Classic Italy: Miracles of Mercy

As Christians, we are convinced of God’s power to intervene in human life. Indeed, He has shed His gentle grace in the lives of all believers, sometimes with breathtaking results. And yet, our merciful Lord has also seen fit to give us His guidance in extraordinary ways too….and some of them have been left visible as a testament for generations. In Christian Europe, there are many miracles which endure today…from miracles of the Blessed Eucharist which have stood for centuries, to the testimony of saints and converted sinners who have become beacons of God’s love and concern for us pilgrims on our earthly journey.

Our “Miracles of Mercy” Pilgrimage seeks to bring pilgrims in contact with a few of these visible miracles – and also a few “miracles of the heart” which are not so visible, and yet no less compelling.

On this unique and faith-filled pilgrimage, you will witness miracles like the astounding Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano – a consecrated Host that turned into human flesh and has remained so for centuries – and the miracle of one man who disdained the Catholic faith, only to be confronted with an apparition of the Mother of Christ herself, a vision which transformed his life and spread devotion to her throughout an entire country. And all of this surrounds the pre-eminent feast of Divine Mercy, the feast of God’s mercy toward sinners, given in modern times as a sign of hope to this fallen world.

Join us on this “Miracles of Mercy” pilgrimage, and experience yourself the transforming power of God’s love for us, made visible in the here and now – miracles which point the way to a realm which the saints have said is more real, and more “human,” than the everyday life we usually experience: as St. Augustine has reminded us for 17 centuries, “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in You.”

Pilgrimage Overview

• Spend eight (8) nights in Rome
• Meet Dr. Robert Moynihan, leading Vatican analyst and founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, Deborah Tomlinson, Chief Operating Officer, and friends of Inside the Vatican magazine
• Gain insight into the workings of the Vatican from Dr. Moynihan 

DAY 1: ROME 

• Join Dr. Moynihan on a private tour of St. Peter’s Square
• Pray at the Basilica of Santo Spirito, the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Rome 

DAY 2: LANCIANO AND MANOPPELLO (DAY TRIP)

• Venerate the famous Eucharistic miracle and the Holy Face of Manoppello

DAYS 3 and 4: ROME

• Attend the Sunday Angelus with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square for Divine Mercy Sunday 
• Explore Rome on your own and purchase religious articles for the papal blessing on Day 7
• Travel along the Appian Way
• Explore the Catacombs of Callixtus
• Visit the famous Domino Quo Vadis Church, St. Sebastian Outside-the-Walls and the tomb of St. Paul at St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls

DAY 5: ASSISI (DAY TRIP)

• Tour the Basilica of St. Francis and visit his tomb; attend Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels and pray in St. Francis’ Portiuncula; visit the Basilica of St. Clare and pray at her tomb; enjoy a walking tour of Assisi 

DAYS 6 and 7: ROME 

• Attend the Papal Audience as a guest of Inside the Vatican magazine
• Enjoy a walking tour of Baroque Rome led by Dr. Moynihan to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona 
• Visit the Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, site of Our Lady’s visit to Alphonse Ratisbonne as she appears on the Miraculous Medal and where St. Maximillian Kolbe offered his first Mass
• Enjoy a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum 

DAY 8: ROME

• Visit two of the four major Basilicas of Rome: St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran 
• Climb the Holy Stairs near the Basilica of St. John Lateran 
• Visit Santa Croce, the church containing relics of the Passion from Jerusalem (time permitting)
• Experience a driving tour of Ancient Rome and see the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus and the Arch of Titus 
• Celebrate at a farewell dinner with Dr. Moynihan, special friends and guests of Inside the Vatican magazine 

DAY 9: Departure

• After breakfast and an early Mass, we say our goodbyes. Farewell! Depart for home.