Join Fr. Jacob DuMont, L.C., Veronica Murphy, and Matt Daniels on a custom-designed group pilgrimage to the Iberian Peninsula and introduce yourself to the absolute best of Spain and Portugal. This grace-filled pilgrimage will bring you every closer to Christ as you visit famous and holy sites along with your colleagues in Catholic education; experiencing a deep dive into rich history and stunning art, with amazing food along the way.
Be immersed in the grandeur of Fatima, where the Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children. Experience the charm of the Mediterranean world in Barcelona. Be ready to experience European culture like never before -- your life will be greatly enriched and your faith, forever transformed.
Fr. Jacob DuMont was ordained a priest for the Legionaries of Christ on December 20, 2008, in Rome, Italy. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Fr. Jacob entered the Legionaries’ major seminary in Cheshire, Connecticut, after high school and then continued his studies in Rome, where he obtained a master’s in philosophy and a bachelor’s in theology. In 2019, Father Jacob received a master’s in theology through Holy Apostles College. In his first five years as a priest, Father Jacob served in Chicago with youth and young adult ministries. In 2014, Father Jacob was asked to move to New Orleans to help begin a new community for the Legionaries of Christ and to serve as the local superior for their community there. He also served as a spiritual director at Notre Dame Seminary and as a chaplain for the chapter of Young Catholic Professionals in New Orleans. In February of 2021, Fr. Jacob was assigned to serve as the provincial secretary for the Legionaries of Christ in the North American Province. In July 2022, he was assigned as the local superior for the Legionaries of Christ community in Cincinnati and also took on a job with the Catholic schools office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, serving as the deputy superintendent of Catholic identity and faith formation. Fr. Jacob has led numerous pilgrimages to Spain, Italy and the Holy Land.
Veronica Murphy currently serves as the Religion Curriculum and Resource Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She has been a Catholic school leader and teacher in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for over thirty years. Veronica holds a Master’s in Theology as well as a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton. Having led many pilgrimages to Italy, Ireland, and Germany she is very knowledgeable about the saints, Eucharistic miracles, councils, and church history. She is also known to serve as a spiritual mentor.
Pilgrimages and traveling are one of Veronica’s passions! Telling the story of St. Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross is always a joy for her. The spring of 2023, Veronica and her husband traveled the boot of Italy on their own pilgrimage to pray at the Eucharistic miracle sites south of Rome and made sure to visit Lanciano. The summer of 2024, she led another pilgrimage to Italy to share the same experience with Catholic Educators. She is excited to be escorting you on the pilgrimage of a life-time to Spain and Portugal!
Matt Daniels began his tenure as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on July 1, 2024. He was previously the Senior Director for the Department of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Toledo, overseeing 60 schools educating nearly 16,000 students, a position he has held since November 2018. Prior to his current position as Senior Director, Daniels served as principal at St. Rocco Catholic School in Cleveland, Ohio and principal at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Assumption, Ohio. He began his career in education as a member of the English faculty and as Faculty Technology Coordinator for St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo.
Mr. Daniels earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, where he was a four-year member of the Buckeyes football team and holds a Master of Arts in Education Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University. He and his wife Jennifer are the parents of seven children.
