12 Day Pilgrimage to Fatima, Avila, Madrid, Burgos, La Rioja, Zaragoza, and Paris
Day 1 – Departure
Day 2 – LISBON / FATIMA
Arrive Lisbon Airport. After checking through immigration and customs, we will be greeted by our English-speaking Tour Manager and bus driver. Then we will enjoy a panoramic city tour including St. Geronimo’s Monastery (from outside), the Belem Tower and a visit to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua. Mass. In the afternoon, we will continue to Fatima. Check in at the hotel, dinner and overnight (D)
Day 3 – FATIMA
Today we visit the Fatima to include Chapel of Apparition where Our Lady first appeared to the children, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary where we can visit the tombs of St Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, Basilica of Holy Trinity, Way of the cross. Mass at the Shrine. Proceed to Visit the church of St Anthony where the children were baptized. On to visit Ajustrel seeing the homes of the children an Arneiro well where the Angel of Peace appeared to the children in 1916. on to Valinhos seeing the small chapel that marks the location of the fourth apparition of Our Lady. Lunch on your own followed by free time for personal meditation, prayers and shopping. After dinner, we join the nightly candlelight procession. (B,D)
Day 4 - FATIMA /AVILA
After breakfast and check out, we will depart Fatima towards Spain. Independent lunch en-route., The atmosphere of Ávila surrounded by the 11th century walls did not change so much since the time of Santa Teresa, the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church and to whom the city is dedicated. During our visit to Ávila we will see the Cathedral, visit Basilica of St Vicente which stands at the martyrdom of St Vicente. Mass. Visit the “Convento de la Encarnación” where Saint Teresa became a nun and is now the most complete museum dedicated to her life. We will also visit the Monastery, built on the site of the house where Teresa was born, and the Convent of “San Jose” the first that she founded. Check in at the hotel, dinner and overnight (B, D)
Day 5 - AVILA / MADRID/ AVILA
This morning, we will depart to Madrid. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Madrid followed by visit of the city to Include the Church of St Francisco Grande, Almudena Cathedral. Mass., Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Puerta de Sol & Gran Via. Independent Lunch. Afternoon we will enjoy time at leisure for shopping or to discover the city on our own. Return to Avila dinner and overnight (B, D)
Day 6 - AVILA / SANTO DOMINGO DE SILOS / BURGOS / LA RIOJA
After breakfast and check out, Depart for Burgos. en route we visit the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. The monastery, of Visigoth origin, was razed to the ground by the Arabs, and rebuilt by Santo Domingo, whose remains lie in a sarcophagus that was carved on the rock. Its sensational Romanesque cloister, whose most important storey is the bottom one, dates from the 11th and 12th centuries, and has beautiful capitals, with varied sculptures depicting a variety of themes. Mass. Precede to Burgos. Independent lunch. This afternoon we visit Burgos Cathedral the only Cathedral in Spain on the UNESCO list not as part of historical city, marvel at the view of the Cathedral dominated by its 15 chapels to include the stunning chapel of St Enrique featuring the Ecce Homo Statue. On into the rioja wine region stopping at Samaniego for a visit and wine tasting at one the Bodegas ‘wineries”. check into hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Day 7 – LA RIOJA / ZARAGOZA
After breakfast and check out, we will drive to Zaragoza. we will visit the city center and Our Lady of Pilar. The Basilica venerates Blessed Virgin Mary commemorating Her miraculous apparition to St James the Apostle, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as "Mother of the Hispanic Peoples" by Pope John Paul II. Mass. On to visit Zaragoza Cathedral considered as one of the finest Cathedrals in Spain. Check in at the hotel, dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Day 8 - ZARAGOZA / TORRECUIDAD - LOURDES
Today we will depart hotel and drive to Torre-Cuidad one of the five main Marian Shrines in the Pyrenean region. The Shrine of Our Lady of Torre-Cuidad situated on cliffs overlooking the Cinca River. The Image of the Virgin Mary have been a center of veneration for 9 centuries where generation after generation of surrounding neighbors have gone on pilgrimage to pray at the Shrine. We visit the New Basilica and the Ermita Chapel. Mass. Independent Lunch. Depart for Lourdes Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and time to rest. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. After dinner, we will join in the nightly rosary and candlelight procession. (B,D)
Day 9 & 10 - LOURDES
Over the next two days, you will wake up in a small town that is nestled within the Pyrenees Mountains. During your time in Lourdes, you will pray and meditate in yet another site of Our Lady's apparitions. Our Lady first appeared to Bernadette in 1858, and announced herself as "The Immaculate Conception", near the Grotto of Massabielle. During the first two apparitions, little Bernadette prayed the Rosary with Our Lady and left without any exchange of words. During the following apparitions, Our Lady emphasized God's love for us, penance and the necessity of performing acts of penance for sinners. Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette; watch a video presentation that explains, in detail, the story of Lourdes; drink water from the miraculous spring that has healed many; and submerge yourself in the healing baths. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to experience Christ's unconditional love, as you meditate upon the "life size" Stations of the Cross that overlook the Grotto of Massabielle. Also, while in Lourdes, you will walk in and meditate upon the footsteps of St. Bernadette. Your group will have the opportunity to see Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette's impoverished family lived. In the evening following dinner, you will have an opportunity to attend the candlelight procession and the Rosary before a restful overnight. (B, D)
Day 11 - Lourdes - Paris
Today, you will enjoy breakfast before departing for Lourdes Train station for our train ride to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, visit and attend Mass at the magnificent, Sacre Coeur Basilica that stands atop Montmartre Hill. The Basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was originally built in 1914 as an act of penance for the infidelity that France was experiencing during that time. Visit of the shrine seeing the remarkable artwork and architecture that forms the Basilica, the beautiful mosaic of the Risen Christ, and more. Mass. Time permitting, ascend to the Dome where you may take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Paris. Dinner and an overnight at your hotel in Paris. (B,D)
Day 12 - Paris - Miraculous Medal – Notre Dame Cathedral
Today, you will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Paris. We start with Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, where we celebrate Mass, after which we will have to opportunity to view the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure. The Saint's guardian angel led her to the chapel, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her. During apparitions, Our Lady repeatedly instructed the making and purpose of the Miraculous Medal, as well as the green scapular. Precede to Saint Vincent de Paul Church, then continue the tour of Paris. Our panoramic tour will take us to the most recognizable symbol of the city of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower (exterior view), Invalides, the L'Arch de Triomphe and the Champ-Elysees, one of the world's most famous boulevards. We will make a stop at La Madeleine, with the statue of Mary Magdalene carried to heaven by angels. Some free time to explore Paris. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. (B,D)