Pilgrim's Information Page
Welcome, Pilgrims, to our website where we will have up-to-date information regarding the pilgrimage!
We hope this page will help you prepare this trip that we hope will be transformational.
Saint of the Week: St. Cecilia
The statue at the main altar in the church of St. Cecilia in Trastevere.
2nd-3rd century AD
Feast day: November 22
Patron Saint of: Musicians
The place and date we will encounter her on our pilgrimage: Saturday, May 17th there will be the option to visit her basilica with her tomb
The story of St. Cecilia is not without beauty or merit. She is said to have been quite close to God and prayed often:
In the city of Rome there was a virgin named Cecilia, who came from an extremely rich family and was given in marriage to a youth named Valerian. She wore sackcloth next to her skin, fasted, and invoked the saints, angels, and virgins, beseeching them to guard her virginity
During her wedding ceremony she was said to have sung in her heart to God and before the consummation of her nuptials, she told her husband she had taken a vow of virginity and had an angel protecting her. Valerian asked to see the angel as proof, and Cecilia told him he would have eyes to see once he traveled to the third milestone on the Via Appia (Appian Way) and was baptized by Pope Urbanus.
Following his baptism, Valerian returned to his wife and found an angel at her side. The angel then crowned Cecilia with a chaplet of rose and lily and when Valerian’s brother, Tibertius, heard of the angel and his brother’s baptism, he also was baptized and together the brothers dedicated their lives to burying the saints who were murdered each day by the prefect of the city, Turcius Almachius.
Both brothers were eventually arrested and brought before the prefect where they were executed after they refused to offer a sacrifice to the gods.
As her husband and brother-in-law buried the dead, St. Cecilia spent her time preaching and in her lifetime was able to convert over four hundred people, most of whom were baptized by Pope Urban.
Cecilia was later arrested and condemned to be suffocated in the baths. She was shut in for one night and one day, as fires were heaped up and stoked to a terrifying heat – but Cecilia did not even sweat.
When Almachius heard this, he sent an executioner to cut off her head in the baths.
The executioner struck her three times but was unable to decapitate her so he left her bleeding and she lived for three days. Crowds came to her and collected her blood while she preached to them or prayed. On the third day she died and was buried by Pope Urban and his deacons.
St. Cecilia is regarded as the patroness of music, because she heard heavenly music in her heart when she was married, and is represented in art with an organ or organ-pipes in her hand.
Officials exhumed her body in 1599 and found her to be incorrupt, the first of all incorrupt saints. She was draped in a silk veil and wore a gold embroidered dress. Officials only looked through the veil in an act of holy reverence and made no further examinations. They also reported a “mysterious and delightful flower-like odor which proceeded from the coffin.”
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=34 (accessed Mar 25, 2025)
Recording of the one and only pilgrimage meeting on Sunday, April 13th. If you were not present at the meeting please inform the pilgrimage team that you have watched the recording. Your confirmation of seeing it is important so that if nothing ends up happening on the trip that could have been prevented if you had seen this video with the information.
If you were at the meeting, we checked you off the list already.
Thank you
This is an important video to learn about the part of the trip where we will be staying with Italian host families. This is a very beautiful part of the pilgrimage experience but it will require some preparation. Please watch the video and learn how you can play your part. The emails we send will also give important information.
Meaning and significance of the Jubilee logo
Four stylized figures appear in the Jubilee logo, signifying humanity from the four corners of the earth, one embracing the other, to indicate the solidarity and brotherhood that must unite peoples. One is clinging to the cross, a sign of faith and of hope. The waves below are stirred to indicate that life’s pilgrimage does not always navigate smooth waters. The lower part of the Cross is prolonged by transforming into an anchor – a metaphor for hope -, which imposes itself on the wave motion. The entire illustration also shows how the pilgrim’s journey is not an individual affair, but a communal one that tends toward the Cross. The cross is also dynamic, in its bending toward humanity as if to meet it and not leave it alone, but offering the certainty of presence and the security of hope.
Introducing you to the Saints we will “meet” in Italy
Week 12: Chiara Corbella Petrillo , Servant of God
January 9, 1984 – June 13, 2021 in Rome, Italy
Her cause of beatification is underway but not yet complete in all its stages.
When I was sitting in the pew waiting for the funeral to start, I looked at her picture in front of the Church next to her casket and I kept wondering “Who is this girl?”. The photo was very intriguing for me. So I listened closely to the homily and heard her story. Chiara was 24 when she got married to Enrico but they had a rough dating experience. Both had room to grow and fears to overcome. She would later describe this time as one of the most difficult parts of her life since she didn’t understand what God was doing and didn’t know if Enrico was the one for her. Through the help of her spiritual director, realized how she was trying to hold onto Enrico like one would try to possess something. “The opposite of love is possession.” She surrendered to God’s plans and let God take control. This freed her heart and very soon afterwards they discerned to get married.
After they got married, they were pregnant with their first child. They soon found out the baby had anencephaly, which is when the brain does not properly develop. Chiara and Enrico decided to continue with the pregnancy, going against the advice of the doctors who recommended her to terminate the pregnancy. Maria was born and they were able to hold her and baptize her before she died. She said, “If I would have had an abortion, it would have been a day I would want to forget, instead it was a beautiful day filled with grace.”
