Marian Shrines with St. John the Evangelist, Columbia, Maryland
Eleven days from Lisbon to Paris, by way of Fátima, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Lourdes and the Rue du Bac, with Fr. Mel Portula, CICM, and Mass each day.
Your chaplain
Fr. Mel Portula, CICM
Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Columbia, Maryland
Fr. Mel Portula is pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Columbia, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is a priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM), known in the United States as Missionhurst.
“I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Our Lady to St. Bernadette, Lourdes, March 25, 1858
The name Our Lady gave at the Grotto of Massabielle. We spend two nights in Lourdes, celebrating Mass at the Sanctuary, praying at the Grotto and joining the candlelight procession each evening.
The Grotto of Massabielle · Lourdes
Portugal, Spain & France, September 20 to 30, 2027
Eleven days, nine nights in Fátima, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Lourdes and Paris, with Lisbon, Porto, the Camino and Toulouse along the way, and Mass each day.
Begins in Lisbon and ends in Paris
OvernightVisit
Nights: 2 Fátima, 1 Santiago de Compostela, 1 Burgos, 2 Lourdes, 3 Paris.
Departure
Our pilgrimage begins as we depart the United States on our overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal.
Arrival in Lisbon & transfer to Fátima
Upon arrival in Lisbon, we meet our professional tour guide for a brief tour of the city before continuing on to Fátima. We stop first at St. Anthony’s Church, built on the site where the beloved saint was born in 1195; though he is known the world over as St. Anthony of Padua, patron of lost things and causes, he was in fact a son of Lisbon, and we pause here in quiet prayer before continuing to St. Jerome’s Monastery, raised in thanksgiving to Our Lady for the safe voyage of Vasco da Gama on the expedition that first linked Europe and Asia by sea, its cloisters a masterwork of Manueline stone carving. We then board our motorcoach for the journey to Fátima. After checking in to our hotel, we gather for a welcome dinner.
Fátima
We celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima and visit the tombs of St. Francisco, St. Jacinta, and Sister Lúcia, followed by Aljustrel and Valinhos. Afternoon free for private devotions. Following dinner, we join pilgrims for the Candlelight Marian Procession.
Fátima, Porto, Camino de Santiago & Santiago de Compostela
After breakfast and check-out, we depart for Porto, Portugal’s historic second city on the banks of the Douro River. Here we enjoy a panoramic tour and stop for lunch. Continuing north into Spain, we stop along the Camino de Santiago where those who wish may walk a short bit of the pilgrim trail, following in the footsteps of centuries of faithful who have done the same. We continue to Santiago de Compostela.
Santiago de Compostela & Burgos
After breakfast, a guided walking tour leads us through the medieval streets to the Plaza del Obradoiro and the Basilica of Santiago de Compostela. We venerate the relics of St. James the Apostle and celebrate Mass in the Basilica. After lunch on our own, we check out and travel to Burgos, in the region of Castilla y León.
Burgos & Lourdes
After breakfast, we visit the breathtaking Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, admiring its fifteen chapels including the Chapel of San Enrique, home to the renowned Ecce Homo statue. We celebrate Mass here before checking out and journeying through scenic countryside into France, arriving in the sacred town of Lourdes. After checking in, we celebrate Mass at the Lourdes Shrine. Following dinner, we join pilgrims for the Candlelight Marian Procession.
Lourdes
We celebrate Mass at the Basilica and tour the Sanctuary, including the Grotto of Massabielle and the Upper Basilica, with an opportunity for the Water Gesture. We follow in the footsteps of St. Bernadette, visiting her birthplace and the Cachot. Afternoon free for devotions. Following dinner, we join the Candlelight Marian Procession.
Lourdes, Toulouse & Paris
After breakfast and check-out, we travel to Toulouse, where we visit the Basilica of St. Sernin, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, and celebrate Mass. After lunch on our own, we transfer to the train station and board our train north to Paris.
Paris, Rue du Bac & Saint-Sulpice
We visit the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal on the Rue du Bac, where Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, and celebrate Mass. We then visit Église Saint-Sulpice and take a panoramic tour of Paris ending at the Eiffel Tower.
Paris, Sacré-Cœur, Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle
We celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre Hill. We visit the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and Sainte-Chapelle, with time for shopping or free exploration in the afternoon. Farewell dinner.
Return home
With hearts renewed by the intercession of Our Lady of Fátima, St. James the Apostle, and Our Lady of Lourdes, we transfer to the airport in Paris for our return flight home.
What’s included
Everything below is covered by the package price.
Your hotels in Portugal, Spain and France
Four-star hotels throughout: two nights in Fátima, one in Santiago de Compostela, one in Burgos, two in Lourdes and three in Paris. Hotels are subject to final confirmation; if a hotel changes, it is replaced with one of the same standard.
