The Paterson Diocese and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney are offering a pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome in Italy from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, 2025, to celebrate the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope. The trip will include attending a Papal Audience in Rome and receiving blessings from Pope Francis.
The tour will include seven nights’ accommodations at 4-star hotels, two nights in Assisi, and five nights in Rome, accompanied by a local Catholic tour guide. In addition to sightseeing, daily Mas-ses will be celebrated in unique and historic churches (tentative and subject to confirmation).
The pilgrimage to Italy will be a premier event among many the diocese will offer in celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025, which will commemorate the 2,025th anniversary of Jesus’ incarnation. Pope Francis urges Christians “to be builders of hope” during the Jubilee Year, which he will open for the Universal Church at the Vatican on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Guests traveling the diocesan pilgrimage to Italy will arrive in Italy on an overnight flight on Friday, Sept. 26.
The next day, Saturday, Sept. 27, the group will board a private motor coach to Assisi. Mass will be celebrated at the historic Porziuncola, with quiet time for prayer at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Dinner will be followed by an overnight stay in Assisi.
The tour continues on Sunday, Sept. 28, with Mass at the Basilica of St. Clare, followed by a guided walking tour of Assisi’s historic sites. Visits can be made to the Basilica of St. Francis and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Blessed Carlo Acutis is interred. Pilgrims have leisure time in the afternoon and may dine independently in the evening.
On Monday, Sept. 29, guests will depart Assisi for Rome. En route, they will stop in Orvieto for Mass at the Duomo and spend time praying at the Chapel of the Eucharistic Miracle. After having lunch on their own, they will settle in at the hotel in Rome and gather for a group dinner.
The next day, Tuesday, Sept. 30, will begin with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a tour of the remaining major basilicas. Pilgrims will spend leisure time in the afternoon before taking an evening walking tour to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona. Afterward, they will rest, dine, and stay overnight in Rome.
On Wednesday, Oct. 1, guests will attend the weekly papal audience in St. Peter’s Square to see and listen to Pope Francis preach. They will participate in a pizza-making class and lunch before touring the St. Priscilla Catacombs. Pilgrims will spend leisure time with dinner on their own and another overnight in Rome.
The tour will continue on Thursday, Oct. 2, with pilgrims joining the North American College for the ordination of transitional diaconate at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica. A group lunch will be followed by a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Then, guests will dine on their own.
On Friday, Oct. 3, pilgrims will attend Mass at a local church of their choosing. They then tour the tomb of St. Peter, the Catholic Church’s first pope, before spending their final afternoon in Rome. They will gather for a farewell dinner before their return flight to the United States on Oct. 4.
Continental breakfast will be offered daily. Included are two lunches and three dinners with wine, including welcome and farewell dinners.
Pricing starts at $4,799 per person, double occupancy, which reflects a $200 per person.
There is an early booking discount for deposits received before Oct. 31, 2024, and a $145 per person check discount for those paying the remaining balance by check after the initial deposit. A $500 per person deposit is due upon registration. A $1,250 second deposit is due on or before April 30, 2025. The final balance is due on or before June 30, 2025.
The pilgrimage is being hosted by Pilgrimages by Corporate Travel of Northville, Mich. (www.pilgrimagesbycts.com). For additional information, visit www.ctscentral.net/faq
