Welcome to Portugal! Upon arrival at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport, you will proceed through Immigration and Customs. You will then be greeted by our local Trinity Tours Travel guide and driver, who will transfer you to the City Center, where our pilgrimage begins with a panoramic city tour of Lisbon. We see Jerónimos Monastery, completed in 1600, and the Belem Tower, built in the 16th century as a point of embarkation for Portuguese explorers. 

We continue to the Old City, where we celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua (who was born and baptized here) and enjoy a local lunch. We continue north to Santarem to visit the Church of the Holy Miracle, where in the 13th century, a woman concealed a consecrated host at the recommendation of a sorceress in order to deal with her unfaithful husband. The host began to bleed profusely, and the couple confessed the sacrilege to the priest, who immediately safeguarded the host in a wax container. The second eucharistic miracle occurred when upon subsequently opening the tabernacle, the host was no longer in the wax container but in a crystal pyx. It was placed in a silver monstrance where pilgrims can still view it today. We travel to Fatima, a hamlet of Aljustrel, the birthplace of the three shepherd children to whom the Virgin Mary appeared. 

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Fatima, Portugal.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we head to Cova da Iria to visit the Little Chapel of the Apparitions. It stands on the exact location of the first Marian Apparition on May 13, 1917, to three shepherd children: Lucia (10), Francisco ( 9) and Jacinta (7). We visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where the sacred tombs of St. Francisco, St. Jacinta and Sr. Lucia are contained. The basilica honors the Blessed Mother’s consistent requests to pray the rosary through its 15 beautiful altars dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the rosary. We visit the Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus before heading to Valinhos to see the two homes of the little shepherds and the site of the first and third visits of the “Angel of Peace.” The angel first appeared to the three children in 1916 to prepare the way for Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, I am the Angel of Peace,” and gave the children the prayer still recited by many today: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, and do not hope, and do not love You.” Mass is celebrated here on this day. 

A candlelight procession from the Little Chapel to the basilica (schedule permitting).

Dinner & overnight at the hotel in Fatima.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we depart Fatima to Santiago de Compostela (7-hour drive). En route, we stop in Porto, one of the oldest European centers with vast and rich history! We visit the prominent Gothic Church of São Francisco. Noted for its magnificent Baroque interior, this church is in the center of the city, where we enjoy leisure time and lunch. We end our time in Porto with a visit to a local winery for authentic Porto wine before continuing to Santiago de Compostela.

Location of Mass on this day to be decided.

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Santiago, Spain.

Breakfast at the hotel, where we meet our local guide and begin the day with a visit to the tomb of St. James. An 11th-century cathedral, the Santiago de Compostela Archcathedral Basilica is the burial place of St. James the Great and is among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle (others include St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican; St. Thomas Cathedral, India; and St. John Cathedral, Turkey). It marks the end of the pilgrimage route of El Camino and is named after the great saint who brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). We visit the Old Town, known for its incredibly winding streets and charming plazas. Mass, lunch and free afternoon for site-seeing and exploring on your own.

Dinner and overnight in Santiago.

Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. We drive to Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, northern Spain (4-hour drive). We visit the Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo, known for its array of architectural styles, from Pre-Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance. This spectacular church houses the tombs of Asturian kings as well as the Camara Santa, a 9th-century chapel that contains venerable relics of the Holy City of Jerusalem. We also see here breathtaking statues of Jesus and the Apostles. Leisure time this afternoon for continued sightseeing (schedule permitting).

Location of Mass on this day to be decided.

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Oviedo, Spain.

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel to Covadonda (2-hour drive) to visit the Holy Cave of Our Lady of Covadonda. Located in the Picos de Europa mountains, this shrine is dedicated to the Virgin of Covadonda (“La Santina”), who, according to sacred tradition, interceded on behalf of Christian forces who defeated their attackers in the Battle of Covadonda in 718, marking the beginning of the Spanish Reconquista (a series of campaigns by Christians to recapture territories from the Moors who occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century). We continue to San Sebastian de Garabandal, a rural village in the Peña Sagra mountain range of northern Spain, where the Apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary are said to have occurred from 1961 to 1965 (not yet approved). Our Lady is often referred to as “Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Garabandal” as accounts of her appearance and dress were similar to portrayals of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The apparitions began on June 18, 1961, to four young girls: Mari Mazon, Jacinta Gonzales, Mari Cruz Gonzales, and Maria “Conchita” Gonzales, who reported a visit from an angel. On June 25, the angel made a second appearance, and subsequently, the Virgin Mary appeared as well. The messages were a call to “conversion of heart” and a “warning.” The apparitions have gained much following in recent years. Conchita Gonzales, the most known of the visionaries, lives in Long Island, New York, today.