“If you want a pilgrimage that’s seamless, historical and actually fun, book these guys.”
“It was so nice not to have to worry about any details, they took care of everything!”
“Each one has been beautifully arranged and managed from start to finish.”
Questions pilgrims ask
Short answers to what most people want to know before they put down a deposit.
It is a touring pilgrimage by motorcoach, with a train from Toulouse to Paris and long coach days from Fátima to Santiago and from Burgos to Lourdes. Expect about 2 to 3 miles of walking on a typical day, with cobblestones in Santiago and Paris, the hill at Sacré-Cœur, and an optional short walk on the Camino. Days usually start with a wake-up call around 7am, departure by 9am and a return to the hotel between 5pm and 6pm.
You can have a room to yourself, with a single room supplement of $975, or share a room with two beds with another pilgrim. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a roommate. If we cannot find a match by June 22, 2027, the single room supplement applies. Couples, families, friends and singles are all welcome, and plenty of pilgrims come on their own.
Lunches, donations at Masses, souvenirs and laundry. A typical lunch costs about $15 to $20. Tips for restaurant and hotel staff are included; for your tour manager, local guides and driver, the recommended amounts are in your final travel documents. Travel insurance if you choose it, and a 3% fee if you pay by card. Abroad, we recommend paying for most things by credit card, which is accepted almost everywhere and comes with protection that cash does not; bring a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (euros in Portugal, Spain and France), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
Cancel in writing. Up to June 22, 2027 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
Fr. Mel Portula, CICM, pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Columbia, Maryland, leads the group from his parish.
More answers in the FAQ below and in our Support Center, or call us at +1 (800) 653-0017.
Price per person
Per person, including roundtrip group airfare. Premium economy and business class are available: call or email us for pricing.
$200 per person is non-refundable.
Final payment is due 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
Check
ACH bank transfer
Zelle
Cash, money order or cashier’s check
Protect your pilgrimage
Your pilgrimage is paid for long before you leave. After you reserve, your booking confirmation email has our Allianz Travel Insurance plans and a link to buy one directly. Classic is the plan we recommend for most pilgrims.
- Covers your trip cost. Classic reimburses 100% of the trip cost you insured if you cancel for a covered reason, and adds emergency medical care and baggage cover.
- Buy within 14 days of your first deposit to keep Cancel Anytime and pre-existing condition cover. The plans stay available until departure.
- Buy it from your confirmation email. Prefer to add it by phone? Call us at +1 (800) 653-0017.
Frequently asked questions
This is an active program that covers a good amount of ground each day. Expect a wake-up call around 7am, departure by 9am and a return to the hotel between 5pm and 6pm. You should be able to walk 2 to 3 miles a day at a moderate pace, with uneven surfaces, stairs, cobblestones and some slopes. There are several long coach days, from Fátima to Santiago and from Burgos to Lourdes, and an afternoon train from Toulouse to Paris.
Late September is usually mild across Portugal, Spain and France, with warm afternoons and cooler evenings. Santiago de Compostela and Lourdes see rain often, so bring a light rain jacket or umbrella, layers for the evening processions and comfortable walking shoes.
Yes. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the return date, and passport cards are not accepted for international travel. We need your passport details at least 90 days before departure. Entry rules for Europe can change, so we will let you know before departure if anything new applies to your trip.
Rates are per person based on two pilgrims sharing a room. Shared rooms have one bed or two beds. If you are travelling alone we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender; if we cannot, the single room supplement applies.
Yes. The price includes group airfare; if you book your own flights, the price is reduced by $1,000. Send us your flight details once booked, so we can line your arrival up with the group’s in Lisbon on September 21 and its departure from Paris on September 30.
Final payment is due on June 22, 2027, 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
We strongly encourage travel insurance for all of our pilgrims, and we partner with Allianz Travel Insurance to offer affordable coverage. Most of our pilgrims choose the Classic Plan. Insurance can be quoted and purchased after registration.
A pilgrimage is not a vacation or excursion but a unique spiritual journey that provides many opportunities to deepen your relationship with God and enrich your Catholic faith by bringing Scripture to life. Pilgrimages offer the opportunity to let Christ draw you near.
More questions are answered in our Support Center, covering booking, payments, travel insurance, passports and what to expect on pilgrimage.
Couples, families, friends, singles, all are welcome!
Some pilgrims come as a couple, some bring the whole family, some come with a friend from the parish, and plenty come on their own. Everyone is welcome.
Fátima, Santiago, Lourdes and Paris
September 20 to 30, 2027, with St. John the Evangelist, Columbia, Maryland, and Fr. Mel Portula, CICM. Reserve today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.
Questions? Call +1 (800) 653-0017 or email hello@canterburypilgrimages.com.
Secure your spot today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.