Fr. Callistus Iyorember — Marian Pilgrimage

We depart from Louisville airport for our overnight flight .We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner, and breakfast while aloft arriving the next day.

We arrive in Lisbon, where we are met by our Tour Manager and given a short orientation tour of Lisbon before the drive to Fatima. If time permits, we celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Stephen, where the famous Eucharistic Miracle at Santarem occurred. We break for lunch on our own along the way before arriving in Fatima. The balance of the day at leisure before we enjoy our “welcome” dinner and overnight at our hotel. In the evening, we join the nightly International Rosary Procession.

This full day is devoted to visiting the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and nearby hamlets of Aljustrel and Valinhos. We join the English language concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of Apparitions. Following a break for lunch on our own, we visit the birthplaces of Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia, the Loca de Anjo and the Holy Way. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. In the evening, we join the nightly International Rosary Procession.

Today we depart Fatima, passing by the ancient capital and university city of Coimbra, where Lucia, the last Fatima visionary lived as a cloistered nun. We continue northwards into Spain and on to Santiago de Compostela, one of the most famous shrines in the western world. This is the site of the ancient pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James. Tradition holds that the Apostle James was cast ashore here preaching for seven years and being responsible for the conversion of Spain before returning to the Holy Land. The Cathedral of the 11th to 13th century with its splendor, and the portico are masterworks of Romanesque art. We enjoy a stop for lunch on our own. On arrival this afternoon, we enjoy a visit to the Cathedral and the Old City here. While dinner is included at our hotel, the adventurous might consider enjoying the varied delights of the Galatian restaurants in the nearby Old City on their own. Overnight at our hotel.

Following our walk to Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago we return to our hotel for breakfast and then head east to Santander along one of the many “Routes of St. James.” While this is our longest coach bus day, the wonderful scenery of mountains and sea awe us as our roads hug the northern Spanish seacoast. Lunch on our own is taken along our route. Dinner and overnight in Santander.

This morning following Mass in a local parish church, we continue eastward along the Basque coast via San Sebastian and cross the border into France, taking our lunch on our own along the way. In the late afternoon, we arrive in Lourdes for dinner and overnight at our hotel. In the evening, we join the nightly Torchlight Rosary Procession.

This day is spent in devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. We celebrate Mass at the Grotto, with a morning orientation visit to the Shrine and a walking tour of Lourdes, visiting Boly Mill, where St. Bernadette was born, the Cachot, formerly used as a jail, where she lived during the apparitions, and the parish church. This afternoon, following a break for lunch on our own, we enjoy free time for private devotions, Eucharistic Procession, the Blessing of the Sick or the legendary, healing waters of the miraculous Lourdes healing spring. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. In the evening, we can once again join the nightly Torchlight Marian Procession.

This morning we depart Lourdes and traverse the Pyrenees southward entering northern Spain. We travel eastward to Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon. On arrival, we visit the city which was founded by the Romans. Its luxuriant vegetation, with its many cascades and grottos, make it a miniature Switzerland in the middle of arid upper Aragon. We break for lunch on our own before continuing our tour. This city was also the birthplace of Goya, whose works grace many of the sites we visit. The number one Marian shrine of Spain, the Pilar Basilica commemorates the apparitions of Our Lady the Pillar to St. James in the year 40AD, and if possible, we celebrate Mass there. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

This morning we drive to Montserrat, on the outskirts of Barcelona. We stop for lunch on our own along the way. Upon arrival, we celebrate Mass at the Monastery housing the famed Black Madonna. If possible, we enjoy the midday music of the famous boys’ choir while here. Dinner and overnight at our Monastery hotel.

This morning we drive to Barcelona to celebrate Mass at the Cathedral. Afterwards, we drive through the Gothic quarter, bisected by the famous Ramblas, and see the important new developments at the pleasure port where many of the Olympic events were held in 1992. We enjoy a spectacular view from the top of the Montjuic hill, pass by the Exchange and visit the Church of the Holy Family or Sagrada Familia, the still uncompleted masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi. After a break for lunch on our own, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage "Park Guell" one of Gaudi's Masterpieces of "landscape architecture”. We return to Montserrat for our “farewell” dinner and overnight at our hotel.

We transfer to the airport for our flight home with unforgettable memories to cherish always.