Pilgrimage to Italy with Fr. Alan Dietzenbach and Fr. Gary Mayer - 26RS10ITGM

We depart this evening on an overnight flight from Cedar Rapids or Des Moines to Venice, Italy. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on domestic flights and for optional Premium Economy or Business Class upgrades are available upon request, starting 120 days before departure. Group airline ticketing does not permit us to make seat assignments. If your seat location is an important part of your trip, please plan to purchase your own airfare and book the Land Only trip package.

Upon arrival in Venice, we are greeted by our English-speaking Christian tour manager who assists us to our motor coach. We drive to Padua and visit the historic center, with its crisscrossed canals, bridges, and beautiful views. Padua is one of the prettiest cities in Europe. Visit the Chapel of the Scrovegni (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) with its Giotto frescoes, and the Basilica of Saint Anthony, including the tomb and reliquaries of this miracle-working saint. St. Anthony was a powerful Franciscan preacher and teacher. He was born in Lisbon in 1195 and died outside Padua in 1231, having led a short but intense religious life. We celebrate Mass at St. Anthony’s Basilica. Enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Padua. (D)

After breakfast at the hotel, we take a short drive to Venice. Enter the city by private motorboat and see the sights with our local guide. Visit the lavish Doges’ Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark’s Square, and its Basilica. Lunch is on your own. We celebrate Mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. Enjoy the afternoon to explore and perhaps take a gondola ride. Dinner is at the hotel in Padua. (B.D)

After breakfast, we visit Prato delle Valle, the largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. We visit the Basilica of Santa Giustina, which overlooks the square. This beautiful Basilica, with its side chapels and frescoes, houses the tombs of several saints as well as the relics of Luke the Evangelist and St. Mathias, also known as the twelfth Apostle. We also visit the tomb of St. Leopold Mandic, a man for us and for our time; the Capuchin Saint is fondly known as the Saint of Confession. Depart for Bologna, the city on every gourmet traveler’s bucket list, untouched by mass tourism. On our walking tour, discover why Bologna has so many nicknames, including La Dotta (The Learned), for its ancient university; La Rossa (The Red), for the warm colours of its roofs and houses; and La Grassa (The Fat), for the wonderful food you’ll find here! See the most important buildings in the city, including Palazzo re Enzo and the famous Fountain of Neptune, which dates back to the 16th century, the Basilica of San Petronio, the medieval two towers, and the complex of Santo Stefano, inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. We visit the Basilica of St. Dominic, where the saint is buried and where we celebrate Mass. For lunch on your own, we encourage you to try a local speciality: authentic spaghetti Bolognese in the city of its origin and discover what the Italians call Ragout (and not Bolognese), always served with homemade pasta. Tonight for dinner we enjoy local specialties accompanied by the famous Lambrusco wine this region is famous for. Overnight in the Bologna area. (B. Special dinner)

Today is devoted to the culinary traditions of the Parma region, celebrated for its world-famous Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, aged balsamic vinegar, and some of Italy’s finest olive oil. After breakfast and check-out, we begin our drive to Turin. En route, we stop at a cheese-making facility near Parma, where we can taste and buy some incredible fresh cheese. Lunch is included today in Asti at a local winery. Dinner and overnight in Turin. (B. Lunch with wine tasting. D)

Today we explore the sites related to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. We visit his birthplace on Via Giolitti, located in the heart of the city, where he was born on April 6, 1901, into a prominent Italian family. We depart for Pollone, a small town with majestic views in the Piedmont region. Pier Giorgio spent his summers there, and the Frassati family still owns the house he stayed in. Instead of taking public transportation to daily Mass at the Oropa Sanctuary, which we visit today, Pier Giorgio would run there to celebrate Mass and return before the family woke up in the morning. The money he saved by running instead of using public transportation was given to the poor. The Sanctuary, “the Shrine between Earth and Sky,” was founded in the 4th century by St. Eusebio and is a pilgrimage site to the statue of the Black Madonna. Mass will be celebrated at the Shrine. Return to Turin for dinner and overnight. (B.D)

After breakfast, we head to the heart of the city to visit the Turin Cathedral (Duomo di San Giovanni Battista). Here, we pray before the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, which houses the sacred linen cloth believed to be the burial shroud of Jesus. While the original Shroud is kept in a climate-controlled vault, we view the museum dedicated to its history and scientific study. In the Turin Cathedral’s side chapel, the incorrupt body of Pier Giorgio Frassati now rests in a dedicated tomb. Continue to the Church of San Domenico, where Pier Giorgio became a Lay Dominican, and where we celebrate Mass. Enjoy a walk through the historic Piazza Castello. The rest of the afternoon and dinner are at leisure. Overnight in Turin. (B)

Today we visit places associated with St. John Bosco. At the Basilica of Maria Ausiliatrice (Our Lady Help of Christians), we see the tombs of St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello. We visit the Church of St. John the Evangelist, where Don Bosco started his second Oratory in the city. Even today, the Oratory is a refuge for the poorest young people of Turin. In the afternoon, we depart for Milan where we have dinner and an overnight. (B.D)

After breakfast, we enjoy a guided walking tour of Milan, including Santa Maria delle Grazie. Pending availability, we have the opportunity to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterwork, ‘The Last Supper,’ at Santa Maria delle Grazie (TBC). We visit the magnificent Duomo, the third largest church in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville. The Cathedral contains 3500 statues, including 96 gargoyles, and is crowned by the statue of the Virgin Mary, known as the “Madonina,” which is covered in gold. After lunch on your own, we continue to Montenapoleone Street, the city’s fashion district, and see La Scala Opera House (outside view). Mass will be celebrated. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by wine from the region. Overnight in Milan. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we visit the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, built by St. Ambrose and his final resting place. St. Ambrose is buried in the crypt beneath the high altar alongside the relics of martyrs Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius. We celebrate Mass here. Enjoy time at leisure in Milan, which offers a wealth of spiritual and cultural treasures to explore at your own pace. You might choose to visit the San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, the “Sistine Chapel of Milan”, a former nunnery where every inch of the interior is covered in vibrant 16th-century frescoes. If you prefer fine arts, the Pinacoteca di Brera houses some of Italy’s most important religious works, including Raphael’s The Marriage of the Virgin and Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus. History enthusiasts can wander through the courtyards of the Sforza Castle to see Michelangelo’s final, hauntingly beautiful sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà. Finally, for a unique moment of reflection, consider a visit to San Bernardino alle Ossa, a somber yet fascinating ossuary chapel decorated with human remains in the tradition of memento mori. Dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Milan. (B.D)

This morning, we are transferred to the airport for our flights back to the USA.