Rome & Assisi Program

Ignatian Year 2021/22

MAY 20, 2021 / JULY 31, 2022
Footsteps Of Ignatius Pilgrimages
“to see all things new in Christ”

All our itineraries are flexible and customizable.

Day 1: Rome – arrival & St. Paul Outside Walls

Arrival at Fiumicino airport, meet our experienced tour manager who will assist and guide us throughout our tour, board our private motorcoach and transfer to our accommodation.

On the way we stop and celebrate mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. This is one of Rome’s four papal basilicas, and the second largest after Saint Peter’s. The Basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine over the site where Saint Paul was buried. The Basilica is a special place for Jesuits. Here Ignatius and five of his first companions, who were part of the group that co-founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), professed their vows on 22 April, 1541.

We then continue to our accommodation.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Rome – Ignatian Rome

Today we enjoy a walking tour following the footsteps of Ignatius and the early Jesuits. We start celebrating mass at the Church of Jesus, the Mother Church of the Order of the Jesuits, which began in 1568. Here is where St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Order of the Jesuits, rests in peace.

We then visit the nearby Rooms of Ignatius, where he wrote the Constitution of the Jesuits, and see his desk and chair. Built in 1543 and recently restored, for the occasion of the Ignatian year, they are the same where he lived, worked and died: as we pass through these simple rooms, we have the sense of walking back 5 centuries. We have some free time for lunch and then continue our tour of Ignatian sites.

We visit the Church of San Ignazio, where St. Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Giovanni Berchmans are buried. We also view the Collegio Romano, established by Ignazio to cover schooling from primary to university education, the pontifical Gregorian university, also established by Ignatius in 1551 as a “free” school of grammar, humanity and Christian doctrine, and the Collegio S. Roberto Bellarmino, whose building was purchased in 1607 by the Society of Jesus to make it the seat of their Roman Seminary. We end visiting some well-known monuments in Rome that are nearby, the Pantheon, the Basilica of St. Maria Sopra Minerva and Piazza Navona.

Transfer back to our accommodation.
Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Rome – the seven churches of Rome

Today we visit some of the seven churches that were part of a “camino”, started by San Filippo Neri, contemporary and friend of Ignatius and Francis Xavier. It took place in the city of Rome and wanted to offer a way to help pilgrims share a common religious experience through discovering the heritage of the early Saints. At each church, there would be prayer, hymn singing and a brief sermon by St. Philip.

We start celebrating mass in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Ignatius celebrated his first mass. We then walk to St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. After visit we continue to the Church of Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, built inside the residence of Elena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, to house the Relics of the Passion of the Lord which, according to legend, were miraculously found by her at Calvary. After some free time for lunch, we continue our tour and visit the ancient Basilica of St. Lawrence outside Walls, dating back to the year 330 AD. Inside is kept the Tomb of Saint Lawrence, martyred in 258 AD, and therelics of Saint Stephen, traditionally venerated as the first martyr of Christianity.

Transfer back to our hotel and balance of the afternoon at our leisure.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Rome – Vatican

After breakfast we transfer to the Vatican City to atted the Papal Audience with the Holy Father, Pope Francesco.

We then visit the Basilica of St. Peter and enjoy the afternoon free in the area, to explore on our own or to take an optional visit of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel or, alternatively, a tour of Ancient Rome.

Transfer back to our accommodation in time for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Rome / Catacombs / Assisi

After breakfast we transfer to the Basilica of St. Sebastian, located along the Appia Antica Way. It is another one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and stands on the spot where, according to legend, the remains of Saint Peter and Paul were taken during the Christian persecution. That is why the original name of this church was the Basilica Apostolorum. Later it was dedicated to Saint Sebastian, who was buried in late third century in the catacombs located underneath the basilica. We celebrate mass in the Basilica and visit its catacombs.

We then depart Rome for Assisi, home of St. Francis. This town is very significant on an Ignatian pilgrimage. During his convalescence, one of the books on Saints that Ignatius read was about St Francis of Assisi. Ignatius was so inspired by St Francis that at the time of his conversion, he decided to “imitate the life of St. Francis” In Assisi we will learn about the similarities or parallels that connect these two Saints.

Upon arrival we transfer to our accommodation and enjoy our dinner.

Overnight.

Day 6: Assisi

We celebrate Mass this morning at the Basilica of St. Francis followed by a tour of the Basilica with a Franciscan Friar. We then continue on a walking city sightseeing including the sites related to St. Francis. We visit the Chiesa Nuova, the Church of St. Mary Major and the Basilica of St. Clare.

Lunch and afternoon at leisure.

Dinner and overnight at our accommodation.

Day 7: Assisi/La Storta/Rome

We depart Assisi and travel to Rome. En route we stop at La Storta and visit the little Chapel of the Vision where Ignatius, on his way to Rome, stopped to pray and had a vision of Jesus Christ with the cross on his shoulders and, beside Him, the Father said: I want you to take him as your servant. Jesus then turned to Ignazio saying: I want you to serve us.

We then continue to Rome and our accommodation.

The afternoon will be at our leisure.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Rome / Dept.

After breakfast we transfer to Fiumicino airport in time for our flight back home.

End of our services.