Medjugorje & Italy Pilgrimage 10 days SJJ SGR

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Created: 06.06.2013

Day 1 - DEPART ? Today, we depart from our home cities and to connect with our overnight flight to Frankfurt. We will be served complimentary beverages, in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Day 2 ? MEDJUGORJE ? This morning we arrive in Frankfurt where we board our flight to Split. On arrival we will be met and transfer to Medjugorje for dinner and overnight. Day 3 & 4 ? MEDJUGORJE ? Following breakfast today and tomorrow, we will visit the famous Church of St. James where will join with other English speaking pilgrims to celebrate Mass. Depending upon schedules and if possible, our full time local guide will introduce us to the Medjugorje Visionaries who will share a talk with us and often be open for a time of questions and answers. We will have the opportunity to climb Apparition Hill (Podbrdo) where Our Blessed Mother first appeared to the children. We will pray the Rosary as we make our way up the hill. Later in the week, those who wish can make the more difficult climb up Cross Mountain (Krizevac.) In the evening we return to our guesthouse where our hosts will prepare a delightful dinner. Day 5 ? MEDJUGORJE/ROME/SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO ? Following our final Mass in Medjugorje, (if possible) we depart Medjugorje and drive east to Sarajevo for our connecting flights to Frankfurt and on to Rome where we arrive in midafternoon and are met and board our coach for the ride to the eastern part of Italy and San Giovanni Rotondo. Here we celebrate Mass at the tomb of Saint Padre Pio and visit the sanctuary and his room here. We will have some free time for prayer and shopping before we continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight. DAY 6 ?SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO/LANCIANO/MONTESILVANO - This morning, we celebrate Mass at the tomb of Saint Padre Pio and visit the sanctuary and his room here. We will have some free time for prayer and we continue north via the coastal highway to Lanciano, the site of the oldest Eucharistic Miracle certified by the Church. After almost eight centuries the Body and the Blood still maintain all the characteristics of fresh human material. We celebrate Mass here before we continue to Montesilvano along the Adriatic for dinner and overnight. N.B. TO INCLUDE LORETO HERE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD AN EXTRA NIGHT. DAY 7 ?MONTESILVANO/LORETO/ROME ? This morning we continue north along the coastal highway and visit and celebrate Mass at Loreto, the site of the Santa Casa or Holy House. Ancient tradition tells us angels carried the house of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Loreto as it was about to be destroyed by Holy Land invaders. After our visit, we continue southwards to Rome for dinner and overnight. Wednesday Day 8 ? ROME - This morning, we will make our way to St. Peter's for the Audience of Pope Benedict XVI if he is in residence. This afternoon we celebrate Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls. Rome?s second in size only to St. Peters it is the first of our major Basilicas and the tomb of the Apostle Paul. Finally, we make our way to St. Mary Major, our second patriarchal Basilica of Rome which we will visit this week. This is the first church dedicated to the Blessed Mother first built in the fifth century following the Council of Ephesus. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 9 ? VATICAN CITY/ROME ? This morning, we begin our day celebrating Mass at St. Peter?s. Afterwards, we will see the treasures of the Vatican Museum. We will marvel at Michelangelo's recently restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the wonders of St. Peter?s. This will be our third of the four major Basilicas of Rome This afternoon we will tour the sites, including the Church of St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's possibly most celebrated sculpture, the "Moses." Next we will visit the Church of the Holy Stairs and the last of our four major Basilicas as we enter the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. First built in the fourth century. The Basilica was the site of five ecumenical councils between the 12th and 16th centuries. The Popes resided in the Palace from the time of Constantine until 1304 when they moved to Avignon. We will enjoy a tour of her treasures. We will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 10 - RETURN TO USA ? We transfer to the airport for our return flight to the U.S and our home cities with unforgettable memories to cherish always.