Daily Itinerary for the 11 May 2025


Day 1 – May 11th, 2025 – Depart Orlando

Depart Orlando Airport for an overnight flight to Dublin.

Day 2 – May 12th, 2025 – Arrive in Dublin and Visit Glendalough

Upon arrival at Dublin Airport from Orlando, the group will be warmly greeted by their Marian Pilgrimages guide. After a brief introduction, they will head to a charming local restaurant for a well-deserved breakfast. This first meal in Ireland offers a chance to relax, recover from the flight, and enjoy some traditional Irish fare. After breakfast, the journey continues with a scenic drive to Glendalough, one of Ireland's most beautiful and spiritually significant locations. Nestled in the heart of County Wicklow's "Garden of Ireland," Glendalough is an ancient monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Surrounded by stunning lakes and valleys, this tranquil place has been a centre of pilgrimage for centuries. Upon arrival at Glendalough, the group will celebrate Mass in the ancient monastic church, where the spirit of St. Kevin and Ireland's early Christian heritage comes to life. After Mass, there will be time to explore the remains of the monastery, including the impressive round tower, the ruins of the churches, and the serene lakeside paths. The group can take a peaceful stroll through the surrounding landscape, soaking in the spiritual atmosphere. After some time for quiet reflection and exploration, the group will have free time for lunch. In the afternoon, the group will return to Dublin, where they will check into the 4 Hotel Clayton and settle in. After some time to rest and refresh, the group will gather for a delicious dinner at the hotel, where they can reflect on the day's spiritual and cultural experiences.

Day 3 – May 13th, 2025 – Opening Meeting in Medjugorje

Upon arrival, you will be met by our guides who will direct you towards your coach ready to start our transfer to the most Blessed village, Medjugorje. The guide on the transfer will inform us of what to expect during our time here as we enjoy the splendid scenery on route. As we drive into Medjugorje, with the steeple of St. James Church first greeting us, we will arrive at our hotel. With all rooms allotted on the bus, we are first introduced to our host family, and then we can rest in our rooms before being called for a light snack or dinner, depending on the time of arrival. Each evening, we will attend the parish evening program. It begins with the rosary, followed by Holy Mass, and depending on the day, we finish with adoration.

Day 4 – May 14th, 2025 – Blue Cross

We start our day with breakfast before attending the 10:00 am Mass, which is intended for English-speaking pilgrims, in the Church of St. James. The Church of St. James is placed under the patronage of St. James the Apostle, the patron saint of pilgrims. After Mass, we usually meet at the shrine of Our Lady of Peace for our opening meeting, where the guides will share the history of the place and introduce us to the shrine. They will take us through the week, using their words and experiences to enlighten us to the messages and intentions of Our Lady. We break for lunch, with restaurants in abundance boasting some of the best steaks and pizza. The afternoon takes us to Blue Cross, a place of many apparitions of Our Lady. It is situated at the base of Apparition Hill where Our Lady appeared to the children and where they hid from the communist police at the beginning of the apparitions. Many pilgrims venture here to bask in the peace that emanates from this special area. From Blue Cross, we walk to Vicka’s old house. Vicka is one of the six Medjugorje visionaries, and we visit her old family house to pray in the room where she had apparitions over a long period. After dinner, we can attend the evening prayer program. Lou Arnold – Ireland & Medjugorje 2025

Day 5 – May 15th, 2025 – Hill of Apparitions

This morning after breakfast, we gather at the statue of Our Lady to walk through the vineyards to the Hill of Apparitions (Podbrdo). This has been the traditional route taken by millions of pilgrims. The guides regale us with accounts of the first days of the apparitions, especially the first seven days, and tell us of the great spiritual journey the visionaries undertook. We climb in prayer to the site of the first apparition, where Our Lady first appeared to six frightened children in June of 1981. The Joyful Mysteries greet us at several points of our climb where we pause for prayer.

Day 6 – May 16th, 2025 – Church of the Divine

Today we have the opportunity to meet with one of the visionaries (depending on their availability) for a talk on the messages of Our Lady. Our Lady of Peace leaves messages on the 25th of each month through the visionary, Mirjana. Through these messages, we are called upon to attend Holy Mass, to fast, read the Bible, attend confession, and pray the Holy Rosary. Our Lady maintains that we will receive many graces by praying the Rosary. In the afternoon, we have an optional trip to visit the Church of the Divine in Surmanci, one of the five villages belonging to Medjugorje parish, only a 15-minute drive from Medjugorje. This is a popular place with pilgrims as a miraculous healing took place before the icon of the Divine Mercy, which is now exposed in the chapel. We will also have the opportunity to venerate relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II.

Day 7 – May 17th, 2025 – Cross Mountain

Our day begins with breakfast, and we then 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. Our journey is rewarded by time for reflection and prayer at the cross located at the top of the mountain. We make our descent in time for Holy Mass. In the afternoon, following our climb, we will have some free time.

Day 8 – May 18th, 2025 – Talk with Medjugorje Priest

Today, we gather to hear from one of the priests. Based in Medjugorje, they can shed light on issues we may be struggling with, such as confession or sacrifice. In the afternoon, there is an optional tour to Cenacolo, a community for recovering drug addicts. There is a special lesson to be learned from the residents here, through their hard work, perseverance, and prayer. After dinner, we attend the evening program.

Day 9 – May 19th, 2025 – Mothers Village

We meet as a group to join in the closing meeting on the church grounds. David and the guides conclude the week with prayer and a short follow-up on the week's journey. We finish the program with a visit to Mothers Village, an orphanage founded by the late Fr. Slavko for children whose parents died during the war. Now it’s a home for orphaned children or those who come from dysfunctional families. This village is a visible fruit of Medjugorje. After dinner, we can participate in the evening program.

Day 10 – May 20th, 2025 – Return to Dublin

Our guide will collect us at the hotel for our transfer to the airport for our flight back to Dublin. Upon arrival in Dublin, we will transfer directly to the 4 Clayton Hotel to rest before dinner. The evening is free, offering time to either relax or explore Dublin’s lively city center, with its traditional pubs and famous hospitality.

Day 11 – May 21st, 2025 – Depart Dublin for Orlando

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport to check in for our direct flight to Orlando.