Mass this day is at the site of the apparitions (schedule permitting).

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Santander, Spain.

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel toward Lourdes, France. En route, we stop in Loyola, in the Basque region of Spain, birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We visit the Sanctuary of Loyola, where a series of spectacular edifices are built around St. Ignatius’ birthplace. Also known as the Shrine or Basilica of Loyola, this sanctuary rests along the Urola River and honors the saint who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order) and is known as the patron saint of all spiritual retreats. Mass is celebrated here this day. Lunch before we travel to the Pyrenees Mountains toward Lourdes. Beautifully nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees stands the splendor of Lourdes, the birthplace of St. Bernadette Soubirous, to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858 near the remote Grotto of Masabielle. Identifying herself as the “Immaculate Conception,” Our Lady appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette 18 times and has become one of the world’s leading Marian Shrines.

Candlelight procession this evening following dinner.

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Lourdes, France.

Breakfast at the hotel followed by an entire day visiting the historical and profoundly spiritual birthplace of the visionary child, Bernadette. We begin at the Grotto of the Apparitions, where this beloved saint first encountered the Virgin Mary. With only rudimentary knowledge of the Catholic faith, she reported the visits to her parish priest, who became convinced because of the young girl’s lack of doctrinal knowledge. During one of Our Lady’s visits, she asked Bernadette to dig a hole in a particular spot on the ground. A small spring of water began to bubble up, and she was asked to drink from it. Almost immediately followed numerous accounts of supernatural healing from the water. Today, gallons of water continue to gush from the same spring source and pilgrims are able to bathe in it. To date, countless miraculous cures have been documented from the waters of Lourdes.

We continue our walking tour, where we visit the Basilica of St. Pius X, the Boly Mill (the water mill where Bernadette was born), the Soubirous family home and the majestic Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. We conclude this unforgettable day at the miraculous spring and the healing baths. Mass is celebrated here this day. Following dinner, we join the nightly rosary and candlelight procession.

Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel to Montserrat, Spain (6.5 hours). Stopping along the way for breaks, we arrive to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat on the rugged Montserrat Mountains in Catalonia. Within, we see the statue of the Black Madonna to whom many miracles have been attributed. According to tradition, the statue was originally carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and was brought to Spain. It was hidden from the Moors and was later rediscovered by shepherds in 880 AD. One legend states that Benedictine monks could not move the statue to construct their monastery, so they chose to build around it. Another states that upon discovery, the Bishop of Manresa suggested that it be moved to Manresa. Still, it couldn’t be lifted, and as a result, the statue of the Virgin remained in Montserrat, where she continues to be venerated today. Mass is celebrated here this day.

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Montserrat, Spain.

Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. We continue a short way to Manresa, Spain, the place of profound conversion for St. Ignatius Loyola. In 1522 the saint lived for 11 months in a natural cave on the banks of the Cardoner River to pray and do penance during his sojourn in the city. Here, he received a vision that provided him deep spiritual insight, from where he wrote “The Spiritual Exercises.” We visit the Museum at Manresa and celebrate Mass this day in the nearby cave. Some time for reflection before we continue to Barcelona, Spain.

Check-in, dinner, overnight in Barcelona.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy a full day in Barcelona! A guided tour begins at the harbor area at Montjuic, birthplace of the city and rich in Spanish history. We continue to the lovely Plaza de Espana and Plaza de Catalunya, known for its concerts, festivals, trade fairs and sporting celebrations. Finally, a spectacular visit to Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world! Gaudi designed this impressive Gothic Revival, Art Nouveau and Modernista to have 18 ascending spires, representing the 12 apostles, the Virgin Mary, the four evangelists, and the tallest, Jesus Christ. 

A free afternoon follows for leisure, shopping, sightseeing and dining!

Dinner and overnight in Barcelona.

After our final breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the U.S. from El Prat International Airport in Barcelona, Spain. A lifetime of memories will not be forgotten from Shrines and Marian Apparitions of Portugal, Spain and France!