October 17 – October 28, 2016

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$4399.00 per person, discounted for cash/check payment, based on 25 participants, & double occupancy, and group air out of Detroit (DTW). (We are happy to accept credit card payments at the full price of the pilgrimage: $4574.00 per person.) Download the travel itinerary or terms and conditions. For additional information or to submit your registration form, contact us at 419.290.8782 or teresa@CatholicFaithJourneys.com

Day 1 / 2 (October 17 – 18): Depart USA
Depart from Detroit Airport for your overnight flight to Italy with transfer to Catania, Sicily. Arrive on Tuesday, October 18. Transfer to your hotel in Catania with time at your leisure and to freshen-up. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3 (Wednesday, October 19): Catania/Mount Etna
After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of Catania. Immerse yourself in a special baroque atmosphere, strolling at your own pace through its elegant buildings, squares, and splendid churches. You will see archaeological sites showing you the layers below the baroque town, dating back to the Roman period, and the University Palace with its lovely courtyard decorated with Etna pebble mosaic. Mass will be celebrated at The Cathedral (fortress church), and we will visit two of the “Seven Doors” protecting S. Agatha’s treasure, and the famous “candelora” (weighing around 2,500 pounds), in full silver sculptured by hands, and carried on people’s shoulders all around the town during the patron saint’s celebration week. In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to Etna, the highest mountain in Sicily and the highest volcano in Europe. The territory surrounding of the volcano constitutes the “Park of Etna,” one of the largest protected areas in Italy.

Day 4 (Thursday, October 20): Catania/Siracusa/Noto
After breakfast, depart for spectacular Siracusa. Guided tour of the Archeological Park: the Roman Amphitheatre, the Greek Theatre. Our visit will include the Basilica of Our Lady of Tears, where an image of Mary miraculously wept in 1953, and we have requested Mass at the Catacombs of St. John. It was here that St. Paul met with the small Christian Community for three days and celebrated mass with them. Next, we proceed to Noto (UNESCO World Heritage Site), to discover the beautiful baroque in Sicily. Return to Catania for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 (Friday, October 21): Catania/Monreale/Palermo
Early departure for Palermo. Stop en route to Monreale, situated on a slope of Mount Caputo about 300 meters above sea level, and offers lovely views of the surrounding valley. We will see the magnificent Cathedral of Monreale and its mosaics, bronze work, marble, and stone. It has the largest concentration of Norman, Arab, and Byzantine art in one place. Attached to the cathedral, the Benedictine cloister courtyard consists of 228 columns, some inlaid with Byzantine-style mosaics. Later, we will continue to Palermo, a city full of character: Quattro Canti, a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6 (Saturday, October 22): Palermo/Naples/Sorrento
After breakfast, board your flight to Naples. Upon arrival in Naples Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Sorrento. Dinner and overnight.

Day 7 (Sunday, October 23):  Sorrento/Pompeii/Amalfi
After breakfast, depart for Pompeii. Upon arrival, visit one of the most important and interesting archaeological museums in the world. This famous ancient city was buried by the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Visit the famous Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary and learn about the life of the Blessed Bartolo Longo, who built the shrine and dedicated his life to serving orphans and preparing them for careers. Lunch on your own. Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii. Continue to Amalfi coast, one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Each winding turn reveals a dazzling and unforgettable view of the coastline and sea. With villas perched on the rocky coastline that seem to hang from the heavens. Stop in Amalfi and visit the Amalfi Cathedral, devoted to St. Andrew. Return to Sorrento. Dinner and Overnight.

Day 8 (Monday, October 24): Sorrento/Montecassino/Rome
After breakfast, depart for Rome. Stop at Montecassino for a visit to this spectacular Benedictine abbey on the top of a mountain. This monastery was founded and built by St. Benedict (patron saint of Europe) around 529 on the remains of a Roman fortification. Mass at Montecassino Abbey. Proceed to Rome. Dinner and overnight.

Day 9 (Tuesday, October 25): Rome
Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. After Mass tour of the vast collections in the Vatican. Museums including a visit to the Sistine Chapel where you will see Michelangelo’s famous frescoed ceiling and “Last Judgment.” In the afternoon, enjoy a Christian Rome tour we will see many important cultural and monumental sights around Rome. Stop for a visit at three major Basilicas: St Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus. Dinner and overnight.

Day 10 (Wednesday, October 26): Rome
Attend the weekly Papal Audience this morning. After the Audience, explore Ancient Rome with a tour that includes a visit inside the Coliseum, Capitol Hill, the Vittorio Emmanuel Monument, the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon Church, and San Clemente Basilica. Dinner and overnight.

Day 11 (Thursday, October 27): Rome
Full day at your leisure. Dinner and overnight.

Day 12 (Friday, October 28): Rome/USA
Transfer to Rome Fiumicino airport.

***NOTES: While no changes are anticipated, there may be occasions when certain alterations become necessary to this itinerary due to changes beyond our control. Mass locations are subject to final confirmation.

To register for this pilgrimage, download our travel itinerary, registration form, and terms and conditions. For more information contact us at 419.290.8782 or teresa@CatholicFaithJourneys.com