We touch down in Rome and our tour liaison escorts us to our hotel. After time to refresh, we enjoy a special welcome lunch, featuring classic Roman dishes. We then set out for one of the most important “house churches” in Rome, that of Saint Cecilia. We see the remains of Cecilia’s home, including the site of her martyrdom, and tour the church which stands on the site. After a stroll around charming Trastevere, we attend Mass at one of the oldest churches in Rome, also having been a “house church,” Santa Maria in Trastevere. We begin to reflect on the role of the laity, including great women of God, in the building of Christian Rome. 

Today we explore the Colosseum, the site of the earliest Christian martyrs, and reflect on the ancient text of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. We then make our way to the Roman Forum, including a special visit to Santa Maria Antiqua, a 5th century church located in the Forum, which had been closed and abandoned for over a millennium. It was rediscovered in the 20th century and re-opened after 30 years under renovation. A much under-appreciated site, we will gain clearer focus on the importance of Christ’s mother in the early Church and the consolation she inspired in the faithful. After lunch we visit the basilica of St. Frances of Rome, a wife and mother who became one of the great Roman saints. We will also visit San Clemente, which is a church built on the site of an ancient house church, and we reflect on the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria as well as the theme of the Eucharist as it pertains to motherhood. We watch the sunset from the orange gardens and see the view of the Vatican through the keyhole of Malta. and end the day with a sumptuous dinner.

We begin with breakfast and a private Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica at the altar of St. John Paul II. We then explore the Basilica, its sacred domes and chapels, noting the lay women and mothers who are celebrated in the world’s largest Catholic Church. Next we visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on a guided tour, taking inspiration from some of the greatest Christian masterpieces and noting the roles of Eve and Mary in Michelangelo’s famous ceiling frescoes. We then enjoy lunch and a golf cart tour of Historic Rome, including the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. We conclude the day with dinner and world-class artisan gelato.

After cappuccino and cornetti, we have Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four major basilicas in Rome and site of Pope Francis’ tomb. Santa Maria Maggiore was originally erected due to an answered prayer of a mother and father who had been unable to conceive a child. We continue to reflect on the role of mothers–those who conceive, as well as those who struggle with fertility–on Christianity. We examine the 6th century mosaics, including the famous Dormition of Mary, and note the Sanctus Populi Romani, the oldest icon in Rome. After a lovely lunch in a tavern on the cobblestone streets, we journey to the Catacombs of Priscilla, which contains the first painting of the Madonna holding the Christ Child dating back to the period of Christian persecution in pagan Rome. Next we travel to the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. We are breathtaken by the Gothic architecture and sacred silence that fills the church. We pray at the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena, one of the great mystics and Doctors of the Church. A laywoman of profound prayer and courageous action, Catherine tirelessly called the Church to renewal. Her presence here reminds us of the prophetic voice and sanctifying grace found within the lay vocation. We take time for a short spiritual reflection session, and then enjoy a lovely dinner in the heart of Rome.

Today we celebrate two of the greatest mothers of Rome: St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine and patron saint of mothers, and St. Helena, mother of Constantine, who helped her son build the first Christian sites in Rome just after the legalization of public Christian worship. We spend the morning at the Basilica of St. Augustine and pray at the tomb of St. Monica. We note the depictions of lay women and mothers dotting the church: a Raphael statue of Sts. Anne, Mary, and the child Jesus; a statue of St. Rita, a painting of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a fresco of Queen Esther, and a statue entitled “Our Lady of Childbirth,” where Roman moms leave written names, baby booties and photos of their children who have been safely delivered.  After lunch and a brief visit to Saint Agnes’ Church, we head out to the sites associated with St. Helena: the Lateran Basilica, and the Holy Steps which are believed to have been walked by Christ himself and which Helena brought to Rome. What better place and time to renew our family vows and commit our best selves to the formation of our domestic churches–which are the very heartbeat of the Church.

Today we travel to Assisi, home of Saints Francis and Clare, and the newly-canonized St. Carlo Acutis. We visit the Basilica of St. Clare and reflect on her spirituality of an embrace of the Cross and how it can enrich the lives of the laity. We stroll the quaint medieval roads of Assisi and enjoy white truffle lasagna. We attend Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis and tour the early Renaissance frescoes of Giotto and Cimabue. We trek to San Damiano, the site at which Christ spoke to Francis saying “Rebuild my Church.” We make our way to the Baroque Church Santa Maria degli Angeli and see the one-room chapel that Francis built with his own hands. We pause for meditative prayer on how God is calling each of us to contribute to reform and renewal in our homes, church and lives.

Today we travel from Assisi to Cascia, the hilltop town and home of St. Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes. She was a laywoman, wife and mother who endured violence, the murder of her husband and death of her two sons — all with unswerving faith. She then became an Augustinian nun and received the stigmata. We visit the Basilica of St. Rita, celebrating Mass and venerating her incorrupt body, becoming better acquainted with one of Italy’s favorite saints. We prayerfully consider the areas of our hearts and our families that seem like impossible causes, and place them at the foot of the cross for God’s healing. We return to Rome for an evening of reflection and group discussion.

We attend Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, the last of the four major basilicas on our pilgrimage. We then travel to St. Peter’s Basilica and see Pope Leo XIV at the Angelus and General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, or else to Castel Gandolfo, depending on the pope's summer schedule. We spend the late afternoon on the Appia Antica, where Peter, fleeing persecution, was visited by an apparition of Christ. “Where are you going (quo vadis)?” asked Christ of Peter. Peter turned around, went to Rome and suffered martyrdom. We must ask ourselves, “Where are we going?” We take time to write down our thoughts, spiritual insights, and experience with God, and enjoy a Holy Hour of Adoration. We end with a time of spiritual song and worship, and then celebrate a Roman feast at our farewell dinner.

Depart home

**Itinerary is subject to change