Day 1 - Sunday, October 16
Check in for our flight to Rome.

Day 2 - Monday, October 17
Upon arrival in Fiumicino airport, we will meet our guide and transfer to Rome. On arrival we will visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls before driving to Rome where we will have a light lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon we will celebrate the opening Mass of our pilgrimage in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest of the four Papal basilicas in Rome and have the opportunity to climb the nearby Holy Stairs in the traditional manner. We will catch our first views of the Eternal City as we transfer to the four-star Hotel Donna Laura where we will stay for three nights. Lunch, Evening meal

Day 3 - Tuesday, October 18
After morning Mass we will visit St. Peters Basilica, one of the holiest temples of Christendom, where we will see impressive works of art such as Berninis baldachin, Michelangelos famous Piet statue and the statue of St. Peter on his throne. After time at leisure for lunch, we will visit the Vatican Museums which will reveal some fine masterpieces of painting, sculpture and works of art collected by the Popes through the centuries. This evening we will see some of the famous tourist sites that Rome has to offer. Beginning in the elegant Piazza Navona, we will walk through the quaint cobbled narrow streets that will lead us to the famous Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 4 - Wednesday, October 19
This morning we will attend the Papal Audience in St. Peters Square. Afterwards we will drive to the nearby Catacombs of St. Sebastian named after the solider who was martyred for having converted to Christianity. Our tour of the ancient burial grounds will finish at the Basilica of San Sebastiano where we will celebrate Mass and later see some ancient relics including a stone with an imprint attributed to Jesus Christ and the arrows said to have pierced St. Sebastian. The remainder of the afternoon we will have at leisure with the opportunity for shopping and personal sightseeing. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 5 - Thursday, October 20
This morning we will depart Rome and drive to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis and St. Clare. On arrival, we will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and afterwards see the chapel of the Porziuncola, the chapel of the Transito where St. Francis died and the famous Rose Garden. After free time for lunch, we will enjoy a guided walking tour of the medieval town of Assisi, during which we will learn of the life of both Francis and Clare and how they relinquished their lavish lifestyles for a life of poverty and prayer. We will check into the three-star Hotel Frate Sole for two nights and relax in our rooms before dinner. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 6 - Friday, October 21
This morning we will drive to Florence. After celebrating Mass in the famous Duomo and our guide will take us on a tour of the spectacular city, as we begin to understand why Florence is often referred to as the Cradle of the Renaissance. We will have time at leisure for lunch and private sightseeing before returning to Assisi. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 7 - Saturday, October 22
This morning we will Assisi depart Assisi and return to the Eternal City where we will have time at leisure for shopping and personal sightseeing. We will stay the night in four-star Hotel Cristoforo Colombo. This evening we will experience one of the favorite pass-times of the Italian people cooking and eating! Under the guidance of a local chef, we will prepare a traditional national dish and afterwards experience the fruits of our labor! What better souvenir from our time in Italy than returning home with some of the culinary secrets of the Italians! Breakfast, Evening meal (part of the cookery class)

Day 8 - Sunday, October 23
This morning we will check out of our hotel and drive to Fiumicino airport to connect with our flight to Dubrovnik. Our guide will meet you in the arrivals and will accompany us on the drive to this most Blessed village of Medjugorje. As we drive toward Medjugorje, with the steeple of St. James Church first greeting us, we will arrive at the four-star Hotel Quercus where we will stay for the next four nights. We will have time to unpack and relax in our rooms before being called for a light snack, or dinner, which will be served depending on the time of arrival. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 9 - Monday, October 24
After breakfast we will attend the 10:00am English Mass in the Church of St. James. Following Mass, there will be an opening meeting where the guides will share with us the history of the place, introduce us to the shrine and take us through our stay. In the afternoon we will visit the Blue Cross, a place of many apparitions of Our Lady. We also will walk to Vickas old family home, to see and to pray in the room where she had apparitions over a long period of time. After dinner, we can attend the evening prayer program. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 10 - Tuesday, October 25
After breakfast, we gather at the statue of Our Lady to walk through the vineyards, to the Hill of Apparitions (Podbrdo). We climb, in prayer, to the place where Our Lady first appeared to six frightened children in June of 1981. This afternoon there is an optional tour to Cenacolo, which is a community for recovering drug addicts. There is a special lesson to be learned from the residents here, by their hard work, perseverance and prayer. After dinner, we attend the evening program. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 11 - Wednesday, October 26
After breakfast, and we will meet at the base of Cross Mountain (Krizevac) to start our ascent. We pray the Stations of the Cross as we make our way to the summit. We make our descent in time for holy Mass. After we meet as a group to join in the closing meeting on the church grounds. David and the guides conclude our pilgrimage with prayer and a short follow up on our stay. This evening we have a special treat as our program director, David Parkes, performs for us in concert with an Evening of prayer through song. David is an internationally acclaimed singer who has traveled worldwide singing and giving testimony about his own healing in Medjugorje. Breakfast, Evening meal

Day 12 - Thursday, October 27
Our guide will collect us at our hotel for our transfer to the airport for our return flight.
iPlease note this itinerary is subject to change and should not be considered a contract of events or places to be supplied or visited. Every effort is made to follow the itinerary as set out, however events outside of our control may force alterations.