimage.
I especially liked our tour guide in Medjugorje. She was very nice and knowledgable.

I will recommend your company, if someone asks.

God bless you,

Mary Christiansen

Hi Yaritza,

Our trip was wonderful! Even though it rained 7 of the 8 days we still experienced everything we hoped to and left with an intense sense of Peace. We look forward to our next trip.

Thanks for your help,

Bob Acacio

Yaritza:
Our trip to say the least was perfect. Our hosts in the village welcomed us as if we were family. We were lucky enough to have a priest (Fr. George Nixon) traveling with us. To express all that happened and how spiritually uplifting it was would take volumes. Instead I send these pictures (Each worth a thousand words..:-)).

God Bless
Peter & Gail Paranzino

Dear Yaritza,

I just got back from the most wonderful visit to Medjugorje.
Our accommodations and tour guide was the best ever.
I loved Marinko and Dragica and their kind hospitality, not to mention the great food!
I wanted to take Dragan home with me in a suitcase. He was a great guide and FUNNY!!!
He made the rainy week comfortable and enjoyable.
I wish I could repeat the 7 days all over again.
This was my 8th visit to Medjugorje and they have all been so very different.
This was in the top 3! So thanks so much for putting together a great Pilgrimage.

God Bless,
Sue Wilkinson

Dear Liz,

The pilgrimage was indeed and wonderful reflective experience. Our guide was wonderful, she was very knowledgable and informative on the history of not only Medjugorje but also of the past history of the surrounding region. We had spirituality and faith sharing each day which was a nice opportunity for the pilgrims to express their feelings of what they were experiencing throughout their time there. Al was wonderful as were the host family. In all this was truly a lovely faith filled holy time for us all.

Be well and my best to all the staff.

Best always,
Deacon Patrick LaBella

this tour with father Fran Nelson was fantastic. I love Poland and the people. To be in the birth place of John Paul II and Santa Faustina. To be able to see where the Divine Mercy came alive it was amazing. I love the group, the Filipino sisters and brother from Califonia are incredible. Thank to father Nelson for his guidance during this pilgrimage. We were bless with the weather and I made many friends this group was great. Thank to 206 tour for all your service. God bless you all.

Eliliana

Dear Yaritza,

This was my first visit to Europe, and without question the most moving, enjoyable, spiritual journey of my life. I was sometimes overwhelmed with feelings of awe, gratitude, humility and grace. To walk where saints have walked, to visit their resting places, to feel their presence- it was an amazing experience. The visit to Auschwitz and Birkinau brought me to my knees-I put away my camera after a few photos because I felt somehow that I was intruding-that this excursion into the horrors that men wrought should not be experienced through a camera lens, but with my eyes, and all my senses. I will never forget that day. Fr. Frank provided much spiritual guidance-his daily Masses were so comforting. Chris, our guide, was so knowledgeable, and so compassionate- a gentle man who taught me to love the countries we visited. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity.

Thank you,

Linda Elsner

Dear Rinda,

Thank you for the chance to give you feedback on Tour #111 The Holy Land – March 17-26, 2012.

We booked with 206 Tours simply on the strong recommendation. Owing to a sudden family situation, it was essential we go much earlier and that we return through the USA.

This all happened because 206 Tours lived up to their world-wide reputation and not only took us on board quickly, but delivered the best organised, best conducted and most spiritual journey we could ever have experienced. My wife, Clare, and I will never be the same again.

But why were we so impressed and taken aback spiritually? Well, it all started on Day 1 at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv and leaving the same Airport on the final day was only a transition to the rest of our lives. Spirituality was the focus throughout the pilgrimage – and the sacred sites we visited, plus the commentary that our wonderful Tour Guide, Nidal Jonaidi, gave us were so stimulating and so memorable. The depth of Our Lord’s love for us, how much He suffered for us, and how much He wants us to persevere to the end started to seep into our minds in a way that simply stemmed from being on such a wonderful pilgrimage.

(Incidentally, Nidal’s ongoing links back to the Old Testament were a highlight of each day and he is to be commended.)
On the day-to-day organisation, not one thing came adrift! And that’s a compliment one could rarely give with over 30 people being cared for over 10 days or more. Timing, comfort and enjoyment were the key elements day by day – Nidal did his job and he enjoyed it; our driver, Imad, did his job in a most professional way; and all the hotels gave top service in every department.

To top off our journey, we travelled with happy, vibrant people from the USA – Australia and the USA have always had strong ties and every person on the pilgrimage was a pleasure to be with. We thank you, 206 Tours, for being so very, very professional.

