Depart today on board your overnight transatlantic jet flight to Rome, arriving the following day. Enjoy a full meal service as well as in-flight entertainment such as movies, music, etc.

Upon arrival at the Rome International Airport (FCO), we will collect our luggage at baggage claim and continue to the arrivals hall to meet our pilgrimage escort and bus driver. We will then be escorted to our deluxe motorcoach for our transfer to our accommodations in the city. After check-in, we will have time to unpack and freshen up, followed by a brief orientation. We will then set out to enjoy lunch on our own followed by a leisurely afternoon stroll with time for souvenir shopping. In the evening at 6:30 PM we will gather for Low Mass at the FSSP parish in Rome (FSSP in Urbe), Santissima Trinita’ dei Pellegrini. Following Mass we will gather for a festive welcome dinner (included), served with local cuisine and wine. Overnight in Rome. (D)

After an early breakfast we will make our way to the Vatican in order to get in line for the weekly General Audience of the Pope. Don’t forget to bring your religious souvenirs to be blessed. The Pope will give a short catechesis, followed by a short synopsis given by other Vatican representatives in major languages. Afterward we will have lunch on our own in the vicinity of the Borgo Pio. Following lunch we will “skip the line” and enter the Vatican Museums for our private group tour that will include the Raphael Rooms and the world-famous Sistine Chapel. After, we will exit the Sistine Chapel to see St. Peter’s Basilica, also skipping the line. As 2025 is a Jubilee Holy Year, we will start by following a line up and walking through the Holy Door, a special privilege that is ordinarily available only every 25 years. Free time to explore the world-famous Vatican Basilica and to see its many wonders, including Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bernini’s mighty baldacchino. After, we will exit together and make our way to the FSSP parish in Rome for 6:30 PM Low Mass. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast, we will board our motorcoach for a tour of Catholic Rome with stops at major religious sites including the Patriarchal (Papal) Basilicas. We will begin at St. Mary Major, the largest church in Rome dedicated to Our Lady. Here we will pray before one of the most precious relics in Rome, what is believed to be wooden pieces of the original crib of Christ from Bethlehem. Next we will cross the street to visit Santa Prassede, home of one of the pillars that Christ was scourged on in Jerusalem. After this we will cross the street and visit Sant’Alfonso, where the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is kept. Next we will visit the relics of the passion of Christ at the Basilica of Santa Croce. Following, we will visit the "Scala Santa.” Here pilgrims walk up a marble staircase on their knees, praying at the top before one of the largest relic collections in the city of Rome. The staircase came from Pilate’s Praetorian Palace in Jerusalem, hallowed by the footsteps of Christ when he was condemned to death. After, lunch on our own followed by a visit to the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. Next we will visit the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, the location of the final burial site of St. Paul. Evening Mass at 6:30 PM at the FSSP parish followed by dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast, we will set out on a walking tour led by our chaplain, Fr. Fryar, as we wander the cobbled streets of Rome, exploring together some favorite sites. Highlights will include Piazza Navona, Sant’Agostino (the tomb of St. Monica), Campo de’Fiori, the Pantheon (external view only), Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (the tomb of Fra Angelico and part of the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena), the papal tailor Gammarelli, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. On the way we will have lunch on our own followed by a stop at our favorite gelateria! The remainder of the afternoon is open for free time to rest, relax, or explore on our own. In the evening we will gather for daily Low Mass at 6:30 PM at the FSSP parish in Rome. Enjoy a free evening and dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will enjoy a free day to rest, pray, and explore the Eternal City on our own. Perhaps take a stroll in the famous Borghese Gardens or visit Rome’s famous Victorian-style zoo, called the “Bioparco,” a popular attraction for visitors from all over the world. In the evening we will gather at 6:30 PM for Low Mass at the FSSP parish. Afterwards, we will make our way to a local restaurant for a celebratory group banquet dinner in order to honor the anniversary of the founding of the FSSP. The dinner will be served with local dishes and will include wine. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)

After a later breakfast, we will make our way to the FSSP parish in Rome for the 11:00 AM Solemn High Mass. Here we will experience Sunday Mass at a local parish, with local Romans; a real cultural exchange. Hear the choir and enjoy the splendid ensemble of sacred music. Afterwards, we will make our way to the popular neighborhood of Trastevere for a wonderful lunch on our own and a leisurely stroll through this charming part of the city. We will include stops at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere as well as the Basilica of Santa Cecilia. The rest of the day is free for rest and relaxation. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast, we make our way to the side entrance of the Vatican where the Swiss Guard will permit us to enter and participate in one of Rome and the Vatican’s best kept secrets, the “Scavi Tour.” This is a privately guided tour of the Necropolis underneath the Basilica. The tour culminates with the veneration of the bones of the Blessed Apostle Peter, our first Pope. This affords us the prime opportunity to visit the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI in the crypt and then to “skip the line” to enter the main Basilica above. We will then have designated free time to explore the magnificent Basilica and pray inside the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Afterwards, we will exit and explore St. Peter's Square, seeing the exact location of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981. Lunch on our own in the neighborhood of the Vatican, with free time for souvenir shipping. The remainder of the day is free for rest and relaxation. We will gather in the evening for 6:30 PM Low Mass at the FSSP parish. Afterwards, we will have dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will enjoy another free day for rest or exploring on our own. Perhaps stroll along the Tiber River to the Ponte Milvio, the scene of the decisive Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, when Constantine had a miraculous vision, defeated the Emperor Maxentius, and declared Christianity legal. In the evening we will gather for Low Mass at 6:30 PM at the FSSP parish. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B) 

Following breakfast, we will make our way to the area of the Capitoline Hill for our Ancient Rome tour. This tour will include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill. The Colosseum was the largest stadium of the ancient world, completed in 80 AD under the Emperor Titus. Here Christians were martyred and it is believed that the last Christian martyr who perished here was St. Telemachus, who was stoned to death in 391. Lunch on our own. The afternoon is scheduled free time to rest and explore the Eternal City. In the evening we will meet for our Low Mass at 6:30 PM at the Rome parish of the FSSP. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will set out for the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. Our tour will include the famous crypt of the popes that once held the tombs of sixteen deceased Roman Pontiffs. After being lost for many centuries, the catacomb was rediscovered in the year 1854 and was excavated extensively. After, we will visit the church of Quo Vadis? where it is believed St. Peter met the risen Christ as he was fleeing Rome along the Appian Way. We will return to Rome for lunch on our own. The remainder of the day is free for last minute shopping, revisiting favorite sites, and packing. We will gather in the evening for our daily Low Mass at 6:30 PM at the FSSP parish. We will then convene for our final farewell group dinner, served with wine. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)

After an early breakfast and check-out from our guesthouse, we will transfer to the airport for our flights home. (B)