Ruiz Marian Shrines Pilgrimage 8 days

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Created: 21.08.2015

Tuesday, April 12 - Day 1 ??? DEPART USA ??? Today we depart JFK on our overnight flight to Lisbon.  We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Wednesday, April 13 - DAY 2 - LISBON/ SANTAREM/FATIMA - We arrive at Lisbon Airport, where we are met and given a short orientation tour of Lisbon with a stop at St. Anthony Church, located on the very site where it is believed St. Anthony was born..   We proceed to St. Stephen, the Church of the Eucharistic Miracle in Santarem.  We celebrate Mass here.  We continue to Fatima for dinner and overnight.  In the evening, we join the International Rosary Procession.   Thursday, April 14 - DAY 3 - FATIMA - This full day is devoted to visiting the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and nearby hamlets of Aljustrel and Valinhos.  We visit the birthplaces of Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 6 times, from May 13 to October 13, 1917.  We join the English concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of Apparitions, where most of the apparitions took place.  In the evening, we once again join the International Rosary Procession.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Friday, April 15 - DAY 4 - FATIMA/ VALLADOLID /BURGOS- This morning, following Mass at the Shine, we travel westward into Spain on to Valladolid.  After a brief panoramic tour of this vibrant city and beautiful churches, we briefly visit the Museu  Nacional de Escultura and admire its remarkable15th to 18th century religious sculptures.  We continue to Santo Domingo de Silos, a Romanesque monastery, where at 7pm, we pray the Vespers with the monks who are famous worldwide for their Gregorian chants.  Transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Saturday, April 16 - Day 5 - BURGOS/ LOURDES - Today, we celebrate Mass at the magnificent Burgos Cathedral, one of the largest in Spain.  We drive to the Sanctuary of St Ignatius of Loyola in Azpeitia where we visit the Basilica and his home.  We continue northwards and cross the border into France.  In late afternoon, we arrive in Lourdes for dinner before joining the Torch light Pilgrim???s Procession.  Overnight at our hotel. Sunday, April 17 - Day 6 ??? LOURDES - This morning, we begin with Mass (concelebrated) at the Grotto. For those who wish, we proceed to the legendary healing waters of the miraculous Lourdes spring.  Afterward, we take an orientation tour of the Shrine of Lourdes. Our walking tour will take us to Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, the Cachot, the former jail, where she lived during the apparitions and the local parish church. The rest of the day is free for personal devotions to Our Lady of Lourdes.   Again, tonight, following dinner, we have the option of participating in the Torch light Procession Monday April 18 - Day 7 ??? LOURDES/ BARCELONA - Early this morning we celebrate Mass at one of the chapels.  We depart Lourdes and traverse the Pyrenees southward entering northern Spain.  We continue to Montserrat, home to the dramatically set Benedictine Monastery housing the famed Black Madonna. This Marian Shrine has attracted pilgrims for over 700 years, much as it did Ignatius of Loyola who put his sword before the Black Madonna and exchanged his fancy clothes for those of a beggar. We continue to Barcelona for dinner and overnight.  Thursday, April 19 - Day 8 - BARCELONA/ USA ??? This morning, we will have a visit to the famous (yet unfinished) Sagrada Familia designed by Antonio Gaudi and started in 1882.  Afterwards, we transfer to the airport to make our way home with memories of a lifetime.