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Today, our Catholic pilgrimage begins. As we depart for London, we hold in our hearts the intentions of this journey—to walk in the footsteps of England’s great Catholic figures.
We arrive into London Heathrow, collect our bags and arrive at our hotel for check-in. Today we visit Lincoln’s Inn, where St. Thomas More, the steadfast Catholic lawyer and martyr, studied and later taught. Later today Mass will be celebrated at St. James Spanish Place.
Dinner and overnight in London
After breakfast this morning, we visit the location of St. Thomas More’s former home in Chelsea. While the structure is no more, his legacy endures, notably with the mulberry tree he planted at Allen Hall Seminary. We then commemorate the Catholic martyrs at Tyburn Convent with Mass celebration at the very site where many laid down their lives for their faith. Our day continues at Chelsea Old Church, which houses the side chapel St. Thomas More rebuilt in 1528. This afternoon, we’ll enjoy a cruise up the Thames River, followed by a visit to the Tower of London. Then onto All Hallows Church, considered to be the oldest (formerly Catholic) church in London.
Dinner and overnight in London.
Following breakfast, we visit Stonor Park, a testament to a noble English Catholic family’s unwavering fidelity to the Catholic Church in the midst of persecution as well as the legendary bravery of young, heroic priest and martyr St. Edmund Campion, who printed highly illegal Catholic apologetics and evangelization leaflets there, while hiding (in the attic!) from the implacable Protestant persecutors who pursued him relentlessly until he was finally caught and martyred at Tyburn. We’ll offer our prayers and celebrate Mass in the ancient Stonor Park’s private family chapel. Free time this afternoon in the delightful town of Henley, adjacent to the River Thames.
Dinner and overnight in London.
We enjoy breakfast and begin our day at Westminster Cathedral, where we celebrate Mass and venerate the incorrupt remains of the martyr, Saint John Southworth. Mass will be celebrated here. As we tour the Houses of Parliament, St. Thomas More’s emblematic coat of arms stands as a symbol of his integral role in England’s Catholic heritage. Next, onto a Westminster Abbey. This afternoon, we’ll enjoy a ride on the famous London Eye Ferris wheel.
Dinner and overnight in London.
After breakfast, we travel in the footsteps of Canterbury Tales’ pilgrims and head to Ramsgate. Mass will be celebrated in the Shrine of St. Augustine of Canterbury in picturesque Ramsgate, marking where he began evangelizing the wild, pagan Anglo-Saxon tribes across the British Isles in the 6th century. In Canterbury, we visit the stunningly beautiful medieval Canterbury Cathedral, with a special visit to the altar of which St. Thomas Becket, Catholic archbishop of Canterbury was martyred on this spot by the King’s mercenaries because of his fidelity to the Pope. Before returning to our hotel, we’ll make a walk to St. Dunstan’s Church, where St. Thomas More’s head is buried in the Roper family vault.
Dinner and overnight in Canterbury.
Following breakfast, we depart the hotel for the seaside town of Brighton where we’ll have free time to walk the pier and enjoy the ocean breeze. Next onto Arundel Castle, dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel. We’ll have time for Mass in the Castle’s Chapel. Then onto the Priest’s House in West Grinstead, a place that tells tales of secret Masses and resilient faith during anti-Catholic periods of persecution by Protestants. We explore its clandestine chapels and priest hideouts designed by St. Nicholas Owen. Here, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated daily, in secret, for over 200 years. In this sanctuary, we also pay homage to the renowned Catholic author Hillaire Belloc, whose writings defended the true Faith — the Catholic Church — against the many errors and lies leveled against the Church during the fierce persecutions of the English “Reformation.” West Grinstead is also home to the beautiful Gothic-revival shrine to Our Lady of Consolation – the first shrine created after the Reformation.
Dinner and overnight in West Grinstead.
We begin our day at the iconic and mysterious ancient pre-Christian monument Stonehenge. Later, as we explore the town and university of Oxford, we intertwine our Catholic faith with historical Catholic academia, exploring the renowned University of Oxford, its Catholic roots, and the Botanic Garden’s rich heritage. Mass will be celebrated in the College Chapel.
Dinner and overnight in Birmingham.
Tuesday, Oct 1: Newman’s Journey in Birmingham
Time for breakfast this morning. Mass will be celebrated at the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Next, Maryvale Institute welcomes us to the home of the celebrated apologist and scholar Saint John Henry Newman—the renowned Anglican minister and historian who caused a huge uproar when he converted to the Catholic Church and spent the rest of his long life defending her from her Protestant critics with a huge output of brilliant apologetics books, essays, and articles. We will have Mass in the Newman Chapel at the magnificent Birmingham Oratory. The remainder of the day is at leisure in Birmingham.
Farewell dinner overnight in Birmingham.
With a renewed sense of pilgrimage and an invigorated love for our Catholic faith, we bid farewell to England and catch our return flight home.
We depart north for free time in Liverpool. Stop into The Cavern Club, the place where the Beatles’ musical identity was forged. Afterwords, we’ll proceed north to Scotland by high-speed rail. On arrival, we will enjoy a brief tour of Glasgow, including George Square and the nearby Glasgow Cathedral. Before dinner, we’ll have the opportunity to gather for Mass celebrated at the Carfin Grotto, Scotland’s National Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes.
Overnight Glasgow, Scotland
After breakfast this morning, we’ll travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond. We’ll continue through Fort William and stop at the Spean Bridge Woolen Mill. At Fort Augustus, we’ll take a cruise on Loch Ness to keep an eye out for “Nessie.” Before heading to our hotel in Strathpeffer, we will participate in Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Inverness. We will enjoy dinner tonight in the entertainment of Scottish music.
Overnight Strathpeffer, Scotland
Today, we visit the Culloden Visitor Centre to learn about the Battle of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated by the British army in 1746. We then drive to Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry to sample the whisky distilled there. We’ll continue south to Fife to visit the Shrine of St. Margaret at Dunfermline Abbey.
Overnight Edinburgh, Scotland
This morning we tour Edinburgh, preceding along Princess Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. Next, we’ll visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. Following our visit to the castle, we will visit the National Shrine of St. Andrew, which is part of St. Mary’s Cathedral. There, we will have the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Andrew and participate in Mass.
Overnight Edinburgh, Scotland
With a renewed sense of pilgrimage, and an invigorated love of our Catholic faith, we’ll transfer to the Edinburgh Airport this morning to board our plane for the return flight home.