There was support but also concern on how Chiara would bounce back. Chiara and Enrico prayed to God and were still open to life. They became pregnant with a baby boy, David. Many thought this baby would be the child of consolation after losing their first child. However, they found out that he would be severely handicapped. They prepared for this new adventure, but before long they found out that his little body had more problems and would too die after childbirth.
Chiara and Enrico continued to trust God, “the good Father”, whose promise of eternal life and happiness was real and they chose to believe in a God that does not disappoint. The life of David helped her realize how parts of her heart still needed to be brought to the Lord and brought to full trust in Him. While people around them played the part of “doctor” to see why they might be experiencing the apparent tragedies that were happening to them, they had a deep, deep joy. In fact, only a few people came to the funeral of David, but Chiara and Enrico said people missed out because it was a beautiful celebration of life, joy, and faith. They, in fact, continued bringing to the Lord their desire to have another baby.
Their desire was fulfilled and she was pregnant with Francesco, a healthy baby boy. Francesco grew in her tummy, but a hidden tumor also grew on her tongue. Once the tumor was identified as malignant, she did all the treatments that she could do while protecting Francesco from any radiation or chemotherapy.
Her experience of the cross was not over. She waited to continue more treatments until Francesco was born in order to protect his life, but leaving her at risk that the cancer would continue to spread. After his birth, she underwent all the treatments imaginable, but in April of 2012 she found out she was a terminal patient. She didn’t want to know how much time she had left, but wanted the grace to receive all the graces needed in order to live the present moment in peace and joy. Her husband, Enrico, also grew deeply in his faith alongside of her. He once said, “If my wife is going to someone who loves her more than I, why should I be so upset?” Then he asked her before she died, “Chiara, is the cross truly sweet as Jesus said it was?” “Yes, Enrico. It is.”
So there I was at the funeral learning about Chiara. I was listening to her witness of faith through the others who were there to celebrate her life. There was a huge standing ovation as they took the casket out and I felt that we were all thanking her for her witness.
–
Video of her husband sharing about Chiara and his journey: Chiara Corbella Petrillo
Week 11: Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati
April 6th, 1901 – July 4th, 1925 in Turin, Italy
Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901. His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter. His father Alfredo, was the founder and director of the newspaper, “La Stampa,” and was influential in Italian politics, holding positions as an Italian Senator and Ambassador to Germany.
At an early age, Pier Giorgio joined the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer, and obtained permission to receive daily Communion (which was rare at that time).
He developed a deep spiritual life which he never hesitated to share with his friends. The Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin were the two poles of his world of prayer. At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to serving the sick and the needy, caring for orphans, and assisting the demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.
He decided to become a mining engineer, studying at the Royal Polytechnic University of Turin, so he could “serve Christ better among the miners,” as he told a friend.
Although he considered his studies his first duty, they did not keep him from social and political activism. In 1919, he joined the Catholic Student Foundation and the organization known as Catholic Action. He became a very active member of the People’s Party, which promoted the Catholic Church’s social teaching based on the principles of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum
What little he did have, Pier Giorgio gave to help the poor, even using his bus fare for charity and then running home to be on time for meals. The poor and the suffering were his masters, and he was literally their servant, which he considered a privilege. His charity did not simply involve giving something to others, but giving completely of himself. This was fed by daily communion with Christ in the Holy Eucharist and by frequent nocturnal adoration, by meditation on St. Paul’s “Hymn of Charity” (I Corinthians 13), and by the writings of St. Catherine of Siena. He often sacrificed vacations at the Frassati summer home in Pollone (outside of Turin) because, as he said, “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”
In 1921, he was a central figure in Ravenna, enthusiastically helping to organize the first convention of Pax Romana, an association which had as its purpose the unification of all Catholic students throughout the world for the purpose of working together for universal peace.
Mountain climbing was one of his favorite sports. Outings in the mountains, which he organized with his friends, also served as opportunities for his apostolic work. He never lost the chance to lead his friends to Mass, to the reading of Scripture, and to praying the rosary.
He often went to the theater, to the opera, and to museums. He loved art and music, and could quote whole passages of the poet Dante.
Fondness for the epistles of St. Paul sparked his zeal for fraternal charity, and the fiery sermons of the Renaissance preacher and reformer Giralomo and the writings of St. Catherine impelled him in 1922 to join the Lay Dominicans (Third Order of St. Dominic). He chose the name Girolamo after his personal hero, Savonarola. “I am a fervent admirer of this friar, who died as a saint at the stake,” he wrote to a friend.
Like his father, he was strongly anti-Fascist and did nothing to hide his political views. He physically defended the faith at times involved in fights, first with anticlerical Communists and later with Fascists. Participating in a Church-organized demonstration in Rome on one occasion, he stood up to police violence and rallied the other young people by grabbing the group’s banner, which the royal guards had knocked out of another student’s hands. Pier Giorgio held it even higher, while using the banner’s pole to fend off the blows of the guards.
Special Feature: Shroud of Turin
Day we will visit it on the pilgrimage: Thursday, May 22nd
Clues on the Shroud of Turin Tell Us What Christ Endured on Good Friday
Perhaps no religious icon is as hotly debated as the Shroud of Turin. Believed by some to be a miraculous imprint of the body of Jesus Christ on his burial cloth just after his crucifixion, the shroud is condemned by others as a religious hoax, painted by skillful artists in the 14th century. Though the Shroud of Turin is not officially recognized as a relic by the Catholic Church, it nonetheless inspires veneration by the faithful worldwide.
