Depart the USA today on board our overnight transatlantic jet flight to the Rome International Airport (FCO), arriving the following day. Enjoy a full meal service as well as in-flight entertainment such as movies, music, etc.

Welcome to the Eternal City! After collecting our luggage, we will be met by our local guide who will bring us to our nearby private motorcoach for our journey to Assisi. Upon our arrival, we will visit and celebrate Mass in the breathtaking Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels built atop the beloved Portiuncula chapel that was restored by St. Francis. It is here that Francis lived and built his community. Following Mass, we will enjoy lunch and venture up to the hilltop medieval city of Assisi where we will check into our hotel followed by dedicated free time for unpacking, resting, and acclimating to the new time zone. In the evening, we will enjoy a celebratory group welcome dinner, served with local dishes. Overnight in Assisi. (D)

We will start the morning with a visit to the Basilica of St. Clare where we will celebrate our morning Mass. While here, we will have time to pray at the foot of the San Damiano Crucifix, the very crucifix that God used to speak to Francis instructing him to “Rebuild My Church.”  We will conclude our visit with prayer before the incorruptible body of St. Clare of Assisi. Afterwards, we will walk to the Chiesa Nuova, built over the birthplace of St. Francis. Next we walk down to the nearby church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the body of Blessed Carlo Acutis is entombed. Lunch in the heart of Assisi. Next we will visit the vast upper and lower sections of the Basilica of St. Francis. While here, we will have the blessed opportunity to pray in the lower crypt at the tomb of St. Francis. We will also make time to visit the gift shop. In the evening we will close the day with a spectacular winery tour, tasting, and 4-course Umbrian dinner (included) at our favorite Italian winery, Tili Vini, owned for centuries by the Tili family. Enjoy the local wines and majestic sunset! Overnight in Assisi. (B, D)

After breakfast we will board our bus and depart for a day trip to Florence. We will first visit the Convent of San Marco Museum to admire the world-famous frescos by Fra Angelico. Next, we will enjoy lunch on our own, followed by a leisurely walking tour of the historic city centre including Mass at the famous Duomo, with its soaring dome by Brunelleschi. Begun in 1296, construction was completed in 1436 when the mighty church was finally consecrated after 200 years of construction. Michelangelo himself came here to pray. We will also visit the Ponte Vecchio bridge, the most famous medieval bridge in the city. Free time for shopping before we board our motorcoach and return to Assisi. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Assisi. (B)

Following an early breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and say goodbye to the charming hillside city of Assisi. We will board our motorcoach destined for Rome. Upon our arrival in the Eternal City, we will participate in a privately guided tour of the Catacombs of San Callisto (St. Callixtus). These Catacombs were the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century AD. Around half a million Christians were buried here, among them many martyrs and 16 popes. Following our guided tour, we will celebrate Mass in one of the chapels of the Catacombs. Following Mass, we will board our motorcoach and transfer to Rome for our guesthouse check in. The afternoon is scheduled free time with dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will board our bus for a tour of Catholic Rome with stops at some of the major religious sites of the city. We will first celebrate Mass at St. Mary Major, the largest church in Rome dedicated to Our Lady. We will then cross the street to visit Santa Prassede, where the pillar that Christ was scourged upon is today kept. Afterwards, we will walk to the Basilica of Santa Croce to see the relics of the Passion of Christ, taken from Jerusalem to Rome by the Empress Helena. Next we will walk to the Scala Sancta to ascend the Holy Steps, the very staircase that Christ ascended to meet Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. Following lunch, we will enter the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome. After, we will board our bus and transfer to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Here we will pray before the tomb of St. Paul, with time to visit the gift shop. After, we will transfer back to our guesthouse for time to rest. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will enter St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the concelebrated Sunday High Mass at the Altar of the Chair in the Basilica. Afterwards, we will exit the Basilica into St. Peter’s Square with free time for lunch in the neighborhood of the Vatican on the Borgo Pio, a famous street that leads into the Vatican City State. After lunch, we will have a leisurely walking tour of the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere, located south of the Vatican, with a stop for authentic Italian gelato. Tradition holds that St. Peter lived in this neighborhood during his time in Rome. Special visit to the Basilica of Santa Cecilia, one of our favorites. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B) 

After an early breakfast we will celebrate morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica (pending permission). Afterwards, we will make our way to the Vatican Museums for a privately guided tour of the Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We will have VIP “skip the line” group entrance privileges. Highlights of the tour will include the Raphael Rooms and the mighty Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling and sanctuary wall by Michelangelo. At the end of the tour we will exit the Sistine Chapel and have scheduled free time for lunch, shopping, rest and relaxation. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B) 

Following breakfast and Mass in our guesthouse chapel, we will make our way to the side entrance of the Vatican where the Swiss Guard will permit us to enter to participate in a privately guided tour of the Necropolis underneath the Basilica. This is known as the “Scavi Tour,” a guided tour experience that will take us to the excavations of the ancient Roman ruins located beneath the present St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour culminates with the veneration of the bones of our first Pope, the Blessed Apostle Peter. After the tour concludes, we will visit the tombs of the deceased popes in the crypt, including the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI. This will afford us the opportunity to “skip the line” to enter the main Basilica above. First, we will get in line to pass through the Holy Door, opened for the duration of the “Jubilee Year.” We will spend the remainder of the morning exploring this magnificent place of worship, the largest church in the world. Pray with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, venerate the tomb of Pope St. John Paul II, marvel at Bernini’s baldacchino - the largest bronze structure in the world, or contemplate the divine with Michelangelo’s famous Pieta statue. There are countless opportunities to explore the sacred! After, free time for lunch and exploring Rome at our leisure. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After an early rise and quick breakfast at our religious guesthouse, we will depart early to get ahead of the crowds for the Wednesday General Audience with the Pope. Remember to bring your religious items to be blessed! After the audience, we will return to our guesthouse for Mass in the guesthouse chapel. Following this, we will take a leisurely walking tour to the heart of downtown Rome with a stop for lunch. During our afternoon stroll, we will visit some of Rome’s most beloved sites, including Piazza Navona, the Pantheon (exterior view), Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Sant’Ignazio, and the Gesu. In the evening we will gather for our final group farewell dinner. Overnight in Rome. (B, D) 

Following an early breakfast and guesthouse check out, we will board our bus and transfer to the Rome International Airport (FCO) for our return flights home. (B)