Highway to Heaven – Pilgrimage to Italy with Catholic Quest

Our pilgrimage begins today as we depart for an overnight flight(s) to Milan with meals and refreshments served onboard.

Once you land in Milan, you will be met at the airport by your tour manager and driver and brought to join the rest of the group in Turin. We will check into our hotel and if time allows, we will have the chance to explore the city before dinner.

Overnight in Turin

After breakfast, we will visit the Turin Cathedral, home to the revered Shroud of Turin, believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus, and the burial place of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Then, we will visit the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians at Valdocco, an important site for Salesians as it was commissioned by Saint Don Bosco in honor of Our Lady. He and other saints are buried here, including Saint Dominic Savio, the young boy who devoted his life to prayer and penance. A peacemaker and an organizer, young Dominic founded a group he called the Company of the Immaculate Conception which, besides being devotional, aided Don Bosco in his work with neglected youth. He had a strong friendship with Jesus and Our Lady and died at the age of 14. He is the patron saint of mothers with difficult pregnancies. After visiting his burial place, we will pass through the villages outside of Turin where Saint Dominic grew up and where he died. We will then return to the hotel for dinner.

Overnight in Turin

This morning we will travel eastward to Milan and visit the Duomo di Milano, a magnificent Gothic cathedral that took several centuries to complete. For the rest of the day, we will explore the highlights of Milan, including the famous La Scala opera house and the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper,” is housed. These are the famous sites that Blessed Carlo Acutis, another young man on the path to sainthood, would have visited during his lifetime. Blessed Carlo was an extraordinary young man who, from the age of 12, made commitments to attend daily Mass, pray the rosary daily, to go to confession frequently, and to spend time in Eucharistic adoration. He loved technology, the internet, and video games, but was sure to not spend too much time playing video games. He made sure Jesus in the Eucharist was at the center of his young life. Combining two of his favorite things, at age 14 he famously made a website presenting the many Eucharistic miracles present in the world. This website still exists and was an inspiration for this pilgrimage. Carlo often said how the Eucharist was his “Highway to Heaven.” Carlo died at age 15 from Leukemia and was beatified in 2020. Time-permitting, we will identify sites where Blessed Carlo grew up in Milan. We will return to Turin for dinner. 

Overnight in Turin

Today we will travel to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, a saint to whom Carlo had great devotion. Before dinner, we will take time to visit the Shrine of the Renunciation, where Blessed Carlo’s body is interred, and learn more about his life and spirituality.

Overnight in Assisi

After breakfast, we will visit the Basilica of Saint Clare, where Saint Clare of Assisi is buried. Next, we will have the chance to meet with the mother of Blessed Carlo, Antonia Acutis, who has agreed to meet with our pilgrimage group (barring any major conflicts with his cause for canonization) and share the unique perspective of being the mother of a beatified child.

Overnight Assisi

Today we will delve deeper into the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis by visiting the Sanctuary of the Spoliation and the Church of Saint Mary Major, where he served as an altar server. A staple of Assisi, we will then explore the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, where we can venerate the tomb of St. Francis and enjoy the frescoes of the Upper and Lower Basilicas.

Overnight in Assisi

We will start the day by visiting Eremo delle Carceri, a peaceful hermitage in the woods where St. Francis sought solitude. Then we will visit the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, home to the Porziuncola chapel and the Chapel of the Transito, where St. Francis passed away. Before leaving Assisi, we will head to the medieval fortress of Rocca Maggiore for its panoramic views of Assisi. This afternoon we will depart for Lanciano where we will have dinner.

Overnight in Lanciano

Waking up in Lanciano, we will have breakfast and pay a visit to the Church of San Francesco, home to the Chapel of the Eucharistic Miracle, where a monastic priest in the year 750 doubted the True Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. While celebrating Mass, the host turned into Flesh and the wine turned into Blood at the words of consecration. We will get to venerate the relics of this miracle and then visit the Eucharistic Miracle Museum to gain a deeper understanding. The tour of Lanciano concludes at Lanciano Cathedral, also known as the Basilica of the Madonna del Ponte, before making our way to the Eternal City this evening.

Overnight in Rome

This morning we will embark on a full day in Vatican City. In the morning, we will attend a Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square, where we will receive the Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis (subject to the Pope’s schedule). We will have a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, where we can admire Michelangelo’s masterpiece.

Overnight in Rome

Our tour today will explore Rome’s Christian heritage by visiting the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest and highest-ranking of the four papal basilicas. Marvel at the intricate mosaics and visit the Scala Sancta, believed to be the stairs Jesus climbed during his Passion. Today we will also visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and attend Mass in one of the historic churches.

Overnight in Rome

Following breakfast, we will travel back in time with a tour of Ancient Rome. Making our way along centuries-old cobblestone streets lined with Rome’s stately stone pines, we will arrive at Ancient Rome’s monumental three-tiered amphitheater, the Colosseum, once used for gladiatorial games. We will also pass by the Roman Forum, open grounds that are now surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings at the center of Ancient Rome. This afternoon we will discover the ancient Catacombs of Rome, where early Christians were buried, and visit the church of Santa Maria in Palmis, otherwise known as the Church of Domine Quo Vadis on the Appian Way, built on the site where St. Peter met the risen Christ while Peter was fleeing persecution in Rome. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner.

Overnight in Rome

Today we will bid farewell to Italy as we depart from Rome with many cherished memories of pilgrimage.