The faint yellow image on the Shroud of Turin shows the front and back of the body of a man who died by crucifixion. But no one knows for certain how the image actually arrived on the linen. The image is a near-perfect negative and is anatomically detailed far beyond the skill of any artist before the late Middle Ages. With the exception of the 1988 radiocarbon-dating tests, most scientific research indicates that the imprint could indeed be the image of Jesus Christ. If we do accept that the shroud bears this miraculous imprint, this image can tell us a great deal about Christ’s suffering and death.
Based on the shroud, Jesus of Nazareth was a physically commanding person, standing nearly 6 feet tall and weighing 175 to 180 pounds — a large man for that time in history. He had very broad shoulders and well-defined, muscular arms and legs. He had a majestic face and thick, well-groomed hair. Ethnologists have found the features of the man (long hair, beard, unbraided pigtail) to be consistent with those of a Sephardic Jew living in Roman-occupied territory. His age at death is estimated to be between 30 and 45 years old.
What the shroud tells us of Christ’s death is that he endured the worst form of torture of which evil minds could conceive. His death was extremely brutal. His right eye is swollen almost shut, his nose is deviated, both eyebrows are swollen, and there are several other lacerations on his cheeks, all as a result of a severe beating. His chest, shoulders, back, buttocks and legs are covered with dumbbell-shaped cuts or scourge marks.
… Continue reading Jim Graves’ article in the National Catholic Register accessed on April 19, 2025.
WHO IS THE MAN OF THE SHROUD – Virtual Tour of the Exhibition – YouTube
The Legionaries of Christ have an exhibit at their university in Rome and Fr. Andrew Dalton takes people through that exhibit in this video. Video Description: “Who is the man of the Shroud? What is this mysterious cloth, considered by many to be a relic of Jesus Christ himself? What does contemporary science say about it? Why does it appeal so intensely to our heart? The Exhibition offers an important opportunity to continue the dialogue between Science and Faith.”
Week 8: St. John Bosco
August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888
Feast day: January 31 Canonized: April 1, 1934 by Pope Pius XI
Patron Saint of: Apprentices, Editors & Publishers, Schoolchildren, Magicians, Juvenile Delinquents
The place and date we will encounter him on our pilgrimage: Wednesday, May 21st- in his hometown, Becchi and Thursday, May 22nd – in Turin where he is buried.
John Bosco, also known as Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco and Don Bosco, was born in Becchi, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His birth came just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars which ravaged the area. Compounding the problems on his birthday, there was also a drought and a famine at the time of his birth.
At the age of two, John lost his father, leaving him and his two older brothers to be raised by his mother, Margherita. His “Mama Margherita Occhiena” would herself be declared venerable by the Church in 2006.
Raised primarily by his mother, John attended church and became very devout. When he was not in church, he helped his family grow food and raise sheep. They were very poor, but despite their poverty his mother also found enough to share with the homeless who sometimes came to the door seeking food, shelter or clothing.
When John was nine years old, he had the first of several vivid dreams that would influence his life. In his dream, he encountered a multitude of boys who swore as they played. Among these boys, he encountered a great, majestic man and woman. The man told him that in meekness and charity, he would “conquer these your friends.” Then a lady, also majestic said, “Be strong, humble and robust. When the time comes, you will understand everything.” This dream influenced John the rest of his life.
Not long afterwards, John witnessed a traveling troupe of circus performers. He was enthralled by their magic tricks and acrobatics. He realized if he learned their tricks, he could use them to attract others and hold their attention. He studied their tricks and learned how to perform some himself.
One Sunday evening, John staged a show for the kids he played with and was heartily applauded. At the end of the show, he recited the homily he heard earlier in the day. He ended by inviting his neighbors to pray with him. His shows and games were repeated and during this time, John discerned the call to become a priest.
To be a priest, John required an education, something he lacked because of poverty. However, he found a priest willing to provide him with some teaching and a few books. John’s older brother became angry at this apparent disloyalty, and he reportedly whipped John saying he’s “a farmer like us!”
John was undeterred, and as soon as he could he left home to look for work as a hired farm laborer. He was only 12 when he departed, a decision hastened by his brother’s hostility.
John had difficulty finding work, but managed to find a job at a vineyard. He labored for two more years before he met Jospeh Cafasso, a priest who was willing to help him. Cafasso himself would later be recognized as a saint for his work, particularly ministering to prisoners and the condemned.
In 1835, John entered the seminary and following six years of study and preparation, he was ordained a priest in 1841.
His first assignment was to the city of Turin. The city was in the throes of industrialization so it had slums and widespread poverty. It was into these poor neighborhoods that John, now known as Fr. Bosco, went to work with the children of the poor. Continue reading here: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=63 (accessed Mar. 25, 2025)
For more a more detailed explanation of his story: https://www.donboscowest.org/donbosco
Week 7: St. Clare of Assisi
July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253
Week 6: St. Catherine of Siena
March 25, 1347 – April 29, 1380
Feast day: April 29
Patron saint of Europe, Fire Prevention, and Italy
The place and date we will encounter her on our pilgrimage: Saturday May 17 in an optional excursion to Santa Maria Sopraminerva where her body is buried.
