This morning, make your way to your local airport for your flight(s) to Mexico City. You will begin your stay with the holy sacrifice of the Mass either at the hotel or a church, depending on the time of your arrival. Tonight you will have the pleasure of meeting and enjoying dinner with your fellow pilgrims and staying overnight at the hotel.

Today you will go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. This Shrine was built in response to Our Lady’s request to the apparition’s seer, St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. When St. Juan relayed her request to the bishop he asked for a sign. Our Lady provided St. Juan with culturally significant flowers that miraculously bloomed in the middle of winter on Tepeyac Hill. When the seer returned to the bishop with his cloak (tilma) full of flowers, he poured the flowers on the floor, revealing a stunning image of Our Lady which many studies have proven could not have been made by human hand. Upon arrival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you will celebrate Mass as you marvel at the brilliantly colored basilica made in her honor. Following Mass, you will have the opportunity to kneel in front of St. Juan’s tilma, on which Our Lady’s image was miraculously imprinted. We will continue to San Juan Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to mythology, this site was chosen to be the center of the universe and thus became a prominent political and religious center from the second century to the ninth century. While in San Juan Teotihuacan, you will enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the archaeological zone. While on this tour, you will view the pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and local art markets. Your incredible day will culminate with a delicious dinner and returning to the hotel for a restful overnight.

This morning after breakfast you will depart for Holy Family Church, where you will view the tomb of the Jesuit martyr Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro. During the Mexican Revolution, Fr. Pro was exiled from Mexico due to the great amount of religious persecution. He bravely returned to Mexico and was aided by a clandestine group that helped him hide from the authorities. He assisted many individuals with their spiritual and temporal needs during the persecution. Although he helped many, he was eventually arrested and killed. His final words before the firing squad were “Viva Cristo Rey!” which translates to “Long Live Christ the King!” At Holy Family Church, you can venerate this saint’s relics and ask for his intercession. We will also celebrate Mass here and visit the small yet inspiring museum dedicated to Fr. Pro’s life, mission, and sacrifice. We will continue to the Church of Santo Domingo, which stands on the same site where the first temple was built after the conquest of the Dominicans. Inside the church you will see several chapels, and you will have the opportunity to pray the rosary in the chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary. Another chapel is dedicated to the Spanish Virgin of Covadonga (patroness of the Asturian Immigrants), and another is dedicated to the “Lord of the Rebozo.” This church is also significant for the historical characters buried here, such as Francisco Vazquez de Coronado. Next, we will have lunch near the city center before continuing to the Church of San José del Altillo to see the crypt where Blessed Conchita Cabrera is buried. Blessed María Concepción Cabrera Arias de Armida, known as Conchita, was a model of holiness as a wife, mother, widow, grandmother, and founder. Because of the depth of her writings, Conchita is recognized as a great mystic of the 20th century. In addition to her voluminous writings, Conchita founded several apostolates under the banner of “Works of the Cross.” Pope Saint John Paul II declared her Venerable on December 20, 1999, and Pope Francis confirmed a miracle that was attributed to Conchita on June 8, 2018. She was beatified in Mexico City on May 4, 2019. Time for prayers and personal devotions will be provided. Your day will conclude with another delicious dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the Church of the 5th apparition in Tulpetlac, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Bernardino, Juan Diego’s uncle. Here you will find a well of healing water which locals still use. We continue to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas). We will visit the Shrine, built in response to Our Lady’s request to St Juan Diego. Upon arrival at the Shrine, you will join the other pilgrims as you kneel in front of the centuries old tilma where Our Lady’s image was miraculously printed. Private Mass will be celebrated in one of the upper chapels. Next, you climb Tepeyac hill, visit the Old Basilica, the Chapel of the Indians, and the Chapel of the Well. We will have lunch nearby, followed by time for prayer and shopping. In the late afternoon, we return to the hotel to enjoy a delicious dinner and rest for the next day.

