Depart the USA 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.

Your spiritual pilgrimage begins with your arrival in Rome. After arriving at our guesthouse, we will check into our rooms and freshen up before heading to lunch.

After lunch, we will make our way to the Pontifical North American College, the primary North American seminary in Rome. While here, we will participate in a guided tour by a seminarian and celebrate Mass in their chapel. The afternoon and evening is free to explore the surrounding area and acclimate to our new time zone.

After breakfast with the sisters, we will make our way to the side entrance of the Vatican where the Swiss Guard will permit us to enter as we participate in a privately guided tour of the Necropolis underneath the Basilica. The Scavi tour culminates with the veneration of the bones of our first Pope, St. Peter.

One perk of participating in the Scavi tour is that it deposits you inside St. Peter's Basilica, allowing us to skip the typically long line to enter the basilica. Taking advantage of this, we will spend the rest of the day exploring the breathtaking St. Peter's Basilica. From Michaelangelo's Pieta to Bernini's baldacchino, this visit is bound to be one of the highlights of your time in Rome. (B)

After breakfast, we will make our way to St. Peter’s Basilica for Sunday Mass. Prior to Mass, pilgrims will have the time to explore the basilica further and, if inspired to do so, climb the 500+ stairs to the top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Following Sunday Mass at the Chair of Peter, we will walk outside to St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus with the Pope.

Following lunch, we will make our way to central Rome. During our afternoon tour, we will visit the Church of Jesus (the Gesú), St. Mary above Minerva, the Pantheon, and St. Agnes in Agony culminating with free time in Piazza Navona for dinner and the best gelato in Rome! (B)

Following Mass and breakfast, we make our way to participate in a privately guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

The rest of the day is intentionally planned free time to give pilgrims the opportunity to visit sites that we will not visit as a group. (B)

After an early breakfast, we will board our private motor coach to begin our day trip to Siena, one of Italy's best-preserved medieval towns. Located in the heart of Tuscany, it is well known as the birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena, one of the doctors of the Church.  We begin with a walking tour of the town including St. Catherine’s birth home, and Mass at the Basilica of St. Dominic which contains the relics of St. Catherine. Next, we visit Siena Cathedral, known as one of Italy’s greatest gothic churches.

The afternoon is at leisure to explore the Piazza del Campo - the site of Siena’s famous Palio horse race, the Palazzo Comunale with its graceful bell tower and wonderful shops. After an early dinner, we will gather together and board our motorcoach for our return trip back to Rome. (B)

After an early breakfast with the sisters, we leave for St. Peter's Square to get front row seats for the Wednesday Papal Audience. After the audience, we will have time for lunch and to return our newly blessed items to our rooms.

After lunch, we will visit and celebrate Mass at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the official Cathedral of the Pope. Amongst the many holy relics in the archbasilica, special attention is given to the craniums of St. Peter & St. Paul, as well as a section of the table from the Last Supper.

Following Mass, we will cross the street for the blessed opportunity to ascend the Holy Steps, the very steps that Christ ascended to meet with Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. Lastly, we will make our way to the church called Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This church houses some of the holiest relics in Rome, some of which include fragments of the True Cross, thorns from the Crown of Thorns, and Doubting Thomas' finger. (B)

The next morning, with vivid memories of Rome and Siena, we transfer to the airport and board our return flight back to the USA, arriving the same day. (B)