Week 9: St. Charles Borromeo
He was born on 2 October 1538 in Arona , (we will visit the site on May 24th) in the fortress that once stood above the city.
He died in Milan, on the evening of November 3, 1584 aged 46 years old.
His feast day is November 4th.
Patron saint of: Bishops, cardinals, seminarians, and spiritual leaders.
Week 5: St. Gianna Beretta Molla
October 4th 1922 – Born in Magenta (diocese and province of Milan). She was the 10th of 13 children. She died on April 28th, 1962.
Feast day: April 28th. Beatified in 1994, Canonized in 2004 – both by Pope John Paul II
Patron Saint of: Families, Mothers, Children, Physicians, Pro-Life Ministry
The place and date we will encounter her on our pilgrimage: Friday, May 23rd in Mesero at the Family chapel and tomb.
Her First Communion, at the age of five and a half, marked an important moment for Gianna, starting a regular attendance at the Eucharist, which became the support and light of her childhood, adolescence and youth.
In those years there was no lack of difficulties and suffering: changing schools, poor health, family transfers, illness and death of parents. All this, however, did not produce trauma or imbalances in Gianna, given the richness and depth of her spiritual life, rather it refined her sensitivity and strengthened her virtue.
During her high school and university years, she was a sweet, strong-willed and reserved young woman, and while she devoted herself diligently to her studies, she translated her faith into a generous commitment to the apostolate among the young women of Catholic Action and to charity towards the elderly and the needy in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Having graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1949 at the University of Pavia, in 1950 she opened a medical clinic in Mesero (a municipality in the Magentino area); she specialized in Pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952 and favored, among her patients, mothers, children, the elderly and the poor.
While carrying out her work as a doctor, which she felt and practiced as a “mission”, she increased her generous commitment to Catholic Action, devoting herself to the “very young” and, at the same time, expressed her great joy of living and enjoying the enchantment of creation through skiing and mountaineering. She prayed and asked others to pray for her vocation which she also considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with all her heart and committed to giving herself completely in order “to form a truly Christian family”.
She got engaged to the engineer Pietro Molla and lived the engagement period in joy and love. She got married on September 24, 1955 in the Basilica of San Martino in Magenta and was a happy wife. In November 1956 she was a very happy mother of Pierluigi; in December 1957, of Mariolina; in July 1959, of Laura. She knew how to harmonize, with simplicity and balance, the duties of mother, wife, doctor, and the great joy of living.
In September 1961, towards the end of the second month of pregnancy, she was overcome by suffering and the mystery of pain; a fibroid appeared in her uterus. Before the necessary surgical intervention, even knowing the risk that continuing the pregnancy would have entailed, she begged the surgeon to save the life she was carrying in her womb and entrusted herself to prayer and Providence. Her life was saved and she then spent the next seven months until the birth of her child with unparalleled strength of spirit and with unchanged commitment as a mother and doctor. She feared that the baby in her womb would be suffering a lot after birth and so asked God that this would not happen.
A few days before giving birth, while still trusting in Providence, she was ready to give her life to save that of her child: “If you have to decide between me and the baby, do not hesitate: choose – and I demand it – the baby. Save the baby.” On the morning of April 21, 1962, she gave birth to Gianna Emanuela and on the morning of April 28, despite all the efforts and care to save both lives, in unspeakable pain, after repeating the prayer “Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you”, she died a holy death.
She was 39 years old. Her funeral was a great demonstration of deep emotion, faith and prayer.
She was buried in the cemetery of Mesero. The fame of her sanctity quickly spread for her life and for the gesture of love and martyrdom that had crowned her.
Week 4: St. Paul of Tarsus, Apostle to the Gentiles
5-67
Feast day: June 29th, January 25th (for his conversion)
Patron Saint of: Missions, evangelists, writers, journalists, authors, rope and saddle makers, and tent makers
The place and date we will encounter him on our pilgrimage: Rome, May 15th, 1st stop on our itinerary!
During the Year of St. Paul in 2009, Pope Benedict shared about St. Paul’s death in Rome: The ancient Christian tradition witnesses unanimously that Paul died as a consequence of his martyrdom here in Rome. The New Testament writings tell us nothing of the event. The Acts of the Apostles end their account by mentioning the imprisonment of the Apostle, who was nevertheless able to welcome all who went to him (cf. Acts 28: 30-31). Only in the Second Letter to Timothy do we find these premonitory words: “For I am already on the point of being sacrificed”; the time to set sail has come (2 Tm 4: 6; cf. Phil 2: 17). Two images are used here, the religious image of sacrifice that he had used previously in the Letter to the Philippians, interpreting martyrdom as a part of Christ’s sacrifice, and the nautical image of casting off: two images which together discreetly allude to the event of death and of a brutal death.
