Saade Catholic Italy Pilgrimage 12 days
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Created: 23.10.2014
Monday, April 13 - Day 1 ??? DEPART USA ??? Today we depart from Orlando International Airport for our overnight connecting flight to Florence aboard a wide-bodied jet. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Tuesday, April 14 - Day 2 - FLORENCE ??? This morning we arrive in Florence where are met and board our motor coach. Lunch is on our own when we arrive in the delightful nearby spa town of Montecatini Terme. The balance of the day is at leisure to stroll through the inviting streets of this charming town. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Wednesday, April 15 - Day 3 - FLORENCE - This morning we proceed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city. We continue on for Mass and a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce. Among the most famous interred here lie Galileo, Rossini, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. Lunch is on our own. We visit the Duomo, the heart of the city with its cupola by Brunelleschi, completed in 1240, its campanile by Giotto and Baptistery with incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti. Next we visit the Academy where we see Michelangelo???s famous ???David??? and other works. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Thursday, April 16 - Day 4 - FLORENCE/SIENA /ASSISI - This morning, we journey through the Italian countryside arriving in the magnificent city of Siena, birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena. We celebrate Mass at the Dominican Church commemorating St. Catherine. After lunch on our own in this delightful medieval city, we visit the Basilica of St Francis, site of a Eucharistic Miracle. Stolen consecrated hosts were returned to the church in 1730, these hosts have remained preserved in their original intact and fresh state, without any decomposition. In 1980, Pope John Paul II visited this Church and venerated these miraculously incorrupt hosts. We continue south through Umbria to the hilltop village of Assisi, the home of Saint Francis for dinner and overnight. Friday, April 17 - Day 5 - ASSISI ??? This morning we begin with a short walk to the Basilica of St. Francesco for Mass. After our visit of the Basilica and the tomb of St. Francis, we begin our walking tour of the village with a visit to the Church of St. Clare ???the little plant of Blessed Francis??? as she loved to call herself, where we view the San Damiano crucifix that spoke to St. Francis. Kneeling before it, Francis composed the following prayer, which is considered to be among the oldest of his writings: ???All Highest, Glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly your most holy will. Amen.??? Lunch is on our own. This afternoon, we enjoy this picturesque hillside village on our own. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Saturday, April 18 - Day 6 - ASSISI/LORETO/ MONTESILVANO - This morning, our first stop is in the lower town for a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Portiuncula, Francis' Church of the Little Portion. We depart Assisi and drive east towards Ancona. We visit and celebrate Mass at Loreto, 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 and lunch on our own, we continue southwards via the coastal highway to the Montesilvano Pescara area for dinner and overnight at our hotel on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Sunday, April 19 - DAY 7 - LANCIANO/SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - This morning we visit Lanciano, 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. Lunch is on our own. We continue south to San Giovanni Rotondo where we celebrate Mass at the tomb of Saint Padre Pio and visit the sanctuary. We transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Monday, April 20 - DAY 8 - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO/SUBIACO /ROME ??? We depart early this morning for Subiaco. It was here that Saint Benedict and his sister Scholastica retired at the end of the 5th Century and built five little monasteries. We visit the Monastery of St. Benedict, which dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. We visit the Sacred Cave where Benedict lived as a hermit for three years. The staircase holds the earliest portrait of St. Francis without his halo or stigmata. Lunch is on our own. We celebrate Mass here and then continue to Rome for dinner and overnight at our hotel. Tuesday, April 21 - Day 9 ??? ROME/VATICAN CITY - This morning, we go to the Vatican, where we celebrate Mass at St. Peters. Afterwards, we see the treasures of the Vatican Museum. We marvel at Michelangelo???s restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the wonders of St. Peter???s. Lunch is on our own. This afternoon we tour Rome???s sites starting with the Basilica of St. Mary Major, then on to the Roman Fora passing the Arch of Constantine, the Coliseum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Church of St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's possibly most celebrated sculpture, the "Moses." Dinner and overnight at hotel. Wednesday, April 22 - Day 10 ??? ROME/VATICAN CITY ??? This morning, we make our way to St. Peter's for an audience with Pope Francis if he is in residence. Lunch is on our own. This afternoon, we visit the Holy Stairs and Basilica of St. John Lateran. We continue to St. Paul Outside the Walls; the huge, imposing Basilica, second only to St. Peter???s and one of the largest churches in the Christian world. This church contains an unusual gallery of papal portraits: 265 tablets portraying the popes of the past. We conclude our day at one of the Catacombs, burial place of early Christians. We celebrate Mass here and view the 2nd and 3rd century fresco paintings. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Thursday, April 23 - DAY 11 ??? ROME/CASCIA ??? Today we leave Rome for a day trip to the beautiful hill town of Cascia, home of St. Rita. Here we visit the Basilica named for the Saint which houses her incorrupt body and relics from her life. The Basilica is also the site of another Eucharistic Miracle. In 1330, a priest carried a consecrated host within the pages of his breviary. When he opened the book, he found that the host was bleeding. A blood-stained page from his breviary can be seen today in the lower chapel of the Basilica. We celebrate Mass here. Lunch is on our own. If possible, we will tour the Monastery of St. Rita. We return to Rome for dinner and overnight. Friday, April 24 - Day 12 - RETURN TO U.S. - Today we make our way home with memories of the saints and miracles we have experienced to treasure for a lifetime.