After breakfast we will board our bus and make our way up to the famous Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat, a monastery and shrine located high on the mountain of Montserrat. For centuries, pilgrims have come here to pray in front of the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was founded in the eleventh century and still stands today with about seventy monks. After Mass we will make time to visit the gift shop and have lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Construction has been ongoing since the groundbreaking ceremony in 1882, with the famous architect Antoni Gaudi, responsible for its unique design. Afterwards we will have dinner on our own, giving you the freedom to explore local options to sample the culinary traditions of Catalonian fare. Overnight in Barcelona. (B)
Following breakfast and hotel check out we will journey to the beautiful city of Zaragoza, well-known for its folklore, local cuisine, and magnificent Basilica del Pilar and La Seo Cathedral. Upon arrival, check in to our hotel. Lunch on our own. Next, we will make our way to the city center to visit the Cathedral and Basilica for Mass and to pray before the Virgen del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar). We will gather in the evening for a group dinner (included) with regional dishes. Overnight in Zaragoza. (B, D)
After breakfast we board our motorcoach for the scenic drive to Madrid, the beautiful capital of Spain. Lunch on our own in the city centre and Mass at the Royal Cathedral, across from the Royal Palace. The Cathedral was begun in 1883 and finished over a century later when it was consecrated in 1993 by Pope John Paul II. Walking tour of the historic city centre that will include the exquisite urban park known as Campo del Moro, admiring its formal gardens, fountains, and streams. Our walk will include many architectural highlights as we admire the landmarks of Madrid. Check in to our hotel and group dinner served (included) with local dishes. Overnight in Madrid. (B, D)
Following breakfast we will make our way to Ávila, the town made famous by St. Teresa of Ávila, the famous Spanish Carmelite reformer and mystic of the Counter-Reformation. The saint was born here in 1515. We will visit the crypt of the Convent of La Santa, built over her birthplace and La Encarnacion Convent where the saint entered Carmel. We will visit the most comprehensive museum dedicated to her life. Also, Alba de Tormes where St. Teresa of Ávila founded a convent, died, and was buried. Here we will visit the Discalced Carmelite convent of “La Anunciacion,” one of seventeen convents founded by the saint. We will visit the Carmus Museum to see the beautiful Carmelite church with her tomb, pray in her nearby cell in the old convent, and enter the room where she died in 1582. This wonderful place welcomes countless pilgrims each year to see her incorrupt heart and left arm, kept in ornate reliquaries. We will have Mass. Lunch on our own. After lunch we will continue to nearby Segovia, home of the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, called “The Lady of Cathedrals.” We will visit the magnificent tomb of St. John of the Cross, located in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites. Group dinner (included) in Madrid and overnight in Madrid. (B, D)
Following breakfast and hotel check-out, we will board our bus and begin the scenic drive to the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, a fourteenth century monastery and one of the most important in Spain. Enjoy the drive through the untouched Spanish countryside, admiring the natural beauty and picture-perfect rural landscapes. We will celebrate Mass at the monastery, followed by free time for lunch and shopping on our own. It was here that Christopher Columbus made a pilgrimage after he returned from discovering the New World, thanking heaven for its discovery. Hotel check-in and relaxed group dinner (included) in the evening. Overnight at Santa Maria de Guadalupe. (B, D)
After breakfast and hotel check-out, we will continue our picturesque drive through Portugal, stopping for lunch en route, to Fatima, one of the largest Marian shrines in the world. Following our arrival, we will participate in Sunday Mass at the Basilica and visit the main site of apparitions. Free time to pray and walk the grounds. There is much to see – bring your prayer intentions! In the evening, we will participate in the daily rosary and candlelight procession. Group dinner together (included). Overnight in Fatima. (B, D)
Following breakfast, we will visit the places of apparition where Our Lady famously appeared. We will walk through the same fields and pathways where the three little shepherd children of Fatima, to whom Our Lady appeared, lived and walked every day. Together we will visit the little hamlet of Adjustrel on the outskirts of town where Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were born and grew up. After a visit to the house-museum, we will walk to the nearby Valinhos hamlet, where the children also saw Our Lady and the Guardian Angel of Portugal. We will make time to walk and pray the Via Crucis (way of the Cross). There will also be time for souvenir shopping. After lunch, we will have Mass at the Basilica. In addition, our group will tour the Museum of the Shrine where there is conserved, in the golden crown of Our Lady, the actual bullet that wounded John Paul II when he was shot in St. Peter’s Square in 1981. Dinner is on our own tonight, with multiple dining options. In the evening we will join the rosary and candlelight procession. Overnight at Fatima. (B)
With breakfast and hotel check out behind us, we will bid Fatima farewell, as we continue our journey to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Along the scenic driving route, we will see more of the splendors of the Portuguese countryside. At Santarem, the location of the famous Eucharistic miracle, we will have Mass at the Sanctuary of the Holy Miracle, a beautiful church that attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. We will have time to pray in front of this world-renowned Eucharistic miracle, an unforgettable experience, seeing it up close. The miracle is ancient, dating from the 13th century. Afterwards we will have lunch on our own. Next we will continue to Lisbon for our hotel check-in with free time to rest or explore on our own. Group dinner (included), served with local cuisine and culinary delights. Overnight in Lisbon. (B, D)