The first explicit testimony of St Paul’s death comes to us from the middle of the 90s in the first century, thus more than three decades after his actual death. It consists precisely in the Epistle that the Church of Rome, with its Bishop Clement I, wrote to the Church of Corinth. In that epistolary text is an invitation to keep her eyes fixed on the example of the Apostles and, immediately after the mention of Peter’s martyrdom, one reads: “Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and the west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into a holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience” (1 Clem 5: 2). The patience of which Clement speaks is an expression of Paul’s communion with the Passion of Christ, of the generosity and constancy with which he accepted a long journey of suffering so as to be able to say “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6: 17). (continue reading – Catholic Culture )
St. Paul of Tarsus – Fr Robert Barron – YouTube
Week 3: Blessed Carlo Acutis
May 3, 1991 – October 12, 2006
Feast day: October 12th
Patron Saint of: The internet and “first millennial saint”
Date of his upcoming canonization: April 27, 2025
The place and date we will encounter him on our pilgrimage: Assisi on May 19-20
Week 2: St. Peter, the Apostle and First Pope
Died in 64 AD
Feast day: June 29th to celebrate his martyrdom along with St. Paul’s. But also February 22nd to celebrate the Chair of Peter – This feast day commemorates the authority and mission that Jesus gave to Saint Peter, the first Bishop of Rome.
Patron Saint of: Popes, Catholics, Fishermen, Net Makers, and Ship Builders
The place and date we will encounter him on our pilgrimage: Rome, Friday May 16th at St. Peter’s Basilica
Week 1: St. Francis of Assisi
Lived 1181-1226
Feast day: October 4
Patron Saint of: Animals, Archaeologists, Ecology, Italy, Merchants, Messengers, Metal Workers
The place and date we will encounter him on our pilgrimage: Assisi on May 19-20
Information and Tips for Travel
What should I pack??
Packing List
Please read through this list carefully as you prepare your luggage
- Passport (make 4 copies of pages 2-3 (*the page with your picture and info) and put them in different places as you travel)
- Driver’s License and Student id if you have one
- List of emergency phone numbers in case you lose your phone
- Pilgrimage T-shirt (put it on when you arrive in Rome)
- T-shirts (if you plan to do laundry in the sink, you can bring less tshirts – dry fit t-shirts work well for this reason)
- Detergent (for laundry in the sink) – you can find travel sized options at most stores or online
- Pants (Churches do not allow shorts – if you have a pair of pants that have a zipper to take off the bottom part to become shorts then you can have an option when you are outside and it is hot)
- Women – long skirts, long dresses, capris, or pants will work well for Churches
- Socks and underwear
- PJs
- One business casual outfit (Sunday Mass)
- Tennis shoes
- Comfortable sandals
- Travel size Toiletries – Don’t forget deodorant! Shampoo, bar of soap, face wash. Maybe: Contact solution, feminine products, razor, shaving cream, vitamins. You know your needs!
- Attention: properly pack your liquid soaps so that the carry-on has the correct amount. Checked bags can have any size of liquids.
- Bring washcloth if you want to use one
- Water bottle – remember that only store bought plastic water bottles will be allowed into the major basilicas in Rome but otherwise you can use your normal reusable one
- Backpack (can be your personal item in addition to your carry-on)
- Rain jacket, poncho, or umbrella
- Light jacket or sweatshirt (especially for when we go up North)
- Sunglasses and hat
- Sunscreen and chapstick
- Rosary
- Journal/Pen
- Optional: book for spiritual reading
- Phone and phone charger
- Travel kleenex packet (might be needed for bathrooms that don’t have toilet paper)
- Flip flops/ shower shoes might be nice to have
- Travel size Hand sanitizer
- Medicines and medications that you might need
- Converter and adapter for plugging stuff in (type: Italy or Southern Europe)
- Gift for host family ($20-$30)
- Travel size- Febreeze or wrinkle release (good for keeping clothes smelling good and best route for “ironing”)
- Snacks like granola bars or protein bars
- Health insurance cards
- If you have travelers insurance, bring that policy info
- Some plastic zip bags to contain liquids in your carry-on and checked in luggages.
Items that can be helpful:
- Some people like having some melatonin (sleep aid) due to needing to get over jet lag.
- Compression travel bags – squish your clothes which can be very helpful if you only have a carry-on Example on Amazon.com: Compression Bags for Travel – Travel Essentials – 12 Pack Space Saver Bags – No Vacuum or Pump Needed – Vacuum Storage Bags for Travel Accessorie – Travel and Home Packing Organizers (transparent) : Home & Kitchen
- Don’t get the ones that need a vacuum to get the air out.
- Protection covers for passport and credit card –Amazon.com | RFID Blocking Credit Card & Passport Sleeves (4 Long Side Credit Card & 2 Passport Protectors) – RFID Blocking Identity Theft Protection, Slim Design – Ideal for Travel and Everyday Use | Travel Accessories
- Money pouch for around your neck or other safe options for keeping passport and money –Amazon.com | Money Belt for Travel, Slim RFID Blocking Women and Men Hidden Travel Pouch Under Clothes, Passport Holder Protect Cash, Documents, Credit Card, Bonus 2 RFID Sleeves | Travel Wallets (this option also comes with protection covers for passport and credit card)
Modesty and Comfort Please!
Think about what you are packing in terms of modesty with no short skirts/dresses, sleeveless or low-cut tops or open midriff.
Comfortable shoes are a must! But don’t get so comfortable in your clothing to the point of looking sloppy. Europeans dress nicely as you will notice there.
It will be pretty hot in Rome and Assisi but it is May so it might be chilly at least in the evenings. It could also be rainy – keep an eye on the weather before packing. Turin might be like Rome in terms of temperature or a little cooler. In northern Italy it will be cooler due to the mountains in the area.
What to expect?
What to expect
There will be 2 travel days on your own + 11 days that we spend together.
