Signature Easter in Italy Pilgrimage
April 10 – 20, 2028
Italy
DATES
April 10 – 20, 2028
PLACE
Italy
“We have consciously designed this pilgrimage to prepare our hearts for the Easter Triduum as we travel through the land of saints – Assisi and Norcia – before arriving in Rome to celebrate Easter with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica.
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We begin almost a full week before Easter in Assisi, which is known for its tranquil silence. We hope that this serenity will be communicated to our pilgrims in a way that allows us to become more tranquil and reflective ourselves, entering deeper into the spirit of pilgrimage in anticipation of the Easter Triduum.
We will spend Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday morning with the Benedictine Monks of Norcia in their new chapel, built on the side of the mountain overlooking the peaceful town of Norcia. After, we drive on to Rome for the joyous celebration of the Easter Vigil at the Vatican.
Our celebration of the Resurrection will become more immediate as we visit Manoppello and the Shrine of the Holy Face, and venerate a mysterious cloth bearing the image of a man with wounds on his face — an image some believe is the actual face of Christ, formed at the moment of his Resurrection.
Pilgrimage Overview
Assisi (the birthplace of St. Francis, born 1181)
- Spend 3 nights in beautiful Assisi, a medieval city seemingly untouched by time
- Stay at St. Anthony’s Guest House, with a beautiful view of Assisi
- Attend Mass celebrated at the tomb of St. Francis
- Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels built over the Portiuncula — the little church built by St. Francis
- Visit the Basilica of St. Clare and pray at her tomb
- Pray at the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis
- Confession available to prepare for the Easter Triduum
- Meet some of our Franciscan friends in Assisi
- Study and discuss the readings of the Easter Vigil Liturgy
Norcia (the birthplace of St. Benedict and his twin sister, St. Scholastica, born in 480)
- Spend 2 nights at the Casa Bianconi in Norcia and dine in one of Italy’s most distinguished culinary towns
- Holy Thursday – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Monastery of St. Benedict with the Benedictine monks of Norcia
- Good Friday morning – excursion to Roccaporena to visit St. Rita’s birthplace and to recite the Stations of the Cross slowly walking up the Rock of St. Rita; then to Cascia to visit St. Rita’s incorrupt body and venerate a Eucharistic miracle
- Good Friday afternoon – the celebration of the Passion of our Lord at the Monastery of St. Benedict with the Benedictine monks of Norcia
- Good Friday evening – participate in a live Stations of the Cross procession around the walled medieval city of Norcia
- Easter Saturday morning – a reflection given by Father Cassian Folsom, OSB, prior emeritus and founder of the restored Benedictine monastery
Rome
- Spend 5 nights at a hotel near the Vatican
- Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica celebrated by Pope Leo XIV
- Easter Sunday – Easter Sunday Mass with Pope Leo XIV, and attendance at the Pope’s Urbi et Orbi message in St. Peter’s Square
- Easter Monday – pilgrimage to Manoppello to visit the Shrine of the Holy Face and to Lanciano to visit the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano
- Enjoy a walking tour of Baroque Rome – Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona with Dr. Moynihan
- Visit 4 major Basilicas of Rome
- Attend the Papal Audience
- Meet friends of Inside the Vatican magazine
Pilgrimage Itinerary
Day 1: Monday, April 10, 2028
Welcome to Italy – Holy Week
You arrive at Fiumicino Airport, about 10 miles outside of Rome to the west, near the Mediterranean Sea. You may have seen the sea as your plane circled to land. Dr. Robert Moynihan and Deborah Tomlinson will meet you in the area beyond customs. We may have time for a quick morning coffee, tea and cornetto before we board our private motor coach, and journey to Assisi.
After approximately two hours of driving, we will arrive in the walled city of Assisi, and you will be escorted to your guest rooms at the serene St. Anthony’s Guesthouse with its beautiful outside gardens. Sister Sue will be there to greet us.
After a quick lunch, we will rest for a few hours, then attend our private, welcome Mass. We will then have a welcome dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Assisi.
Overnight: Assisi | Dinner Included
Day 2: Tuesday, April 11, 2028
Assisi – Holy Week
We will begin our second day in Italy with Mass at the tomb of St. Francis. It is a leisurely walk downhill through the streets of Assisi to the Basilica of St. Francis. We will be greeted by our friends who oversee the basilica, the Franciscan Friars. They will give us a guided tour of the basilica after Mass. Following our visit, there will be free time for shopping and exploration before lunch overlooking the Basilica of St. Francis.
Your afternoon will be free to rest, shop, or explore Assisi on your own. As dusk approaches, we will gather in a private room in the St. Anthony’s Guesthouse. This room has large, picturesque windows on all sides, allowing for a beautiful view of Assisi as the sun sets. This will become our discussion room as we read and digest with Dr. Robert Moynihan the rich readings for the Easter Vigil Mass.
