13 day Catholic Tour of Italy & Medjugorje

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MARIAN SHRINES TOUR
LOS ANGELES
with
Fr. Pedro Rivera
&
Mrs. Sandra Maola
JUNE 18 - 30, 2012

ITALY & MEDJUGORJE PILGRIMAGE

Rome – Montecassino – San Giovanni Rotondo – Lanciano – Loreto – Assisi – Medjugorje

It is a pilgrimage that will take us to the foundation of our Church, St. Peter's basilica of Rome...to the first priest with stigmata, today St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo...to one of the most powerful Eucharistic Miracle Sanctuaries in Lanciano....to the most lovable saint ever St. Francis of Assisi......and at the end to Medjugorje to Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace......

Detail from St. Peter's basilica in Rome

SAMPLE ITINERARY

see the tour map at the end of the page

Day 1 - DEPARTURE
Your pilgrimage starts with overnight intercontinental flight to Italy, to Rome. Meals are served on board the plane.

Day 2 - ARRIVAL TO ROME
Arrival at the Rome airport, transfer before starts your Christian Tour of Rome this afternoon. First on your schedule today is Holy Mass at St. Mary Major Basilica. Then visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Cathedral of Rome and was the Papal residence from the 5th Century until the papacy departed to Avignon in France. Across the street we will visit the Holy Staircase (Scala Sancta) actual stairs that Jesus walked on the day he went to Pilate. We will end our day at our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 - VATICAN, ST. PETER'S
Today you will have an early breakfast to be on time for the General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the St. Peter's Square. Following will be a visit to the Vatican Museums where to see art masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini, and more. Visit will continue with walk through Geographical maps Gallery, Sistine Chapel with the magnificent fresco of The Last Judgment and many more halls and rooms filled with Christian art, history and inheritance of all civilization. Today is also our visit to the heart of Vatican State, St. Peter's Basilica, and underground burial stones with the tomb of St. Peter, and Square dedicated to same Saint. After some free time in the late afternoon for shopping we end our day at our hotel with dinner.

Day 4 - ROME HISTORICAL
Our entire day will be inspirational and educational. As part of our today's tour we will go to the Basilica St. Paul Outside the Walls and our tour in Rome finishes with visit to the Domitilla Catacombs. Today we will continue our tour by bus sightseeing of Rome and its sites like Piazza Venezia, with King Victor Emanuel II monument, passing by Coliseum, Arch of Constantine, Imperial forums (Caesar, Augustus, Trajan), Circus Maximus…. . We will return to our hotel for third dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 5 - ROME - MONTECASSINO - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
After breakfast we leave Rome. After about a 3 hour drive we arrive at Montecassino, the spectacular Benedictine Abbey on the top of the mountain. This monastery was founded and built by St. Benedict (patron Saint of Europe) around 529 on the remains of a Roman fortification. After Mass at Montecassino you continue to San Giovanni Rotondo, to the church of Our Lady of Grace with the tomb of the St. Pio. Dinner and overnight is in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Day 6 - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - MONTE SAN'T ANGELO
After Mass and sightseeing at the Shrine of St. Padre Pio you are on your way to Monte Sant´ Angelo. Here we will visit the Grotto where Michael the Archangel had being appearing from the 5th to 17th century.After visit and lunch break here we will return to the Our Lady of Grece - Sanctuary of St. Padre Pio, free time until dinner, our second overnight in SGR.

Day 7 - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - LANCIANO - LORETO
This morning after the breakfast we will be heading northwest along the "Autostrada Adriatica", our goal today is Loreto, but before Loreto short stop at Lanciano. The place of one of the greatest Eucharistic Miracles where in the 8th century during Holy Mass the wine turned into blood and the host into flesh. You will spend some time in the church where the relic is exposed and then continue to Loreto. Tonight we are at the dinner and overnight stay in our hotel in Loreto.

Day 8 - LORETO - ASSISI
According to tradition, the beautiful Italian town of Loreto is where the House of the Holy Family was miraculously transferred from Nazareth. "The Angel of the lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived of the Holy Spirit". In the ruins of the house one can see the actual place of the event. After a visit and the Holy Mass in the Basilica of Loreto, group will drive to Assisi to the city of Peace, to St. Francis and St. Claire. Group will have free time to visit the crypt with the tomb of St. Francis, see the reliquary, frescoes made by Giotto and Cimabue. The early part of the evening is free until the dinner at your hotel.