“A tourist travels distances to be greatly informed; a pilgrim is called to journey forth and be transformed!”
- It’s a Jubilee Year: ask for big graces! Check out the video on the website to refresh your memory on what a Jubilee Year is.
- Bring your intentions and the intentions of your family and friends. Remember that you can submit intentions on the website to have masses offered for them during the pilgrimage.
- Read through the Saint of the Week to get more familiar with some of the saints who will be accompanying us in these days
- Prayer will be offered in various forms throughout the trip including daily mass, rosary, adoration, guided meditations, silent retreat morning, personal reflection moments…
When in Rome…
- 4 full days of a very full and energetic Rome especially since Pope Francis has died and many pilgrims are going there to pay their respects and pray at his burial site at St. Mary Major’s. Due to the conclave beginning May 7th, we are uncertain if our itinerary will be affected. And finally, many pilgrims from all over the world are in Rome for the Jubilee Year celebrations
- We will sometimes have a bus and other times use public transportation as well as our feet to get around.
- We will pass by the Colosseum and Roman Forum and see it from the outside (you can actually see a lot that way!) but we will not go in for a tour inside. If you want to do that, you can get tickets on your own and do so during one of the free moments. Let us know if you need help with that.
- Choose your own adventure on Saturday afternoon (we will send a google form for you to choose which one you want to do)
- Option 1 with Sr. Tatum: St. Lawrence Basilica where St. Lawrence, St. Stephen and St. Justin Martyr are buried; next door is the cemetery where Servant of God Chiara Corbella Petrillo is buried.
- Option 2 with Sr. Kate: Historic neighborhood of Trastevere (where the first christian communities lived), a visit to St Cecilia, the Basilica where she is buried, and Santa Maria in Trastevere, one the first Marian churches in Rome.
- Option 3 with Sr. Cherise: The Gesù, the Jesuit Church where St. Ignatius of Loyola is buried and the original Sacred Heart of Jesus painting is kept; St. Augustine Church where his mom, St. Monica is buried; and some Churches that have the famous Caravaggio paintings (ex. The call of St. Matthew)
- Option 4 with Fr. Greg e Deacon Michael: Dominican adventure – St. Sabina where the Dominican Order has its headquarters and a visit to the Basilica where St. Catherine of Siena is buried.
- Option 5 with Elena – a visit to Saint Mother Teresa’s first house in Europe (currently the house of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers) to visit and pray in the room where she would stay while serving her sisters and the poor in Rome; a visit to the Missionaries of Charity Sisters at San Gregorio. (10 people max, first come first serve).
- Free evening after the “choose your own adventure” afternoon.
- Sunday offers a free morning (until 2pm) in which you could perhaps choose to do:
- Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square and/or the Angelus at noon. If a new pope is elected by then, he may celebrate the Mass and/or do the Angelus.
- Sunday Mass at the Pontifical North American College where American seminarians from all over the States live while studying in Rome.
- Visit the Catacombs or other particular churches not on our itinerary (we will soon send you a more detailed itinerary)
- this is just a glimpse…we will do so much more than what is mentioned above!
While in Assisi…
- We will visit some important sites in the life of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi including the place of their conversion and of their death.
- We will hike up to the hermitage where Francis and many followers after him spent many hours in prayer for mass and a morning of retreat.
- We will also have the opportunity to visit the newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis who is buried in Assisi.
- We will have a free evening to roam around the little town and enjoy its picturesque views and perhaps some yummy gelato!
While in Turin…
- We will visit the house where St. John Bosco was born and grew up.
- We will visit the tomb of St. John Bosco and one of the first Salesian Oratories.
- We will also visit the Cathedral where there is the tomb of Blessed PIer Giorgio Frassati (almost saint!) and where the Shroud of Turin is kept.
While in Northern Italy…
- We will experience life with families at dinner time both Friday and Saturday.
- We will visit beautiful sights on Lake Maggiore which is similar to the more famous Lake Como, and, after boating across the lake, we will visit the place of Saint Charles Borromeo.
- We will also visit the tomb of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.
- On Sunday we will finish the pilgrimage with a hike to the sacred mountain (Sacro Monte) with unique chapels (big as churches) of the 15 mysteries of the rosary. It is as much a spiritual as an artistic experience! We will finish with Mass in the Ambrosian Rite since this shrine is in the Archdiocese of Milan where St. Ambrose was bishop.
Host Families!
- We put you in contact with them so you can already start getting to know each other in whatever way you choose.
- As you get to know them (if they have children, what they like, etc…) please think of a gift you can bring them from the States. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but something symbolic and meaningful that shows appreciation and connects them to where you are from just as they, with their very hospitality, are connecting you to where they are from.
Travel tips and Money exchange
Travel on Departure day
- It is of the utmost importance that you submit your travel information through the google form (https://forms.gle/j4R63ugr9oJ12meV6) so that we can make sure you have tickets that get you to the airport or train station depending on your needs.
- Remember that if you did not respect the times we offered to you and bought an earlier flight than we suggested, you will need to provide other means of transportation to the airport. We will contact you, if this is your case, according to the information you submit through the above google form.
Passports
- Your passport is your most important document. If you don’t have it when you fly out to Italy, you are most likely not coming to Italy!
- Be sure to make four copies of the 2nd page of your passport (the one with your photo and info) and to pack those copies in a different place than where you are keeping your passport. If your passport gets lost, you will have two backups!
