Mary & the Saints – Fatima to Lourdes Catholic Pilgrimage

This morning we will meet with our local guide and enjoy a tour of Lisbon city. Our first stop will be St Anthony’s Basilica where we will celebrate our group Mass. Despite what his title might otherwise suggest, ‘Anthony of Padua’ was born and grew up in Lisbon and today remains the patron saint of lost articles.

Visit the World Heritage listed Jeronimo’s Monastery dating back to the 16th century with its stunning combination of flamboyant Gothic, Moorish and early Renaissance influences; see nearby Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. See Europe’s longest suspension bridge and view the inspiring Statue of Christ the King pointing the way north to Fatima.

En route to Fatima we will visit the Holy Miracle Church of St Stephen at Santarem containing the oldest recorded Eucharistic miracle.

We arrive at Fatima where in 1917 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three peasant children as ‘a lady in white’.

Fatima overnight (BD)

This morning we will walk and pray the Stations along the beautiful Way of the Cross (the Sacred Way) culminating in the Chapel of Calvary which overlooks all of Fatima. Continue to Valinhos, the site of Our Lady’s appearance after the children’s return from prison before we proceed onto the little village of Aljustrel to visit the homes where the children lived. Enter the original parish church and see the Baptismal font where the children were baptised.

Afternoon at leisure.

Tonight, the Anniversary Vigil ceremonies begin with an international rosary followed by a candlelight procession and concelebrated Mass on the steps of the Rosary Basilica. From midnight to dawn an optional all-night vigil is held for the spiritual enrichment of pilgrims.

Fatima overnight (BD)

We awake to the sound of pilgrims from all over the world enroute to the morning’s Anniversary celebrations. Commence with a Rosary followed by the procession of Our Lady’s statue to the altar on the steps of the Basilica. Celebrate the International Anniversary Mass followed by the Blessing of the Sick and Consecration. The ceremonies will close around midday with the touching ‘Adios’ spectacle (waving of the white handkerchiefs in tribute to Our Lady) as her statue is carried back to the Capelinha.

We will then enjoy a tour of the Square (the largest square in Christendom) including the site of the Apparitions, Rosary Basilica with the Tombs of the visionaries, Blessed Sacrament Chapel and other main sites.

Afternoon at leisure in Fatima.

Fatima overnight (BD)

After breakfast we farewell Fatima and journey inland through Portugal before crossing into Spain and on through Salamanca, known as the ‘Golden City’ owing to the colour of its historic sandstone buildings.

Later we arrive at Alba de Tormes, the little village where St Teresa died. Her incorrupt heart and arm are enshrined and displayed here at the Carmelite convent. Here too we enter the convent for Mass, where St John of the Cross lived and who companioned St Teresa in her spiritual walk.

We journey on to the historic walled town of Avila, where the atmosphere has changed little since the days of St Teresa to whom the city is dedicated. It was here that she entered the Carmelite convent and encountered many mystical experiences during her life.

Avila overnight (BD)

We begin our day with a visit to the Convent of Saint Teresa built over the saint’s birthplace and located just inside the South Gate of the old town. Most of the convent remains in cloister but you can see the very spot where she was born, now a chapel in the Baroque church.

We then visit Avila’s Cathedral which was started in the 12^th century before entering the Monastery of the Incarnation for Mass where St Teresa’s cell can be seen as well as other relics of her life.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to soak in the prayerful atmosphere and medieval charm of this holy town.

Avila overnight (BD)

This morning we depart Avila, travelling east by coach to Segovia, between the Eresma and Clamores Rivers. We will visit the stunning Segovia Cathedral, the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. Marvel too at the best conserved aqueduct of the Imperial Roman Empire. Outside the walls, we will visit and celebrate Mass at a convent adjacent to the Vera Cruz church, where the mortal remains of St John of the Cross are buried. View here the famous Alcazar.

