This morning, you will make your way to your local airport for your flight(s) to Mexico City. Depending on the time of your arrival, Mass is planned to be at a church or at the hotel. The day will come to a close with a delicious dinner and a restful overnight at the hotel.

This morning your day begins with breakfast, followed by a visit to the Plaza of Santo Domingo (Please note that the Church of Santo Domingo is closed on Mondays).

This Plaza has many reasons of interest such as the “evangelists” court (wage writers) who in the past wrote letters for the illiterate. The Church of Santo Domingo stands on the same site where, after the conquest, the Dominicans built their first temple. The current construction dates back to the 18th century and was designed by the same architect (Pedro de Arrieta) who built the old Basilica at the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe.

Inside the temple, you will see several chapels, one of which is dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary. Here we would like to invite you to pause and pray the rosary. Another chapel is dedicated to the Spanish Virgin of Covadonga, patroness of the Asturian Immigrants. We will visit the chapel dedicated to the “Lord of the Rebozo” and the Chapel dedicated to the “Lady of Sorrows.”

We will then continue to the Church of Santiago Tlatelolco where St. Juan Diego was baptized. This area is important as it symbolizes the unique blend of pre-Hispanic and Hispanic cultures that make up Mexico. We will visit the oldest and largest Cathedral in all Latin America, the Metropolitan Cathedral. Throughout your time in the Cathedral, you will be overwhelmed by the stunning paintings, altar pieces, and statues, as well as see the National Palace from outside which has been a building of the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec Empire.

After a morning of touring, there will be time for lunch and some rest. In the afternoon we will visit Holy Family Church, where you will view the tomb of Bl. Miguel Agustin Pro, the Jesuit martyr. In the Mexican Revolution, a time of great religious persecution occurred in Mexico, and Fr. Pro was exiled from Mexico. However, he returned to Mexico and was aided by a clandestine group who helped him hide from authorities. During the persecution, he assisted many individuals in their spiritual and temporal needs. Although he helped many, he was eventually arrested and killed. His final words before the firing squad were “Viva Cristo Rey! (Long Live Christ the King!)”

At this church, you can pray to this great martyr and venerate his relics. We will have time to celebrate a Mass here. We will also visit the small, but very inspiring Museum dedicated to Blessed Miguel Pro (please note that the museum is closed on Sundays). Before returning to our hotel, we will visit the very place where Bl. Miguel was martyred. The day will come to a close with dinner and an overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will 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 will 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.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel as we will depart early for Queretaro City. We will celebrate Mass at the Church of the Cross and have a short visit to the Franciscan Monastery where Fr. Junipero Serra 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 struck 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. Next, there will be time for lunch. 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.” We will also visit the Temple of Santa Rosa de Viterbo, which is a magnificent example of Mexican Colonial Baroque. Finally, we will depart to Guanajuato for dinner and a restful overnight.

After breakfast, we will have an early departure to the Cerro del Cubilete to celebrate Mass (reservation to be done 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.

After lunch we will visit Guanajuato, where we will be immersed in its unique atmosphere, walking through its colorful narrow streets and admiring from outside the architecture of the Juarez Theater, Plaza Baratillo, and 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 the beautiful San Fernando Square and the Church of Belen. After a delightful day, we will be on our way to the hotel for a delicious dinner and a restful 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 is 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 that 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 an overnight.

After breakfast, we will depart 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 will 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 to the city center with its historical buildings and government palaces, as well as the elegant Degollado Theater. The day will come to a close with dinner and an 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.