As if all the foregoing was not enough, suddenly we have your President, Milanka Lachman, and Linda….with us! And what a bonus – little wonder Milanka was inducted into The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and that she made such an impression on His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. And we became 206 Tour pilgrims without even knowing these wonderful things about your President.

Before I finish, Fr. Mickey Bancroft gave us wonderful liturgy each and every day – we could only contemplate a pilgrimage with a Priest on board, and Fr Mickey reflected the love of Christ for us every moment of the journey. We were truly blessed and we will pray for him, our pilgrim friends and all at 206 Tours with special enthusiasm that comes from ‘Down Under’.

As members for over 50 years of a Parish staffed by Order of Saint Augustine, we especially commend your choice of St Augustine’s words, The world is a book, those who do not travel read only a page,”

Yours in Augustine
Kevin (and Clare) Hadley

March 29, 2012

Hi Rinda and Milanka,

As a frequent, global traveler I seldom participate in group tours. This Holy Land program was an exception because of logistics and the renowned reputation of 206 Tours. This was a beautiful pilgrimage made more special with the support and leadership of Nidal and Father Mickey. I truly appreciate Nidal’s knowledge and passion, his objectivity and his patience with us. Father Mickey was just as wonderful — providing spiritual guidance and support along the way. In addition, our driver Imat, was highly reliable –keeping us safe and on schedule. These are exceptional individuals — humorous, kind, and knowledgeable. It is a privilege to have made this spiritual journey with them.

It was both a surprise and blessing to have met Milanka and Linda onsite. We were able to express our gratitude for their program personally. These pilgrimages are not just a business — these are also part of the mission for the 206 folks. Their passion and commitment is evident in the thoughtful design and planning of the itinerary, their constant attention to their pilgrims, and the kindness they have for their local providers. Safety, satisfaction, and value — these are the attributes that they aspire for in their program for their pilgrims/travelers. And they have exceeded all expectations.. on a daily basis, no less.

I truly appreciate this journey and I look forward to many more with 206 Tours.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth M. Stewart

Dear Yaritza,

The trip was better than I ever imagined it could be. Doreen was fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to travel with. If I ever have the blessing of being able to go back to Medjugore again, it will be with Doreen. She is truly an asset to your company. Slava and the family we stayed with were exceptional. It was the experience of a lifetime with the best people. God is good. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Many blessings,
Marie

Dear Rinda,

The trip was great. Everything was perfect. I am so happy that we picked 206 tours. Our guide, driver, and the priest were superb. Please use them again, if they are available. We don’t know when we can travel again, but 206 will be at the top of our list.

Thank you for everything,
Daria Faber

Hi Rinda and Mike,

Blessedly awesome!!!!! These are the words to describe our pilgrimage to the Holy land last Jan 16-26, 2012 thru Tour 206. Fr Vinny Chirichella provided a spiritually filled pilgrimage experience – from the morning prayers, rosary, daily Mass at the different Churches to our nightly prayers – they were so special. Fr Vinny’s homily were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Despite his youth, we felt his anointing by God – we can feel the holiness. Waleed, our pilgrim guide is the best! He is so knowledgeable re: the Bible. Both my husband and myself has been studying the Journey of the Bible Timeline by Jeff Cavins so this pilgrimage brought to life the salvation history of my amazing Catholic faith. Our scheduled visits just seemed to be so smooth in almost every way with Waleed’s coordination of the different scheduled visits and knowing to adjust as needed. No wasted time – only time well spent. We also had the best, accommodating and thoughtful driver – Mamoud. I really felt this pilgrimage is God’s gift to us and the rest of the pilgrims are gifts to us, too. We all connected and cared for each other. Every single one was great! I felt like I have another family. This has been one of the best pilgrimage I have been blessed with. During the whole pilgrimage – despite being supposedly winter in the Holy land – a light rain occurred only for one day the whole trip – and it happened when we were either inside the restaurant eating yummy food or inside the church. The spread of food in front of us was incredible! The hotels were great especially the Maccabean Hotel at Tel-Aviv. The food was delicious. The flights and connections went smooth. It was just awesome! Thank you for the experience and would definitely recommend to others to book their pilgrimages through your group.

From the very start prior to the flight Mike Alessi from Tour 206 was so helpful. I knew then that this would be a great pilgrimage and it was! May our gracious God continue to bless your tour company so that you can bring more of God’s people closer to Him.