- It is common enough to have your passport stolen so we want everyone to stay extra attentive to this. Carry your passport with you when you fly (DO NOT put your passport in your checked luggage) and keep it safe while you fly. When you arrive in Rome we will tell you where to keep it. It might be helpful to buy something that keeps your passport safe like:
- Amazon.com | RFID Blocking Sleeve Anti Theft 4 Credit Card & 2 Passport Holder Wallet Pocket | Passport Wallets
- Amazon.com | Travelon Rfid Blocking Undergarment Neck Pouch Travel Wallet, Gray, One Size | Travel Wallets
- FYI: these are just examples: do your research before buying to find what best fits your needs and budget
ID: Bring a current student ID, if you have one, as some places will have student discounts. Bring your driver’s license as well.
Money – Euros
- Notify your bank ahead of traveling: Europe is a common destination for Americans, but you’ll still want to notify your bank about your travel plans before leaving. This includes which countries you plan on visiting and for how long. This should make it easy for you to transact abroad and stop your bank from declining any transactions in Europe or freezing your account.
- Experts say: “Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip. Some tourists feel like they must have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.”
- As part of what you will receive on this pilgrimage we will be giving each person spending money in euros. Keep in mind that more or less, one meal a day is on your own so this money can help pay for that meal. We are doing this so that you will have money already in euro and do not lose money on the exchange. We will give this money to you in increments and explain more details about that later on.
- If you need to withdraw more spending money in Europe…
- Plan your cash withdrawals wisely. Avoid having a lot of unused currency left over when you cross borders between countries that use different currencies. But you’ll also want to avoid unnecessary frequent ATM visits, to minimize withdrawal fees.
- Avoid exchanging money at airports, hotels, and tourist areas. They do not offer good exchange rates and pickpockets are known to wait outside tourist areas looking to take cash from unsuspecting tourists.
- Withdraw euros instead of US dollars from ATMs that are called “bancomat” in italian. This will allow your bank to handle the currency conversion, giving you a better exchange rate on your exchange.
- Exchange money in Europe instead of the U.S.
- Debit Card: used to pay or to withdraw cash from ATMs. Alert your bank before travelling and always ask a restaurant or other vendor if they take debit before purchasing something in case they do not.
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Credit Card: Visa and Mastercard are both widely accepted throughout Europe. However, your payment options may be more limited if you’re using an American Express or Discover card. Before purchasing, check with the merchant to see which credit cards they will accept.
Protocols
Protocols
- We will be staying in same-gender rooms. So girls stay with girls and boys stay with boys. We ask that no boys go in girls rooms and no girls go in guy’s rooms at any point of the day. We will use the hotel’s common spaces to hang out amongst each other. Thank you in advance for respecting that rule.
- We will be assigning roommates randomly – sometimes you will see it is just alphabetical order and other times it is random. It is to make the room assignments simpler to prepare and also to allow for people to meet one another and not get sick of their roommate! We will stay in 4 locations so possibly up to four different roommates.
- We will have a no waiting for you policy. We understand that in a group of 53 people we run the risk of being late for something if just one person is running behind. The bus company is also on a tight schedule and so we cannot run late without getting an added fee. Therefore we will always leave on time. You will have mobile data to help get you a taxi or figure out how to get to the next place on public transportation, but as a staff we will not be responsible if you are late. Plan ahead with your phone alarms to get you up on time. If you are famous for being late, get a friend to help keep you accountable. Let’s help each other stay on schedule so that we don’t miss out on anything!
- You will be held responsible for the problems (legal and otherwise) that you get yourself into. Please just remember that we are on pilgrimage and so please make smart decisions so as to keep these days peaceful and fun for everyone.
Mobile Data (Internet access)
Mobile Data
- Cellphones: will be used for communication amongst the group and navigation when you are on your own. Please make sure you protect your phone and have it with you always. We want you to have your phones for emergencies, to be able to contact your family, to take pictures, to listen to the tour guide at some places, and to be able to look up whatever might be needed. Below is a list of all the apps needed so you will need to download those before the trip.
- That being said, use the phone for what is needed and not in abundance (contacting people back home or social media). We want everyone to be present to everyone and to what we are going to be seeing.
- Let your family and friends know ahead of time that you will not be available all day for texting them and facetiming. Pick maybe a half hour or less of your day to post a picture, call home, or send some texts. Other times of the day, let’s be present to each other and the experience of the pilgrimage.
- Mobile data options:
- Europe eSIM, from USD 5.5 | Prepaid Travel eSIM | Nomad – This is an eSIM where it works as a prepaid data service. The service comes recommended by many travelers. It is $12-14 for 3-5 GB for 30 day time. Please note the devices that can use this service: iphone 11 and above. Info: What Is An eSIM? | Nomad
- Iliad – You can get an Esim card if your device allows it and get this plan in advance. Otherwise you can get a physical sim card (see image on the right of what a sim card looks like and where it is inserted) in Italy at the airport (higher cost due to convenience) or at a store. You get unlimited minutes to call phones in America and many gigabytes for what you pay. It is around 20 euros for the sim card with one month of phone plan. You will have an Italian number with this option. Note: tourists should ensure their devices are unlocked and compatible with Iliad’s network before purchasing a SIM card.