Day 9 - ASSISI - FUMICINO ROME AIRPORT – MEDJUGORJE
This morning you will continue exploring and learning about St. Francis and his life. Your guided tour will start from church of Santa Chiara to see The Cross that spoke to St. Francis and pray his prayer before same Crucifix. Group will learn more about St. Claire the founder of Poor Clair’s and see her incorrupt body. We will go down to the "Porziuncola" one of three restored churches of young Francis that nowadays is inside the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Today after the visit group will leave for Rome airport, flight to Croatia and transfer to Medjugorje, dinner and first night in the village where Our Lady Queen of Peace have been appearing for almost 30 years.

Day 10, 11, 12 MEDJUGORJE
On your first morning in Medjugorje after the breakfast you will meet with your local English-speaking guide who will give you an introduction, little walk from your hotel to the Church St. James just before English language mass at 10:00 am. You will have a chance to participate in many activities during your stay in Medjugorje. With thousands of pilgrims from all over the world you will celebrate daily mass at St. James church
Visiting Bijakovici village, all 6 visionaries come from it, you will go up the Apparition hill, Podbrdo place where Our Lady first appeared. Guide will schedule visits when possible to one or more visionaries, maybe Ivan, Marija, Vicka, Jakov or Mirjana. Each evening at 5:00 pm (at 6:00 pm during summer) you and thousands of other pilgrims will pray the rosary. All three Mysteries are prayed during the evening program. In Our Lady’s messages it was repeated many times how important is to come to mass where “we meet Jesus alive”. Messages of Prayer of the Rosary, Holy mass and Confession are the center of the evening program in St. James church. The apparition takes place at 5:40 pm or 6:40 daylight savings time, and even today according to the words of three visionaries apparition takes place every day to Vicka, Ivan and Marija. Mirjana, Jakov and Ivanka are the three visionaries who don’t have daily apparitions but once a year. Medjugorje - Station of the Cross
Guide will see to arrange the meetings with them during the time of your stay in Medjugorje but this depends on their availability and presence in the village. Pilgrims can attend after evening mass (in Croatian language) on Thursdays and Saturdays Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and on Fridays Veneration of the Cross in the Church. After the Mass, there is the Blessing of the Sick and blessing of the religious items, souvenirs you have with you. Among other activities you will have a chance to climb the “Cross mountain”, Krizevac as Croats call it, visit the “Blue Cross”, another place of the apparition of Our Lady also nearby Oasis of Peace and community - Cenacolo.
Each pilgrim will have time for private devotions, lunches, shopping, or simply enjoying you own “freedom of prayer”.

Day 13 MEDJUGORJE - SPLIT AIRPORT - USA
This morning after early breakfast group will leave for Split Airport, flight back home and arrival same day.

RATES & DATES:

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November 21 - December 3, 2011 (rate is based on minimum 20 pilgrims in the group):
Land only............................................................US$ 1990.00
Land and air...........Los Angeles....................US$ 3540.00
Land and air........Houston/Chicago..............US$ 3390.00
Single room supplement...............................US$ 360.00
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May 7 - 19, 2012 (rate is based on minimum 20 pilgrims in the group):
Land only............................................................US$ 1990.00
Land and air............Atlanta/Chicago..............US$ 3395.00
Land and Air............Detroit/Indianapolis.......US$ 3370.00
Single room supplement................................US$ 330.00
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INCLUSIVE:

Airfares USA – Rome – Split – USA, airport taxes included - SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY AIRLINE
11 nights in superior tourist class 3* and first class 4* hotels
* 3 nights Rome
* 2 nights San Giovanni Rotondo
* 1 night Loreto
* 1 night Assisi
* 4 nights Medjugorje
Daily breakfast and dinner drinks included
Escort guide from Rome until Medjugorje
Local guides in Rome, Loreto, Assisi, Montecassino Abbey, Medjugorje
High class air-conditioned tourist coach
Entrance fees Vatican Museums, Catacombs
Headsets (whispers) Vatican Museums, St. Paul basilica, St. Francis basilica
Audience with Pope Benedict XVI – if stay in Rome is over the Wednesady
Daily mass