This morning following breakfast you will enjoy a spectacular drive to what is known as Mexico’s most beautiful city: Puebla. Our ride will climb to over 10,000 feet above sea level, where we will view two magnificent peaks: an active volcano and a mountain topped with snow. On our tour, we will visit the cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the Church of St. Dominic to admire the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary built in 1690. This is an outstanding example of Mexican Baroque, with dazzling use of gilded stucco and onyx stonework. Then we will see the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, where you will view the incorrupt body of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, patron saint of travelers. Born to Spanish peasants, this field worker is a model of simplicity and chastity. Though he grew to accumulate a lot of wealth as a farmer, he distributed his goods among the poor and became a Franciscan brother at the age of 72. He collected alms for the friary and was charitable to everyone he met for 25 years, earning him the name “Angel of Mexico.” You will have time to venerate his body, miraculously incorrupt since his death in 1600. Afterward, you will enjoy a traditional poblano lunch and mole tasting at a local restaurant. This afternoon you will have time in Puebla’s largest traditional handcraft market, El Parián, to shop its colorful glazed pottery. You will then return to Mexico City for dinner and an overnight stay at our hotel.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel and we depart early for Queretaro City. Mass at the Church of the Cross and have a short visit to the Franciscan Monastery where Fr. Junipero Sierra started his evangelization and founded the Franciscan Missions (some of them being in California). We will also learn more about the life of Fr. Antonio Margil de Jesus, who was stationed at the missionary college of Santa Cruz Queretaro. It is said that one day on his way back from preaching, Fr. Margil stuck his walking cane on the ground in the garden of the courtyard adjoining the monastery. After several days, people noticed that where the cane was stuck, sprouts began to grow, eventually becoming a tree. The miraculous tree produced neither flowers nor fruits, but a series of small thorns each in the form of a cross. The tree can still be seen in the monastery courtyard today. Time for lunch and in the afternoon, we will have time to enjoy the beautiful city of Queretaro with the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus “Of St. Claire”, the Temple of Santa Rosa de Viterbo, which is a magnificent example of Mexican Colonial Barroque. Departure to Guanajuato. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, early departure to the Cerro del Cubilete to celebrate Mass (reservation to be done with 6 months in advance). The Cerro of Cubilete is a special emblematic site for the Cristeros. It was bombed in 1928 by the Mexican government which led to the famous refrain of the Cristero Revolution: “Viva Cristo Rey!” It was reconstructed after the Cristero revolution in 1944 and finished in 1950. The monument of Christ the King weighs 80 tons and is 120 feet high. At the base of El Cerro del Cubilete is the Shrine of Santa Maria de los Martires where we will see the relics of three Cristeros: Fr. Jose Trinidad Rangel Montano, Fr. Andres Sola y Molist, and Sr. Leonardo Perez Larios.Lunch and we will visit Guanajuato, where we will immerse into its unique atmosphere, walking through its colorful narrow streets, admiring from outside the architecture of the Juarez Theater, Plaza Baratillo, Guanajuato University. We will also see the Templo de la Compañia de Jesus, one of the largest constructions completed by the Jesuits in Mexico – this Church was built between 1746 and 1765. However, just two years after the construction was completed, the Jesuits were expelled from the country and the guild schools and Jesuit college were closed. Another jewel of Guanajuato is the orange-yellow Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, which contains an image of the Virgin, patroness of the city. We will also see beautiful San Fernando square and the Church of Belen. After a delightful day, we’ll be on our way to hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will depart for San Juan de Los Lagos. We start with a visit to the Cathedral Basilica of Nuestra Senora de San Juan de los Lagos, the second most visited Catholic center in Mexico (after the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe). The image of the Immaculate Virgin of the Conception was brought here by Fr. Miguel de Bolonia. Thousands of pilgrims come to the city to pay tribute to a small image of the Virgin Mary titled “Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.” The image is very small, about 1.25 feet tall. It is made of corn cane paste and believed to have been brought to the area from Michoacan in the early 1500s. The first important miracle associated with the image dates back to 1623. A family of acrobats performed a show which included “flying” over a field of spear points. The 7-year-old daughter fell onto the spears during the act and died immediately. Local women brought the image to the body and prayed over her, and the child revived! This miracle made the image famous. Since then, many other miracles have been attributed to Mary’s intercession, often saving people from mortal danger or dangerous illness. Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica. Our journey will follow to Santa Ana de Guadalupe and visit the house and the Shrine of San Toribio Romo, a martyr. San Toribio is known as the patron of migrants, and we will have time to pray in front of his relics. We will continue to the city of Guadalajara for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we departure for Sahuayo. We will dedicate this morning to St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, the youngest of the Cristero martyrs. He was canonized on October 14, 2016. We will celebrate Mass at the Church of St James where St. Jose (Joselito) was taken prisoner by the federal troops. We will have time to pray in front of his relics. Next, we visit the cemetery where St. Joselito bravely declared his loyalty to Christ. As he was being tortured, he cried out “Viva Cristo Rey!” We have lunch, then return to Guadalajara. In Guadalajara, we visit the Cathedral with the ossuary consisting of a glass cabinet that exhibits the bones of 23 of the martyred saints of the Cristero Revolution, followed by a visit of the city center with its historical buildings and government palaces, as well as the elegant Degollado Theater. Dinner and overnight in Guadalajara.

This morning you will make your way to the airport for your return flight(s) from Guadalajara’s Airport to your final destination.

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