- International phone plan with your current phone provider (Example from Verizon: TravelPass: You can use your domestic plan’s talk, text and data for a daily fee. You’re only charged for the days that you use your phone abroad.$6/day in Canada and Mexico. $12/day in other countries. $100 International Monthly Plan: Ideal for trips for 9 days or longer. You can choose a 1 month plan or have it renew each month. Unlimited data1 (20 GB of high speed data then unlimited data at 3G speeds). Unlimited text messaging. 250 minutes of International calling.)
Please bring a set or two of good headphones that work with your phone. If you have a wireless option, bring another pair of chorded ones just in case your battery runs out. Again, we will need these for some of the tours we will have. We will have an app that you will download to hear the person doing the tour.
Apps to download
Whatsapp (for sending text messages and sharing photos easily)
Open this link to join the pilgrimage whatsapp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HnsAVFuL1ps8sT6BCUxPYl
Ibreviary (for Liturgy of the Hours)
Livevoice – for the live guided tours and communication through your phone- Access it through code: 696808 (this number is needed for access to our channel)
Rick Steve’s Audio Europe for guided tours when the tour is not provided by Pilgrimage Team
Zoom meeting link for Sunday, April 13th
AVI Sisters is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Pilgrimage MeetingTime: Apr 13, 2025 02:00-3:15 PM Central Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 817 6153 4722
Flight details needed when looking to purchase your flight
Arrive in Rome at Fiumicino airport (FCO) by 9:30 am on Thursday, May 15th. This means your flight from the States would depart sometime on Wednesday the 14th.
Departure day is Monday, May 26th from Milan – Malpensa Airport (MXP). We will take people to the airport in time to catch a flight to the US at 10:15 am or later. Please do not book a flight that leaves earlier than this. You will be responsible for your own transportation to the airport if you do.
Also, remember you can travel before or after in Europe if you want! Just be at the Rome Airport (FCO) on the designated day and time and we can also take you to the train station in Milan if you plan to travel around by train after the pilgrimage, keeping in mind the times indicated above.
Buying a flight can be done anytime so if you want to get started on your research (and perhaps find a good deal), here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:
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Choose the “multi-city option” that allows you to arrive in a different city than the one you leave from (instead of one-way or round trip). You may need to click first on “advanced search options” to find it.
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When possible, avoid checking ticket prices multiple times from the same device (or try using an “incognito window” or private window on the same computer).
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If you purchase a non-direct flight (i.e. a ticket that has a layover in some other city), please allow at least 2 hours for flight connections. Beware of enticing low prices that allow less than 1 hour and 30 minutes for connecting flights. You do not want to risk missing your connecting flight to save a few bucks.
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We recommend you buy your tickets in one single reservation, as it guarantees that you will be rerouted at no charge by the airline (if you have a connecting flight, and your first flight is delayed and you miss a connecting flight). If instead you buy independent segments of your flights from different airlines and your first flight is delayed and you miss your connecting flight, you’ll have to pay for a new ticket.
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Please make sure that you purchase airline tickets for the following airports:
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Rome Fiumicino (Code FCO). Please, DO NOT choose a flight that lands at the other Airport of Rome Ciampino (Code CIA).
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Milan Malpensa (Code MXP). Please, DO NOT choose a flight out of the other Airport of Milan Linate (code LIN).
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Popular direct flights from US airports to Rome (read again the note about making a single reservation)
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DFW… lands at 8:05 am
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JFK… lands at 7:05 am
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ATL… lands at 7:35 am
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It is also possible to have a layover in Europe before coming to Rome. Just make sure you respect the 2 hour minimum layover time and arrive at FCO by the time indicated above.
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Although it’s hard to predict, you can feel confident when seeing a price around $1,200. It is, however, possible to pay more (or less) depending on many independent external factors we have no control over.
Some tips for purchasing a flight
Advice for buying flights from someone who travels frequently:
“How I track flights: I use google flight alerts (signed into my google account)
Here’s a guide. It’s google so it just works: https://thriftytraveler.com/
When it’s time to buy, change to a different device and different wifi network and look up the flight directly.”
We encourage you to continue to make smart financial choices in the months to come, so as to enter into the perspective of being a pilgrim and not just a tourist. Remember also to tap into the fundraising pool that might be available to you connected to Christmas gifts or graduation gifts from relatives and friends.
Again let us know if you have questions and send them here: pilgrimage2025@apostlesofil.
Travel Insurance information
- Travel insurance (optional, recommended) Check out this website to understand how travel insurance works, how much it costs (around $75), and why it is recommended. Read more here also: Updated-CFAR-Travel-Insured A pilgrimage company recommended this Travel Insured as a good option for purchasing International Travel Insurance: Travel Insured
To do list:
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Purchase your flight in a timely fashion
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Submit flight info so that the pilgrimage team has your flight information. Click the button below to do so.
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DONE! Make the payment of $1,500 by check (or $1,532.50 if using credit card) by February 1st, 2025.
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Decide if you will purchase travel insurance.
SPES NON CONFUNDIT. “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). In the spirit of hope, the Apostle Paul addressed these words of encouragement to the Christian community of Rome. Hope is also the central message of the Jubilee that, in accordance with an ancient tradition, the Pope proclaims every twenty-five years. My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches. For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1). Continue reading…
Days Until Jubilee Pilgrimage Begins
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