Warm regards,
Juliet B. Escalon

Dear Ms. Kanidinc,

This pilgrimage was truly a gift from God. We were blessed with warm, hospitable people; beautiful weather; and excellent accomodations. I would recommend 206 Tours to anyone. It was a life-changing experience.
Thank you, and may God continue to bless you in this work.

Kind regards,
Lisa M. Carlone

Dear Amanda,

I can only say the pilgrimage from February 7-16, 2012, with Fr. Hughes was one of the better pilgrimages I’ve had the pleasure of taking.

Everything was handled well from beginning to end, and I have strongly recommended 206 Tours to others who have expressed an interest in traveling to the Holy Land. I have been to Israel four times, and I think the accommodations on this trip were among the best, as were the restaurants providing lunch and dinner. That would be especially true for the Leonardo Hotel in Jerusalem.

George Said is an excellent guide, and I enjoyed some of the things that were different on this pilgrimage than on others, especially praying the Stations of the Cross early in the morning followed by Mass at the Holy Sepulchre. Having done that in the middle of the afternoon on previous trips, it is not nearly as prayerful as the early morning experience. The new location for baptismal renewals at the Jordan River was also a much appreciated experience than that at Yardenit.

The bus driver Yaser was excellent as well.

It was also a great pleasure to have met Gabriel at his home in Jericho. That was another “first-time” experience. The gifts of a stole and a cross are much appreciated, and a very special part of this year’s pilgrimage I will not soon forget.

God bless all of you at 206 Tours for the wonderful experience of this Holy Land pilgrimage.

Fr. David J. Klein

We had a wonderful time, very spiritual and awesome. Travel to Mexico City and Our Lady of Guadalupe, San Miguel del Milagro and other churches was so deeply spiritual. Our group was so good and Father Gilbert is the best spiritual director. We enjoyed praying and touring with him. Please let us know when he has a group going anywhere, and we would love to travel with him. Thanks for all you do.

Marlene & Jim Yaniglos

Hola Yaritza, The tour to Guadalupe and Mexico City was wonderful……Kristin, Fr. Ben and Fr. Bruce were terrific! I was longing for a special pilgrimage trip with like-minded people and this wonderful experience actually exceeded all hopes so thank you for 206 Tours!! I told Kristin that her calm acceptance of our first flight from Memphis being cancelled really set the tone for me…….travel is a challenge and a metaphor for life so expect things not to always go as planned. Our tour guide in Mexico – Roberto – was also awesome!! So high marks for everyone!!

Susan Erdman

Dear Rinda,

It was an amazing trip. A trip of a life time. Walking in the foot steps of Jesus and on the shore of Galilee Biblical stories came to life, people and places took place in my imagination. Being there was a powerful experience. It has made my directiion and spirituality more stablle and close to Jesus. I was extremely impressed with everyone kindness and concern. Our tour Guide Walee was wonderful He was knowledgeable kind and available.We all had the most unforgettable time ever with so many blessings for all of us.

Thank you,
Agnes

Dear 206 Team:

Our group had such a special time in Mexico…truly a blessing for each one of us. I am sending some group photos… It has been such a pleasure to work with you guys…I look forward to many more years of life-changing pilgrimages to come! You remain in my daily prayers; please keep me and Pilgrim’s Place in yours.

Many blessings,

Kristin Walker
President/Executive Director
www.pilgrimages.com/pilgrimsplace

Rinda,

The trip was amazing! Our tour guide Waleed was incredible. When I go back I will use only him if he is available.
I will send you a more detailed e-mail about the total experience Hotels, Food, etc. everything was great.

Blessings….
Fr.Vincent

Dear Rinda,

Thank you for your letter dated Jan 26, 2012 and for the opportunity to provide feedback about the pilgrimage.
The reason I went to Medjugorje was because Pope John Paul II “invited me”. I was reading the book on Saint John Paul II entitled “Why He is a saint” by Slawomir Oder and Saverio Gaeta. In the book, Pope John Paul II commented to one of his friends that Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world. This “invitation” was good enough for me to visit Medjugorje, even though I knew that the Church had not “sanctioned” the apparitions there. I had no expectations of Medjugorje. Two of my friends tried to dissuade me from going. However, JP II’s invitation was good enough for me to book a pilgrimage with Tours 206, who arranged our pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe in April 2011. After the pilgrimage, I now understand why John Paul II said what he said about Medjugorje.

