Day 1: Depart for Lisbon – August 11

Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Day 2: Arrive Lisbon – August 12

Upon arrival at Lisbon airport, claim your baggage proceed to the arrival hall, where your tour guide and/or driver will greet you. In the afternoon, enjoy a panoramic tour of Lisbon, which will include St. Jerome’s Monastery, built to give thanks to the Virgin Mary. We will drive by the Belem Tower and many landmarks, like; the 25th of April Bridge, the Basilica of the Star, and the Marquee of Pombal Square. Our last stop will be St. Anthony’s Church. The patron saint of lost things is best known as St. Anthony of Padua (Italy), but he was born and baptized here in Lisbon, Portugal. The Church where we will celebrate Mass was built upon the site of St. Anthony’s birth. Welcome dinner and overnight in Lisbon.

Day 3: Lisbon - Santarem – Fatima- August 13

Breakfast at hotel.  We depart for Fatima, stopping at St. Stephens Church in the town of Santarem to celebrate Mass and venerate the 13th century Eucharistic Miracle. We continue to Fatima – the hamlet of Aljustrel, is the birthplace and home of the three shepherd children. We will attend the torchlight procession and rosary. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.

Day 4: Fatima – August 14

Breakfast at hotel. We will visit Our Blessed Mother’s apparition sites. Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia (age 10), Jacinta (age 7), and Francisco (age 9). These apparitions occurred monthly from May until October of 1917. Historically, as the entire world was in turmoil amidst World War I, the most prominent message from Our Lady of Fatima was to pray for world peace. In her messages to the children, specifically in the second secret, she mentioned the destruction of the world. Our profoundly reflective day begins with a visit to the Little Chapel of the Apparitions simple, yet modern, which is the site where the Virgin Mary first appeared on May 13th in 1917. Follow with a visit to the stunning neoclassical Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. This Sacred space contains the tombs of St. Francisco, St. Jacinta, and Sister Lucia. View the monument that commemorates the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the square. Our Lady’s messages included consistent reminders to pray the Rosary – the Basilica honors this, by featuring fifteen altars dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. We will visit the Museum of the Shrine of Fatima which collects thousands of objects connected with the appearance of The Virgin. Among the collection nestled in the crown of the Virgin is the bullet which hit St. Pope John Paul II during the assassination attempt of May 13, 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. Continue with a visit to the Holy Trinity Basilica. After free time for lunch, we will walk the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacra “The Sacred Way.” The day ends with a visit to Valinhos, the site of Our Lady’s August 19th, 1917 Apparition, which was also the first and third apparition of the Angel. We will attend the torchlight procession and rosary. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.

Day 5: Fatima - Salamanca - August 15

Breakfast at hotel. We depart for Salamanca, a city in the Castilla y Leon region known for its large university, the oldest in Spain that is still active along with its prominent culture. Our walking tour will bring us to the most noteworthy sites, such as; the grand Plaza Mayor, an iconic square filled with food, shopping, and city events. La Clerecia, a church, and college of the Jesuit Order constructed in the seventeenth century. La Casa de las Conchas currently a public library and monument, decorated with shells that symbolize the famous pilgrimage to Santiago (El Camino). The University of Salamanca is the oldest University in Spain and the third oldest in Europe. The Roman Bridge is a national monument that extends along the River Tormes and is among Salamanca’s sturdiest bridges. La Iglesia de San Marcos, constructed in the Romanesque style contains breathtaking paintings that portray many scenes of Our Lady’s life. La Iglesia de San Martin is a Church devoted to St. Martin of Tours, who is the patron saint of beggars and those most in need. Visit the inside of the two joint Salamanca Cathedrals (old and new), one Romanesque style and the other Gothic style. Dinner and overnight in Salamanca.

Day 6: Salamanca - Alba de Tormes - Avila – Burgos - August 16

Breakfast at hotel. We will depart for village of Alba de Tormes which is home to the Carmelite Monastery Saint Teresa founded in 1571. We will celebrate Mass at the Monastery where she died and was buried. We will visit the museum dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila, which also holds her incorrupt heart and left arm. Enjoy free time for lunch on your own. We continue to the medieval City of Avila surrounded by the well preserved eleventh-century walls of the old town. The Cathedral de Avila encompasses the Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance styles of its time with its artwork and architecture. La Basilica de San Vicente in Avila stands on the site of the Martyrdom of St. Vincent. Visit the Incarnation Convent, where St. Teresa became a nun. Saint Teresa convinced Saint John of the Cross to reform the male Carmelite order, the reform she started when she met Saint John in Medina del Campo. Dinner and overnight in Burgos.

Day 7: Burgos - Loyola – Lourdes - August 17

Breakfast at hotel. We will transfer to Loyola to visit the birthplace of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit Order. St. Ignatius dedicated himself to becoming a soldier of the Christian faith, and as a result of many tribulations, he wrote the ever-famous Spiritual Exercises. In Loyola, you will see the 17th-century Basilica dedicated to this remarkable saint – the Basilica is part of a series of buildings surrounding the “Holy House,” or birthplace of St. Ignatius. After meditating on the life of this founder of the Jesuit Order, enjoy free time for lunch. We will continue to Lourdes for a spectacular view of the Pyrenees Mountains.  We will attend the torchlight procession and rosary. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Day 8: Lourdes - August 18

Breakfast in hotel. 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. We will celebrate Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette; We will have the opportunity to wash our hands and face in and/or drink the water of the miraculous spring. Finish with a short prayer: Our Lady of Lourdes…Pray for us St. Bernadette…Pray for us. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee! We will attend the torchlight procession and rosary. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Day 9: Lourdes – August 19

Breakfast at hotel. We will have the opportunity to experience Christ’s unconditional love, as we meditate upon the “life-size” Stations of the Cross which overlook the Grotto of Massabielle. 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. We will attend the torchlight procession and rosary. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Day 10: USA - Return Flights Home August 20

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we transfer to the Toulouse Airport for our return flights home.