St. Denis Parish Bicentennial Celebration Pilgrimage to France

We gather at Philadelphia Airport for our overnight flight to Toulouse. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights from most domestic airports, premium economy and business class upgrades are available upon request.

Upon arrival in Toulouse, we meet our Catholic, English-speaking, European tour escort, who will accompany our group in France. We board our motorcoach for a drive to Lourdes. Mass will be celebrated in Lourdes. Rest of the day at leisure to get acclimated to the time zone. Overnight in Lourdes. (D.)

This morning, we become familiar with the great pilgrimage center of Lourdes. During our walking tour, we see the places associated with the Blessed Mother’s apparition and little Bernadette’s life. We celebrate Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette; drink water from the miraculous spring that has healed many as you visit the healing baths. Our group will have the opportunity to see Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the Cachot, an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. We have time to pray to Stations of the Cross and attend Blessing of the Sick in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes. (B, D)

Today is a full day dedicated to personal devotions. Mass will be celebrated. Tonight we have the opportunity to join the Candlelight Procession. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes. (B, D)

After breakfast this morning, we check out of our hotel and are transferred to the train station in Lourdes to take the TGV train to Paris. Upon arrival, we board the waiting motorcoach for a drive to Lisieux, the home of St. Therese, whom Pope Pius X called the greatest saint of modern time. Mass will be celebrated in Lisieux. We check into our hotel in Lisieux and have dinner and overnight. (B.D)

This morning, we explore the places related to the life of St. Therese. Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity come alive as we visit the Cathedral of St. Peter and Les Buissonnets, her family home. On display are relics, clothing, and personal objects belonging to the Little Flower. View the statue depicting the Virgin Mary, who smiled at St. Therese during an ecstasy before curing her illness. Combine your prayers in the Carmel Chapel with those of the Carmelite sisters, just as St. Therese did before her death in 1897. We celebrate Mass and have time for prayer and personal devotions. In the afternoon, we visit Normandy Beaches to see where thousands of our brave soldiers lost their lives fighting for the world’s freedom. We visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. Dinner and overnight in Lisieux. (B, D)

After breakfast, we will have a wonderful excursion to see the unique beauty of Mont-Saint-Michel, one of the most famous abbeys in the world due to its location – perched on a rock in the Gulf of Saint-Malo. Mont-Saint-Michel becomes an island fortress surrounded by the sea during high tide. The causeway to the mainland is only accessible during low tide. The Mont-Saint-Michel monastery, dating to the 8th century, was built to get “as close to heaven as possible.” Today it is one of the world’s top pilgrimage sites and among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Mass will be celebrated. We will return to Lisieux for dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B, D)

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and board our motorcoach for Rouen, where we have a two-hour walking tour of the historic town center. We see the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame, whose west façade was often painted by Monet at different times of day; the Cathedral houses the heart of Richard the Lionhearted. We also visit the site where St. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. Mass will be celebrated at the Church of St. Joan. A special lunch awaits us at La Couronne (TBD), the restaurant which influenced Julia Child to become a chef. After lunch, we board our motorcoach and head for Paris. (lunch TBC). Overnight in Paris. (B. Special lunch, D.)

This morning, after breakfast, we visit the Miraculous Medal Shrine. We see the incorrupt remains of St. Catherine and the heart of St. Vincent de Paul in the Chapel of the Daughters of Charity, where we celebrate Mass. Following a visit to the nearby Church of St. Vincent de Paul, we drive to the outskirts of Paris to visit St. Denis Cathedral, the burial place of French Kings and the namesake of our parish. Dinner is at leisure tonight to explore the food scene in Paris. Overnight in Paris. (B)

Following a panoramic bus tour that includes the highlights of Paris, including a stop at the Eifel Tower for pictures, and a tour of the Notre Dame Cathedral (if open), we visit Montmartre, with its magnificent Sacre Coeur Church. Here we celebrate Mass. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore on your own. Tonight we gather for a Seine River cruise and dinner. Overnight in Paris. (B, Special dinner)

We are transferred to Paris airport for our flight home. (B)