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"Pecoriello"
Eucharistic Miracles of Italy |
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St. Joseph Cupertino, did not fail to receive his beloved Lord every day. He once ventured
to say to his brothers in religious life, "Be sure that I will depart into the next life on the day that I cannot receive the
Pecoriello", as he affectionately and devotedly called the Divine Lamb.
Mother Teresa once said, "If we truly understand the Eucharist, if we make the Eucharist the central focus of our lives; if we
feed our lives with the Eucharist, we will not find it difficult to discover Christ. Christ invites us, 'Come to me.' ". |
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Rome, Orvieto, Lanciano, Loreto, Macerata,
Cascia, Assisi, Siena, Florence and Milan |
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10 Days - Regions of Latium, Umbria, Abruzzo,
Tuscany, The Marches and Lombardy, Italy |
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Itinerary |
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Day 1: |
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Depart the U.S. on an international flight bound for Rome. Meals will be served on the
overnight flight. |
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Day 2: |
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Upon arrival in Italy, we are welcomed in the "Eternal City" by our Tour Director
who will transfer us to our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Rome. |
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Day 3: |
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After breakfast, enjoy a panoramic tour of classical Rome, which includes the Colosseum, the
Forum, the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus and more. In the afternoon, visit the three major basilicas: St. Mary Major, St. John
Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Dinner and overnight in Rome. |
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Day 4: |
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Our day finds us on an excursion to Orvieto, where we will celebrate Mass at the famous
Cathedral of Orvieto, built in 1288 to commemorate the "Miracle of Bolsena". It is alleged that this miracle came about because
a priest questioned the presence of Jesus Christ in the Host. Upon this doubt, a host started to drip blood and the Feast of Corpus
Christi was started. Dinner and overnight in Rome. |
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Day 5: |
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Today, we proceed to Lanciano to visit the relic of the living flesh of Jesus in a special
monstrance. This wondrous Event took place in the 8th century A.D., as a divine response to a monk's doubt about Jesus' Real Presence in
the Eucharist. During Holy Mass, the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine was changed into live Blood. We will be celebrating
Mass here. We then continue on to proceed to Loreto. According to tradition, the Shrine of Loreto is built around the house of the Holy
Family. So how can a home from Nazareth end up in the hill of Loreto? Legend has it that in 1291 the house was transported by angels from
Nazareth to Croatia and finally to Loreto in 1294. It is considered one of the treasures of the Catholic Church. Scientific studies done
in 1962 confirmed that the house is constructed of limestone and cedar from the region around Nazareth, and not Loreto, thus continuing
to affirm that it is truly the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Dinner and overnight in Loreto. |
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Day 6: |
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We travel to another Eucharistic Miracle site is in the Cathedral in Macerata.
The Host turned into Flesh at the moment of the consecration during Mass and the blood fell onto the corporal and consequently onto the
altar cloth which you can still see. Later, we journey to Assisi. This town owes its fame to our beloved St. Francis, whose dedication
to humility and charity became the foundation of the Franciscan Order, and to St. Clare, who along with St. Francis made a significant
contribution to the past and present of the city. We will see many famous sites, including the 13th century Basilica of San Francesco
and the Basilica of Santa Chiara, on our walking tour. Dinner and overnight in Assisi. |
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Day 7: |
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Enjoy a day excursion to Cascia, the small town that earned its fame because of St. Rita, a married woman, mother,
widow, nun, mystic, stigmatist and also known as the Saint of the Impossible. Her incorrupt body now lies in repose in the Basilica.
Here, we will also view another Eucharistic Miracle residing in a stone crystal tabernacle located in the lower chapel of the Basilica
where we will be celebrating Mass. We may also view the bloodstained pages of the breviary which cradle the miraculous Host, leaving
a perfect outline of Christ’s face. Dinner and overnight in Assisi. |
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Day 8: |
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After breakfast, depart for the medieval walled city of Siena. Stroll the Piazza
del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares where the Palio is held. Siena is the site of a Eucharistic Miracle that occurred more than 250
years ago in the Basilica of St. Francis where we will be celebrating Mass. It is also the birthplace of the Dominican mystic,
St. Catherine of Siena. Visit the Basilica of St. Dominic where her incorrupt head is kept, then proceed to her home to see the cross
from which she received the stigmata, only made visible after her death. We then continue on to Florence, Italy’s great "City of
Art". Marvel at the elaborate buildings of the Cathedral Square and through the Piazza della Signoria and to the Church of San
Ambrogio, where two Eucharistic Relics are located. Dinner and overnight in Florence. |
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Day 9: |
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Today, we travel to Milan for a half-day panoramic city tour before viewing the masterpiece
of Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, at the Santa Maria Delle Grazie. This painting reflects
the drama and shock of the moment when Christ said: "But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table." The
painting is spread across a surface 29 feet wide and 15 feet high, and took da Vinci two years, 1495 to 1497, to complete. Dinner and
overnight in Milan. |
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Day 10: |
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We bid farewell to Italy as we depart for the airport to catch our flight back
to the U.S. for a same day arrival. "Ciao Italia!" |
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