From here we journey north to Caleruega, the home of Bl Jane of Aza and Felix Guzman and birthplace of their son St Dominic. Our guided exploration will feature the Dominican Nuns Convent, formerly the home of the Guzman family. A highlight here is the Crypt where a well marks the spot where Dominic was born around 1170. It is now the centrepiece of a chapel which is adorned with exquisite mosaics depicting scenes from Dominic’s life. Also visit the Church of San Sebastian where Dominic was baptised.

Finally today, we come to the quaint village of Santo Domingo de Silos, home to the great Benedictine Abbey famous for its beautiful Romanesque cloister and for spreading the finest tradition of Gregorian chant throughout the world.

After dinner we will proceed up to the Abbey for evening prayer.

Santo Domingo de Silos overnight (BD)

Seven times a day for over 1,500 years a sweet and sublime sound rises like a fragrance from the hills of Castille. Is it the sound of angels singing? One might be mistaken to think so. Enter the Romanesque cloisters of the sacred monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos and you will discover that this heavenly sound emanates from the Benedictine monks who became world famous after their recordings of Gregorian chant hit number one on the European pop charts.

We then rejoin our coach and set off on our travel day, journeying north to Loyola where St Ignatius was born and where he later found his conversion.

In Loyola pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit the impressive Sanctuary of St Ignatius, including the Casa Santa (Holy House) – 13th century tower house – where he was born and spent many of his early years. Visit also the ornate monastery complete with shrine and relics of the saint and a 65m dome, which can be seen from a great distance. See the sparse room where he lived and recovered from his injuries and developed his spiritual life.

Continue onto San Sebastian for dinner and overnight.

San Sebastian overnight (BD)

This morning we begin our day in the beautiful coastal city of San Sebastian, renowned for its graceful architecture and deep Catholic heritage. We gather for Holy Mass at the Baroque-style Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus, nestled in the heart of the Old Town. This historic church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, offers a moment of spiritual reflection surrounded by ornate stonework and sacred art.

After Mass, there will be time for a gentle stroll along the La Concha promenade, perhaps pausing to admire the view over the Bay of Biscay or enjoy a café con leche in the old town.

Mid-morning, we board our coach and journey across the Pyrenees, crossing from Spain into southern France. Our destination is the world-renowned shrine of Lourdes, nestled in the foothills and home to miraculous healings, grace, and renewal.

Lourdes overnight (BD)

This morning we will celebrate a group Mass at the Grotto, before meeting our guide for a walking tour of Lourdes including the Sanctuary area: Upper & Lower Basilicas, the Grotto, and the Baths where hundreds of miraculous cures have taken place. We continue our visit of the main sites associated with St Bernadette including the Boly Mill where she was born in 1844, the original parish church and the Cachot (prison) where the family was forced to live due to misfortune during the time of the apparitions.

We will return to Lourdes to enjoy a peaceful afternoon to rest or wander at your own pace or take the time to pray the Stations of the Cross with the life-sized copper images which overlook the holy Grotto. Spend some quiet time perhaps reflecting at the Grotto with its chapel built over the place of the apparitions.

Optional Blessed Sacrament Procession and evening candlelight procession.

Lourdes overnight (BD)

We aim to celebrate an International Mass this morning with pilgrims worldwide in the immense Underground Basilica of Pius X (schedule permitting) followed by a visit to the little village of Bartres, and the farm where St Bernadette was nursed and later returned in adolescence to help her foster mother. We will visit the Sheepfold and the Parish Church where she spent so many hours in prayer.

Free time this afternoon for a visit and prayers for the sick at the miraculous Baths where the water has continued to flow since 1858. During her 9^th apparition to Bernadette, Our Lady said “Go drink and wash yourself at the spring”.

Optional afternoon Blessed Sacrament Procession and Blessing of the Sick before a final evening candlelight procession after dinner.

Lourdes overnight (BD)

Pilgrimage ends after breakfast OR continue onto the optional 7-night ‘Graces of France’ extension.

(B)