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Almost 400 years ago, the villagers of Oberammergau made a vow to God to perform a passion play every 10 years if God spared the village from any other deaths from the Black Plague that was ravaging Europe and causing millions of deaths. Father Jess Ty, pastor of Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church in Carefree, is leading a September 2022 Pilgrimage to Oberammergau, Germany and other Catholic shrines of Central Europe. The pilgrimage is through Canterbury Pilgrimages and includes other spectacular pilgrimage sites and locations in: GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND, LIECHTENSTEIN, AND FRANCE!
A deposit of $450 per person is required to hold your reservation. Remaining payment is due on June 19, 2022.
Depart USA for your overnight flight(s) to Zurich or Stuttgart.
Upon arrival in Zurich/Stuttgart, we will be greeted by our Tour Manager. Our bus will take us to the picturesque Black Forest town of Triberg, Germany–famous for cuckoo clocks, Germany’s highest waterfall, and the miraculous “Maria in der Tanne” (Mary in the fir tree). The first miracle attributed to Maria in der Tanne occurred in 1644. Our Sunday Mass will be celebrated at the beautiful Maria in der Tanne pilgrimage church, built in 1705. We continue on to Sankt Peter, another picturesque town located in a breathtaking area of the Black Forest. We will be staying for three nights at Haus Maria Lindenberg, a retreat center for the Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg, Germany, and will have a mini-retreat to close out the day.
Overnight in Sankt Peter, Germany
We will continue our mini-retreat this morning before we take off to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Strasbourg, France, where we will have a guided tour of the city, including the spectacular “Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg” and its impressive astronomical clock. Mass will be at the cathedral. On our way back to Haus Maria Lindenberg, we will visit the incredible Abbey of St. Peter, a former Benedictine monastery in the city center of Sankt Peter.
Overnight in Sankt Peter, Germany
We begin again today with a mini-retreat. Then, we travel to the medieval city of Freiburg, Germany, renowned for its university and its own spectacular cathedral, “Freiburger Munster.” We will have a guided tour of the city and the cathedral, and our Mass will be at the cathedral. On our way back to Haus Maria Lindenberg, we will have dinner and winetasting at the “Roter Bur” Winery in the Black Forest village of Glottertal to finish out the evening.
Overnight in Sankt Peter, Germany
After breakfast, we will have Mass at the Abbey of Sankt Peter, prior to departing for Lucerne, Switzerland. Our day includes a city tour of Lucerne, including the “Kappellbrucke” (Chapel Bridge–the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe), as well as the city’s Jesuit and Franciscan churches. Our tour of Lucerne includes a ride to the top of Mount Pilatus on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. There may be some leisure time for shopping or to visit Lake Lucerne prior to dinner.
Overnight in Lucerne, Switzerland
Departing Lucerne, we travel to Einsiedeln, Switzerland, named for the Einsiedeln hermits who inhabited the area centuries ago. Most famous was “Meinrad of Einsiedeln” (Saint Meinrad), a monk who lived in the 9th Century and was known for his very simple lifestyle and veneration of a miraculous status of the Madonna. We will tour the impressive “Kloster Einsiedeln” (Einsiedeln Abbey, also known as Our Lady of Einsiedeln), which is now a Benedictine monastery, and celebrate Mass here. Departing Einsiedeln, we make our way to the tiny Catholic country of Liechtenstein, where we will have a guided tour of the capital, Vaduz. Continuing on, we conclude our day’s travels with a bus trip to Innsbruck, Austria.
Overnight in Innsbruck, Austria
Our brief stay in Innsbruck concludes with a city tour. Continuing on, we head to the city of Salzburg, Germany, renowned as the birthplace of Mozart and the location of the wonderful motion picture, The Sound of Music. Our visit to Salzburg includes a walking tour of the old town, including the famous Getreidegasse pedestrian street and the “Dom zu Salzberg” (Salzberg Cathedral), where we will celebrate Mass. We conclude our day’s travel with a bus trip to Altotting, Germany.
Overnight in Altotting, Germany
Today we will have a guided visit and Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting. A healing miracle and an extraordinary image of the Virgin Mary triggered a pilgrimage movement to Altötting more than 500 years ago that still attracts over a million pilgrims annually who come to see the “Black Madonna,” in the hope that she will hear their prayers. This area of Germany is also the area where Pope Benedict XVI lived and grew up, so we will visit to Marktl am Inn to visit his birthplace and the church of St. Oswald where he was christened. This evening we will attend a candlelit procession at the Basilica of St. Ann.
Overnight in Altotting, Germany
We will celebrate an early Mass in Altotting, prior to departing for Oberammergau, Germany. In 1633, at the time of the 30 Years War, the Black Plague was devastating Europe and causing millions of deaths. The townspeople of Oberammergau made a promise to God they would perform a re-enactment of the life and suffering of Christ every 10 years if God spared their village from any more deaths from the Black Plague. As their village was miraculously saved from any more deaths, Oberammergau’s citizens kept their promise by performing their first Passion Play the following year, in 1634. Today the Passion Play is held in a magnificent open-air theater which can seat 4,500 people. The performance consists of two acts; Act 1 is from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm, followed by a break for dinner. Act 2 is from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
Overnight in Oberammergau, Germany
We have a busy morning touring the towns of Oberammergau and Ettal. Our tour of Oberammergau includes the beautiful parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, the Passion Play Museum, and spectacular painted houses including the famous “Little Red Riding Hood” house. Our tour of Ettal includes a visit to the spectacular Ettal Monastery, where we will have Mass. Following this, we have a short stop at the 1936 Winter Olympic Stadium in the nearby town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Late morning we will proceed via cable car to the top of Mount Laber for breathtaking views of the several villages in the area and have a group photo. In the afternoon, we will tour the incredible Schloss Linderhof, a palace commissioned by King Ludwig III of Bavaria and modeled after Versailles in France.
Overnight in Fussen, Germany
Our day begins with a tour of the incredible Schloss Neuschwanstein, a castle commissioned by the same King Ludwig III of Bavaria. In the 1950’s, Walt Disney designed the Disneyland “Sleeping Beauty” castle after Schloss Neuschwanstein. Afterward, we will tour “Wieskirche,” a spectacular pilgrimage church and UNESCO World Heritage site, also known for its miraculous “Christ in Chains” statue. We will be celebrating Mass at this church.
Overnight in Munich, Germany
Our last full day of our journey is in the wonderful city of Munich—capital of the German state of Bavaria. We begin with a visit to the Marienplatz, home to world famous “Glockenspiel,” and the twin-towered Frauenkirche, the most familiar landmark of old-town Munich and where Mass will be celebrated. We will see the Asamkirche, dedicated to the martyr St. John Nepomuk, the town hall, the magnificent boulevard Feldherrenhalle Ludwigsstrasse and the Siegestor, both created by King Ludwig I in the mid-19th century. Finally, we’ll pass by Residenz, the palace of the kings of Bavaria, and the Hofgarten (exterior views). We will conclude our pilgrimage with dinner at one of Munich’s famous beer halls.
Overnight in Munich, Germany
We will begin departure day with Mass and breakfast, and then, with a renewed sense of pilgrimage, we will board the bus to the Munich International Airport to return home.