The pilgrimage was such a blessing and I could feel graces flowing wherever we went. It was so thick, one could slice it like butter. Everyday just got better and better. We had daily Masses in English, mountain hikes to Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, daily Rosary in the Church, the International Mass daily, and Eucharistic adoration twice. The piety of the locals was also something to behold. The long line of confessions including many young people was an inspiration and the reverence during Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration was quite moving.

We also met many English speaking “locals” including Patrick and Nancy Latta, Joseph, Alexandra. They told us about their lives before Medjugorje and spiritual experiences and conversions. These stories were truly moving.

Our daily schedule was set up professionally by Slavenka who explained where we were going each day the day before. The pace of the pilgrimage was designed to give us lots and lots of time to pray by ourselves and with the local faithful.
The accommodation was excellent. The Pansion Dubrovnik was right across St James Church so we could visit Our Lord and Our Lady whenever we had free time and we took full advantage of it. The staff of Pansion Dubrovnik were all excellent and went out of their way to provide for our needs and “wants”, like ice cream. The wine and food was excellent too.

Our spiritual leader, Fr. Robert Villa was great. He made himself available to all for spiritual direction, Mass celebrations and Confessions. While we were taking a walk a group of 4 young Italians asked him if Fr. could hear their confession in Italian. Since Fr Robert spoke Spanish he could also understand Italian and 4 souls received supernatural virtues and many graces at their Confession.

Slavenka is a truly great guide and we were fortunate to have her. She was punctual, helpful, very cheerful, informative with lots and lots of first hand experiences/stories and has a great sense of humor. When Sean’s luggage went missing, she arranged to get it to Sean on the following day. She knew everyone and made all the arrangements without our noticing it. She was never in a hurry, made good suggestions and all went very smoothly. The most important asset she has is that she is a soul of prayer and we also benefited from this.

The best thing about the pilgrimage for me was the graces I received from Jesus through Our Lady and through the Church. The pilgrimage has also become a good talking point to raise the topic of Confession without being too direct or confrontational with people I know and meet.

Now for the negatives – there were none. Even the 4 hour stopover in Frankfurt was a blessing – we had time to pray before getting to Medjugorje!!

We were blessed with perfect weather through the week we were there. The little snow that fell on Friday was all melted by the next day.

Thank you so much for making this trip a memorable experience which I’ll never forget. Thanks also to Mike Alessi who made all the flight and accommodation arrangements for us.

I just noticed that It is now 11:40 EST or 20 minutes to 6 in Medjugorje.

May Our Lady continue blessing your fantastic work in Tours206. We will keep you in our prayers. Thank you for keeping us in yours.

Kind Regards,
Chito and Pilar Perez

Jan 26, 2012
Tours 206 pilgrimage to Medjugorje Jan 15 to 23, 2012.

Rinda,

First of all, I want to thank you for having the confidence in me to be part of the Medjugorje tour this last week. It had been my dream, since I was 13 years old, when I first heard of the apparitions, to one day be able to go on pilgrimage there. I consider it a miracle that this was fulfilled in an unexpected time.

This was a very uplifting pilgrimage. Although I was not expecting a miracle to happen, it did happened! What was the miracle? To be in a place where the people truly manifest their committed love to Christ and his Church. I never thought a place like this could exist under the skies. I fell in love with the faith of the Croatian people. As a priest, this was very hopeful and spiritually uplifting. I received a very concrete message in Medjogorje: “The church is very much alive and has the power to transform the world.” This is what I brought back to my parish and my ministry. Thanks to this pilgrimage, I have new hopes and dreams for my ministry.

The group of pilgrims was very pleasant and friendly. In five days we grew into a tight family. It was amazing to see how we all looked after each other and made sure we were all benefitting from the graces of the pilgrimage. Every moment was very well planned and thought out. And of course, Slavenka made a huge impact on us. She embodies what a tour guide on a pilgrimage ought to be. I pray she continues with this ministry for many, many years.

Once again, thank you for trusting in me and I hope God gives me the opportunity to work with you again.

In Christ,
Father Robert Villa

Dear Liz,

Everything on our pilgrimage was just great! People came back tired but refreshed in their Catholic faith, which is all we can ask for. Everything worked out beautifully.

Fr. McDaniel

Dear Liz,

Thank you for your note welcoming me back from the wonderful pilgrimage to Rome. I definitely feel more spiritually enriched as well as receiving affirmation of my Catholic faith. The Catholic Church was always the uppermost part of my life and seeing and hearing its history in person in Rome and all the places visited was so comforting. I visited the Holy Land last year at this time and it was the same feeling for me to be able to be where Jesus walked and then visit where the faith was carried on to Rome and beyond.

