We depart Fort Wayne (FWA) on our overnight flight(s) to Rome, Italy. Drinks and meals will be served on board.

Upon arrival at Rome Fiumicino Airport, we are greeted by our local guide and board our private motor coach for the scenic drive to Assisi. Along the way, we enjoy glimpses of the beautiful Umbrian countryside. After checking into our hotel, we gather for a welcome dinner and get to know our fellow pilgrims before retiring for the night. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

After breakfast, we begin our day in the lower village of Assisi, visiting St. Mary of the Angels, where St. Francis spent a significant part of his life. We will explore the Chapel Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retreated for prayer. Next, we will proceed to the Church of St. Clare to view the Saint’s body, incorrupt since her death centuries ago. St. Clare was the foundress of the Order of Poor Clare’s. We will have some free time for lunch at Piazza della comuna followed by a visit to St. Mary Major. Today we will also visit the Basilica of St. Francis where Father will celebrate Mass. Finally, we will take time to visit the Shrine of the Renunciation, where the millennial Saint Carlo Acutis’ body is interred, and learn more about his life and spirituality. Dinner and overnight in Assisi

After breakfast we board our bus and head towards the Marian Shrine in Loreto, the Basilica della Santa Casa. Within its walls, we encounter the beautiful Madonna of Loreto and the Holy House of Nazareth. Tradition holds that this modest house is where “The Word Became Flesh,” where Mary spent her early years, and where she received the visitation of the angel Gabriel. It is also believed to be the place, where Jesus was raised, and where the Holy Family lived. We will return to Assisi for dinner and an overnight.

Today we will make our way to San Giovanni, in route we will visit the Basilica of Santa Rita da Cascia and
Lanciano, the site of the Eucharistic Miracle from the eighth century. Finally, we will head to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit the shrine of St. Padre Pio. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Today is dedicated to the town where St. Padre Pio lived for most of his life. We will visit the church of Santa Maria Della Grazie, where the tomb of St. Padre Pio is located, and offer Mass. In the afternoon, we will visit the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo

All Roads lead to Rome… Following breakfast, we set off on a scenic bus ride, heading to Monte Cassino, where the ancient Roman town of Casinum once stood. Our first stop is the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, the original home of the Benedictine Order, established by St. Benedict around 529. Here we will enjoy lunch and celebrate Mass. In the afternoon we will transfer to Rome. Dinner and overnight in Rome

In the morning, we head to Saint Peter’s Square for the Papal general audience with Pope Leo XIV (subject to his schedule). Afterward, we will have a private Mass in a Chapel at the Vatican Grottoes below St. Peters Basilica (Subject to availability). Following a brief lunch, we tour the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica, marveling at the incredible art and history. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

After breakfast, we will embark on a historic tour of Ancient Rome. We will stroll along Cobblestone streets, lined with majestic stone pines, and visit the Colosseum, a grand amphitheater of the ancient world. Along the way we’ll stop for prayer at the Basilica of Saint Clement. Passing by the Roman Forum, we will witness the ruins of ancient government buildings. We’ll finish the day visiting the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, originally built in 398. It is home to the Passionists and is the burial place of St. Paul of the Cross. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Today, we explore three of the major basilicas of Rome, beginning with St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. We visit the Holy Stairs, believed to be the steps Jesus ascended during his trial before Pontius Pilate. Next, we visit St. Mary Major, one of the oldest churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, here we will visit the tomb of Pope Francis. In the afternoon, we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we venerate the tomb of St. Paul and celebrate Mass (Mass is subject to availability). Dinner and overnight in Rome.

With a renewed sense of pilgrimage, and an invigorated love of our Catholic faith, we transfer to the Rome
Fiumicino Airport and board our return flight(s) home.