Monday, April 13 - Day 1 ??? DEPART USA ??? Today we depart from Orlando International Airport for our overnight connecting flight to Florence aboard a wide-bodied jet. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Tuesday, April 14 - Day 2 - FLORENCE ??? This morning we arrive in Florence where are met and board our motor coach. Lunch is on our own when we arrive in the delightful nearby spa town of Montecatini Terme. The balance of the day is at leisure to stroll through the inviting streets of this charming town. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Wednesday, April 15 - Day 3 - FLORENCE - This morning we proceed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city. We continue on for Mass and a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce. Among the most famous interred here lie Galileo, Rossini, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. Lunch is on our own. We visit the Duomo, the heart of the city with its cupola by Brunelleschi, completed in 1240, its campanile by Giotto and Baptistery with incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti. Next we visit the Academy where we see Michelangelo???s famous ???David??? and other works. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Thursday, April 16 - Day 4 - FLORENCE/SIENA /ASSISI - This morning, we journey through the Italian countryside arriving in the magnificent city of Siena, birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena. We celebrate Mass at the Dominican Church commemorating St. Catherine. After lunch on our own in this delightful medieval city, we visit the Basilica of St Francis, site of a Eucharistic Miracle. Stolen consecrated hosts were returned to the church in 1730, these hosts have remained preserved in their original intact and fresh state, without any decomposition. In 1980, Pope John Paul II visited this Church and venerated these miraculously incorrupt hosts. We continue south through Umbria to the hilltop village of Assisi, the home of Saint Francis for dinner and overnight. Friday, April 17 - Day 5 - ASSISI ??? This morning we begin with a short walk to the Basilica of St. Francesco for Mass. After our visit of the Basilica and the tomb of St. Francis, we begin our walking tour of the village with a visit to the Church of St. Clare ???the little plant of Blessed Francis??? as she loved to call herself, where we view the San Damiano crucifix that spoke to St. Francis. Kneeling before it, Francis composed the following prayer, which is considered to be among the oldest of his writings: ???All Highest, Glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly your most holy will. Amen.??? Lunch is on our own. This afternoon, we enjoy this picturesque hillside village on our own. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Saturday, April 18 - Day 6 - ASSISI/LORETO/ MONTESILVANO - This morning, our first stop is in the lower town for a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Portiuncula, Francis' Church of the Little Portion. We depart Assisi and drive east towards Ancona. We visit and celebrate Mass at Loreto, 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 and lunch on our own, we continue southwards via the coastal highway to the Montesilvano Pescara area for dinner and overnight at our hotel on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Sunday, April 19 - DAY 7 - LANCIANO/SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - This morning we visit Lanciano, 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. Lunch is on our own. We continue south to San Giovanni Rotondo where we celebrate Mass at the tomb of Saint Padre Pio and visit the sanctuary. We transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Monday, April 20 - DAY 8 - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO/SUBIACO /ROME ??? We depart early this morning for Subiaco. It was here that Saint Benedict and his sister Scholastica retired at the end of the 5th Century and built five little monasteries. We visit the Monastery of St. Benedict, which dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. We visit the Sacred Cave where Benedict lived as a hermit for three years. The staircase holds the earliest portrait of St. Francis without his halo or stigmata. Lunch is on our own. We celebrate Mass here and then continue to Rome for dinner and overnight at our hotel. Tuesday, April 21 - Day 9 ??? ROME/VATICAN CITY - This morning, we go to the Vatican, where we celebrate Mass at St. Peters. Afterwards, we see the treasures of the Vatican Museum. We marvel at Michelangelo???s restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the wonders of St. Peter???s. Lunch is on our own. This afternoon we tour Rome???s sites starting with the Basilica of St. Mary Major, then on to the Roman Fora passing the Arch of Constantine, the Coliseum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Church of St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's possibly most celebrated sculpture, the "Moses." Dinner and overnight at hotel. Wednesday, April 22 - Day 10 ??? ROME/VATICAN CITY ??? This morning, we make our way to St. Peter's for an audience with Pope Francis if he is in residence. Lunch is on our own. This afternoon, we visit the Holy Stairs and Basilica of St. John Lateran. We continue to St. Paul Outside the Walls; the huge, imposing Basilica, second only to St. Peter???s and one of the largest churches in the Christian world. This church contains an unusual gallery of papal portraits: 265 tablets portraying the popes of the past. We conclude our day at one of the Catacombs, burial place of early Christians. We celebrate Mass here and view the 2nd and 3rd century fresco paintings. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Thursday, April 23 - DAY 11 ??? ROME/CASCIA ??? Today we leave Rome for a day trip to the beautiful hill town of Cascia, home of St. Rita. Here we visit the Basilica named for the Saint which houses her incorrupt body and relics from her life. The Basilica is also the site of another Eucharistic Miracle. In 1330, a priest carried a consecrated host within the pages of his breviary. When he opened the book, he found that the host was bleeding. A blood-stained page from his breviary can be seen today in the lower chapel of the Basilica. We celebrate Mass here. Lunch is on our own. If possible, we will tour the Monastery of St. Rita. We return to Rome for dinner and overnight. Friday, April 24 - Day 12 - RETURN TO U.S. - Today we make our way home with memories of the saints and miracles we have experienced to treasure for a lifetime.
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