Mele Catholic France Pilgrimage 10 days

Europe
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegowina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroer
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldavia
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine

Created: 04.03.2014

Wednesday, September 24 - Day 1 - DEPART USA ??? Today our pilgrimage begins as we depart the USA on our transatlantic flight aboard a wide-bodied jet.  We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft.  Thursday, September 25 - Day 2 ??? PARIS - We arrive in Paris and travel to Lisieux; home of St. Therese, the Carmelite nun known as ???The Little Flower??? and the newest Doctor of the Church. Here we will visit the site of the Lisieux family home, Les Buissonets, the Carmelite Convent Chapel where St. Therese and her parents are entombed.   We celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Therese.  Continue to Caen for dinner and overnight. Friday, September 26 - Day 3 ??? CAEN/PARIS ???Caen, during WWII, was a key site for the Battle of Normandy and suffered considerable destruction. William the Conqueror is buried here. The city has preserved the memory by erecting a memorial for peace. This morning after Mass at a local church in Caen, we drive to Mont-St-Michel.  Built on a stalwart island, we will visit this wonderful abbey, which took nearly 500 years to build. It is one of France???s most recognizable landmarks, Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. We enjoy a guided tour of the abbey. Then we drive to Paris ???The Illuminated City??? for dinner and overnight. Saturday, September 27 - Day 4 - PARIS  -This morning we visit  Sacre Coeur, located at the summit of Montmartre- the highest point in Paris. The basilica complex includes a garden for meditation and the top of the dome offers a spectacular panoramic view of Paris. We will celebrate Mass here and walk over to Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church, founded by St. Denis. Free afternoon to enjoy lunch in Paris, consider visiting the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, or just wander the streets and soak up the atmosphere. Explore the culinary delights of Paris with dinner on your own this evening. Overnight at our hotel in Paris. Sunday, September 28 - Day 5 ??? PARIS ??? We will begin our day by celebrating Mass at the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the Rue de Bac, where Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure and gave her instructions to make the Miraculous Medal. The shrine contains the incorrupt body of St. Catherine. The Blessed Mother also appeared to a ???Daughters of Charity??? Sister and gave her instructions to make the Green Scapular. We will walk around the corner to the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, at the Church of St. Lazare. St. Vincent de Paul???s tomb is here, he was a shining example of love for the poor. We tour the sites of Paris, including a visit to the most enduring symbol of the French capital, the Notre Dame Cathedral on the Ile de la Cité. While here, we also make a stop at the Holy Chapel, Saint-Chapelle, believed to hold relics, including nails and pieces of wood from the Cross of Calvary. As part of our tour, we will view the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and travel down the famous Champs-Elysees.  Dinner and Overnight at your hotel in Paris. Monday, September 29 - Day 6 ??? PARIS/NEVERS - Today we depart Paris and head to Nevers.  We will have the option of a visit to Versailles this morning time permitting.  After our visit of the Palace, we board our motor coach and make our way to Chartres, former pagan sanctuary that was evangelized in the fourth century and became a pilgrimage site in 876. In this year, Charles the Bald gave the town the tunic that tradition says was worn by the Virgin Mary while giving birth to Jesus. The 13th century cathedral dominates this idyllic town, surrounded by wheat fields. The church building itself is literally a Bible in stone, with over 4,000 sculpted figures and 5,000 figures in the stained glass windows, illustrating the Bible and lives of the Saints. We will celebrate Mass here.  We continue on to Nevers for dinner and overnight. Tuesday, September 30 - St. Jerome - Day 7 ??? NEVERS/ARS - This morning we will visit the convent of St. Gildard, where Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes spent the final 13 years of her life.   Here you will see the incorrupt body of Saint Bernadette kept in a glass reliquary. Then we will journey to Paray le Monial, known as the City of the Eucharist, and visit the site of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Margaret Mary Alacoque.   Here we stop in the Chapel of the Visitations. We continue on to Ars, village of the Holy Cure and visit the house and shrine of St. John Vianney, the Patron Saint of Parish Priests. We celebrate Mass in Ars.   Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Ars.   Wednesday, October 1 - Day 8 ??? ARS/ANNECY ??? This morning we depart Ars for the picturesque small town of Annecy.  We will stop en route at a vineyard for a delectable wine tasting.  Dinner will be on your own in Annecy tonight.   Overnight at our hotel in Annecy. Thursday, October 2 - Day 9 - ANNECY - This morning we begin our visit at the Basilica of the Visitation perched high above beautiful Annecy. Here we will visit the tombs of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Chantal, certainly a high point of our pilgrimage. Following Mass, we will have time to visit the museum of the Basilica and see the presentation of the life and pastoral ministry of St. Francis. Our visit to this most cherished site of Salesian spirituality will be followed by a bus tour of Annecy and its environs stopping at the Chateau of Annecy on our way back to the village.   Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner at a restaurant with wine.  Overnight at our hotel in Annecy. Friday, October 3 - Day 10 ??? ANNECY/GENEVA/USA - This morning our extraordinary pilgrimage concludes as we drive to the Geneva airport where we board our flight back to the U.S. arriving later today..