Holy Face Pilgrimage to France and Italy with Ellen Holmes Steeves-LeBlanc

Welcome to France. We are greeted by our English-speaking French Guide upon arrival at the airport. We board our motorcoach for a two-hour drive to Lisieux, the home of St. Theresa the Little Flower. We celebrate Mass at the Carmel Convent. Settle into our hotel for a good night’s rest. Overnight in Lisieux. (D)

We see all the places associated with the lives of the beloved saint, including the magnificent Basilica of St. Therese and the Crypt, where we celebrate Mass before returning to Paris. Check into the hotel in Paris for dinner and overnight. (B.D)

After breakfast, we have a panoramic tour of the central city highlights, including the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral. (outside views only). We visit the Miraculous Medal Shrine at Rue de Bac, where we see the incorrupt remains of St. Catherine and celebrate Mass. Nearby we see the heart of St.Vincent de Paul in the Chapel of the Daughters of Charity. In the afternoon, we explore the Montmartre section of Paris, including the magnificent Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Basilica). In the evening, we have a Seine River cruise of illuminated Paris. Our cruise includes dinner accompanied by French wine. Overnight in Paris. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we travel to Tours to visit the Cathedral of Saint-Gatien and the Oratory of the Holy Face. Mass will be celebrated. We check into our hotel in Tours, where we have dinner and overnight. (B.D)

We travel to Rocamadour, a small cliff-top village in south-central France. The town was the home of the Christian hermit, Zaccheus of Jericho. Zaccheus was the husband of St. Veronica, the woman who wiped the face of Jesus as He climbed to Calvary. During your time at this sacred destination, you will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Rocamadour, a place of miraculous conversion. Consisting of numerous religious structures and chapels centered on a statue of the Virgin Mary and the tomb of Zaccheus. We celebrate Mass and have an overnight stay in this place of miraculous healing. Overnight Rocamadour. (B.D)

After breakfast, we celebrate Mass before driving to Toulouse airport, where we board our flight to Rome. Welcome to Italy! Upon arrival in Rome, we stop at St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica to see the tomb of St. Paul and the Virgin of the Revelation at the Tre Fontane to see where St. Paul was beheaded. Board our bus for a drive to our hotel in Rome, where we check in for dinner and overnight. (B.D) The schedule for this day will depend on the flight arrival time.

We are fortunate to be in Rome with the Catholic journalist Bree Dail, a local who knows the city well and will give us a glimpse of Rome behind the scenes. Today we explore the major Basilicas, including St. Mary Major, St. Praxedes (Santa Prassede) Holy Cross in Jerusalem, St. John the Lateran, and the Holy Stairs. Mass will be celebrated. Tonight we have dinner at Ristorante La Locanda, where we get to taste Birra Nursia, the famous beer made by the monks of Norcia. Overnight Rome. (B. Special dinner)

Today we are at St Peter’s Square, where we attend the General Papal Audience. After lunch, we have an afternoon at leisure to explore the city independently. Perhaps visit the Vatican Museum, where you can see awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout the centuries as tributes of faith, including the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s masterpiece, with its restored mural of the Last Judgment. (be sure to purchase tickets online in advance). Mass will be celebrated. Overnight in Rome. (B.L)

Another day in Rome with our host Bree Dail as we explore St. Peter’s Basilica. Following Mass at the Pontifical parish of St. Anna in the Vatican (TBC), we visit the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island, which St. John Paul II recognized as a shrine to the “new Martyrs’’ of the 20th century. The martyrs honored at the basilica are Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant. Our last stop of the day is Santa Andrea della Fratte. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Rome. (B.L.D)

After breakfast, we visit the church of Chiesa Nuovo to celebrate Mass and see St. Philip Neri’s enshrined body. Our bus takes us to the famous Trevi Fountain, where we throw a coin into the fountain to ensure our return to Rome before walking to the Pantheon. At Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, we see the tomb of St. Catherine. We stop at the famous Piazza Navona with its magnificent statues by Bernini and the nearby Basilica of St. Augustine with the relics of his mother, St. Monica. Tonight we have a farewell dinner at the Polonaise Restaurant. Overnight in Rome. (B. Special dinner)