Our guide, Gaia was wonderful. She shared and witnessed her love of the Catholic faith with all of us and made the places we visited more vivid. Her vivacious personality and loving care for us was delightful. Of course our spiritual director, Fr. Raymond McDaniel was the icing on the cake as well.

There isn’t anything of the trip I would suggest you change, it was all perfectly planned out for all of us. Johnny, our bus driver, was outstanding, I and the others were so amazed at his ability to maneuver the bus in all the tight and high places we visited. St. Peter’s was awesome, but I was most moved by the visit to Luciano to view the Miracle of the Eucharist. Please don’t take that trip out of the itinerary.

Thank you again for a wonderful pilgrimage, I will highly recommend your tour to my friends.

God Bless you and all of the team,

Caroline Studdard

I am still on the “high” from my trip. It was absolutely wonderful. My favorite experience was to see the Eucharistic Miracle in Lanciano. It was a very touching experience. Assissi was perfect. I have nothing negative to say about the trip. Gaia was the perfect tour guide.

Thanks,
Donna Hess

Hi Amanda,

Our pilgrimage was a very enriching one. We were able to attend the midnight Mass inside st. Peter’s basilica officiated by the pope. We thank fr. Sabino for his connections and charm. How many people can be given that chance — it was the first time for our driver [in 50 years] and our tour guide [in 29 years] too! We were all so thrilled. Victor, april, fr. Sabino and myself were seated close to the altar.

Victor and april, frank batino and marilyn batino were the four brave souls who climbed the steep, rocky/muddy apparition hill in medjugorje the first day when there was a water/mud runoff because of the rain. I got up to the foot of the apparition hill to wait for them. Didn’t want to risk not making it all the way because i know victor will not leave me behind. Mother mary heard victor’s prayers for the others as it was sunny the next day.

Slavenka was so kind to take the pilgrims back there again – most of them made it to the top and they were really thrilled!

The audience with vicka was awesome – i wish i recorded all the testimonials! I have many, many more – but will have to tell you that next time.

Everyone in the group was extremely pleasant, helpful and appreciative – no complaints, no whining, no gossiping. It was a joy to witness everyone was taking care of each other – and very happy. We prayed and sang and watched movies in the bus. Fr. Sabino’s homilies each day touched our hearts.

Our guides: yanush was good and took care of all of us. He suggested and consulted with victor and myself . We were quite pleased. Slavenka is our favorite. Her spirituality and her knowledge of everything about medjugorje is very evident. She is extremely pleasant and helpful. Jim wayda had problems with his luggage. Slavenka had it delivered right the very next day.

Our other tour guide, marguerite, was great and very, very pleasant to be with. The pilgrims decided that we need to tell her how much we appreciated all her guidance and patience [with taking our group photos and giving us comfort breaks] with a little gratuity, on the day we left rome [through valentina]. Valentina took time to take care and accommodate of all our needs – 11 pilgrims were lost in rome and like a good shepherd, went out there to find all her sheeps!

All our drivers were great – very precise in each and every curve and turn, safely taking us to our destinations. Our favorite was angelo, our driver in italy.

Now on the accommodations –
1. Prague – 3.0check-in was cumbersome – we had to sign a form and put our passport numbers before we can get our keys.
2. Krakow – 4.0. Staff here were very efficient and pleasant all the time.
3. Medjugorje – 3.5. Pension dubrovnik served the best food, soups, etc. The pension house is right across the church. The people of medjugorje are special, their spirituality and devotion to mother mary is very, very contagious. We all like to go back, given another chance – soon!
4. San giovanni rotondo – 5.0 . A patio overlooking the beautiful mountains of san giovanni. We enjoyed some after dinner coffee and hot chocolate in the lounge after dinner. Staff was courteous and efficient.
5. The ferry. The cabins were tiny – we had to keep moving our luggages if we need to move to the bathroom, etc. But i checked with the night person in charge and found out that all cabins are the same – no upgrade. I was told that may be the other ferry will have some larger cabins.
6. Rome – 3.0. Fr. Sabino and tour guide, valentina, was not very pleased with the service on the 1st night. The banquet manager did make it up each night until our departure. The hotel was gracious to provide us a room and some party implements [paper plates, spoon and fork, plastic tumblers] to celebrate our christmas party and prayer buddy revelation.

All in all, 206 tours proved how much they love their clients!

Blessings and mucho hugs to you all,
Alicia d. Araneta