DAY 1

San Giovanni Rotondo

This morning we will depart at 8.25 am from Gatwick to Bari. Our guide and driver will await us in Bari and remain with us for the duration of our time in Italy. As we drive to the town of San Giovanni Rotondo we will hear of the early life of Padre Pio and how he overcame many obstacles in order to fulfil his dream of becoming a monk with a beard. Upon arrival at our hotel we will have a light snack before our guided tour of the sanctuary. Visiting the ancient Church of Our Lady of Grace and Capuchin friary will help us learn more about the poor friar who prays, as he so often described himself. The first day of our pilgrimage will conclude with a visit to the Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina where we will have time for prayer before the mortal remains of the great saint of our time.


DAY 2

Cascia, Manoppello, Lanciano

Today, for those who wish, there will be the opportunity to visit some of the many pilgrim sites that Italy has to offer. Departing just after midnight on Sunday night, in the comfort of our private coach, we will drive to Cascia, home to St. Rita for over forty years. After early morning Mass, we will have time for private prayer before the remains of the Saint of the Impossible, and afterwards visit the Augustinian Monastery where we will hear of the life of Rita as a wife, mother, and Augustinian nun.
From Cascia we will drive through the Green Heart of Italy, enjoying wonderful views of the countryside before arriving in the town of Manoppello, home to the Basilica of the Holy Face.
Relics, considered to be the burial cloths of Christ have been stored for centuries and are scattered throughout Europe however only two of the cloths have images upon them: the Shroud of Turin and the cloth at Manoppello. After free time for lunch, we will venerate the Santo Sudarium, the veil that has been carefully preserved above the alter, which is believed to have been the cloth lain over the head of Christ in the Tomb and hear of the mysterious arrival of the cloth in the town of Manoppello.

The last stop on our day of visits to the Holy Sites will conclude in the town of Lanciano, site of the first Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church. Here we will venerate the relics of this miracle, dating back to the 8th century and afterwards have time for private prayer before driving along the Adriatic Coast, returning to San Giovanni Rotondo for late dinner. A long day, but a day filled with so many graces.



For those who would like to spend more time in the town of St. Pio, you may enjoy a day at leisure in San Giovanni Rotondo with time for private prayer.


Day 3

Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel & �Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza�

After breakfast we will drive to the town of Monte Sant�Angelo, home to the Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel. In the sacred cave, along with fellow pilgrims, we will celebrate Mass and afterwards have time to stroll through the cobbled streets of this unique town with its quaint, white-washed houses. Before returning to San Giovanni Rotondo for lunch, we will visit the nearby St. Matthew�s monastery where we will receive a blessing with the relic of St. Matthew and Holy Oil.

In 1956 Padre Pio presented to the world his greatest gift, �Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza� which today is now one of the most important hospitals in Europe. This afternoon we will learn of the history behind what is regarded as Padre Pio�s greatest miracle. We will enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure with the opportunity for private sightseeing.


Day 4

Shrine of Our Lady of Incoronata, Foggia

This morning we will drive to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Incoronata, which dates to an apparition of the Virgin Mary which took place in April 1001 which according to tradition, appears to have been the first time the Virgin Mary claimed to be the Mother of God after she was given the title in 431. We will be blessed with the holy oil and have time for private prayer before the statue of Our Lady with the Baby Jesus, which was placed on the knee of Our Lady by Pope John Paul II during his visit on the 24th of May 1987. Afterwards we will drive the short distance to the airport of Foggia for our direct flight to Mostar. Our guide will meet us in Mostar and on the short transfer will inform us of what we can expect during our time in Medjugorje. We will arrive at our accommodation and after an introduction to our host family, we can then rest in our rooms before being called for a light snack, or dinner, which will be served depending on the time of arrival. Each evening, we will attend the parish evening programme which begins with the Rosary followed by Holy Mass and depending on the day, we finish with adoration.


Day 5

Medjugorje Open Meeting

We start our day with breakfast before attending 10:00am mass, which is intended for English-speaking pilgrims, in the Church of St. James. The Church of St. James is placed under patronage of St. James the Apostle, who is patron saint of pilgrims. We do not move very far and usually meet at the shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace for our opening meeting where the guides will share with us the history of the place, introduce us to the shrine and take us through the week, and through their words and experiences enlighten us to the messages and intentions of Our Lady. We break for lunch where restaurants are in abundance and boast some of the best steaks and pizza. The afternoon takes us to Blue Cross, a place of many apparitions of Our Lady. It is situated at the base of Apparition Hill where Our Lady appeared to the children and where they were hiding from the communist police at the beginning of the apparitions. Many pilgrims venture here to bask in the peace that emanates from this special area. From Blue Cross, we walk to Vicka�s old house. Vicka is one of the six Medjugorje visionaries and we visit her old family house to see and to pray in the room where she had apparitions over a long period. After dinner, we can attend the evening prayer programme.


Day 6

Hill of Apparitions

This morning after breakfast, we gather at the statue of Our Lady to walk through the vineyards, to the Hill of Appari-tions (Podbrdo). This has been the traditional route taken by millions of pilgrims. The guides regale us with accounts of the first days of the apparitions, especially the first seven days, and tell us of the great spiritual journey the visionaries undertook. We simply climb, in prayer, to the site of the first apparition, the place where Our Lady first appeared to six frightened children in June of 1981.The Joyful Mysteries greet us at several points of our climb where we pray for a short time. This afternoon there is an optional tour to Cenacolo, which is a community for recovering drug addicts. There is a special lesson to be learned from the residents here, by their hard work, perseverance, and prayer. After dinner, we at-tend the evening programme.


Day 7

Blue Cross Mountain

Our day begins with breakfast, and we then meet at the base of Cross Mountain (Krizevac) to start our ascent. We pray the Stations of the Cross as we make our way to the summit. Our journey is rewarded by taking time for reflection and prayer by the cross located at the top of the mountain. In 1933, the parish of St. James erected a large concrete cross to commemorate the 1900th Anniversary of Jesus� passion and death on the Cross. We make our descent in time for holy Mass. For all those who cannot climb Cross mountain we organise the Stations of the Way of the Cross to be said at the Risen Lord Statue at the same time. In the afternoon, following our climb, we will have some free time. This evening we have a special treat as our programme director, David Parkes, performs for us in concert with an Evening of prayer through song. David is an internationally acclaimed singer and often travels worldwide singing the word of Our Lord.


Day 8

Return home

This morning our guide will collect us at our house for our transfer to the Split airport for our return flight to Gatwick, arriving at 11.50 am.