Afterward, we will visit the Basilica of St. Clare before dinner at another one of our favorite restaurants in the Piazza del Comune, the main piazza in the city center, and one of the most beautiful piazzas in Italy. There we will share local wine, wonderful local food and our thoughts about the day.
Overnight: Assisi | Breakfast and Lunch are included. Dinner on your own.
Day 3: Wednesday, April 12, 2028
Assisi – Holy Week
Our second day in Assisi will begin with Mass at Our Lady of the Angels church (built over the Portiuncola that was built by St. Francis). Brother Alessandro always welcomes us with his beautiful smile, joined, perhaps with a delightful song. His story is amazing and his angelic voice has become well-known worldwide. After Mass, we will take a walking tour through the historic center of Assisi and enter several important churches along the way, including San Rufino where both St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized.
We will dine in the Piazza del Comune, the main piazza in Assisi, for lunch. Thereafter, we will meet with the Bishop of Assisi, if available, at his residence. Dinner will be at another one of our favorite restaurants in Assisi.
Overnight: Assisi | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 4: Thursday, April 13, 2028
Assisi and Norcia – Holy Thursday
The morning will be a time for you to rest, pray, or explore Assisi by yourself. Lunch will be on your own, after which we will depart for Norcia — the drive is less than one hour.
Norcia, with its rugged mountains and steep valleys, continues to attract those seeking the solitude of a contemplative, monastic life. During the time of St. Augustine (354-430 A.D.), the decades before the birth of St. Benedict, Norcia became home to dozens of monks, some living a solitary life and others, living in small, communal groups that provided an early model for what would become the communal life of St. Benedict’s monks. Today, that tradition has returned in the community begun by an American monk, Father Cassian Folsom, whom we will visit.
The Casa Bianconi will be our home in Norcia for the next two nights. A small family hotel, the Casa Bianconi has been in operation since 1850, located in the center of Norcia, the gastronomic capital of black truffles, cured meats, legumes, and organic grains.
In the early evening of Holy Thursday, we will go outside the walled city into the hills surrounding Norcia to participate in the Liturgy of The Lord’s Supper with the Benedictine Monks of Norcia.
Afterward, we will have dinner at The Granaro del Monte, located inside Casa Bianconi, one of Italy’s oldest restaurants. It is a member of the Buon Ricordo Restaurants and Historic Places of Italy. In its six 16th-century rooms with barrel and cross vaults, antique fireplaces, tapestries, large leather chairs, and handmade terracotta floors, the restaurant offers traditional, tasty, and generous cuisine, including some of its signature dishes that have always been a hallmark of this restaurant. These dinners are times for thoughtful conversation in the heart of Italy.
Overnight: Norcia | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 5: Friday, April 14, 2028
Norcia, Cascia, Roccoporena – Good Friday
We wake to the most solemn day in the Church year. Although some may choose to fast, there will be a delicious breakfast spread in the quaint garden room filled with the morning light. Fresh fruits, local cheeses, eggs cooked to order, and a variety of breads—all food is local and prepared to order.
From Norcia, it is 20 minutes to Roccaporena, St. Rita’s birthplace. It is fitting to visit a shrine to St. Rita, the “Patroness of the Impossible,” on Good Friday, since she received the stigmata on this very day. We will pray the Stations of the Cross as we climb the Rock of St. Rita. This is believed to be the place where St. Rita often prayed.
Late morning, we travel on to Cascia, only seven minutes away, to visit St. Rita’s Basilica, which houses her incorrupt body. In the lower Basilica, we also venerate the Eucharistic Miracle preserved since 1330.
We return to Norcia, preparing to participate in Good Friday liturgy with the monks in their new chapel outside the city. Their relocated home is on the side of a mountain, built next to the ruins of an old monastery. The monks chant the liturgy in Latin. It is a solemn moment, truly an extraordinary experience—but in an ordinary way, for this is how the monks worship every day. We will have Latin-English missals so that you can follow everything without confusion. We will have our evening meal before the warm glow of the wood-burning grill, reflecting upon and sharing our impressions of the day.
On Good Friday, at 9:00 p.m., we will begin our short walk to one of the piazzas inside the ancient walled city of Norcia. Once we have arrived at the piazza, we will take our places alongside the many Italians who journey here year after year from all over Italy to witness, participate in, and, in a way, relive the poignant events of the first Good Friday. Everyone gathers here for the living Stations of the Cross, including the local people of Norcia, many of whom are actors with roles in the sacred performance, as well as visitors, pilgrims, religious and clergy. The crowd grows with the presence of the horses that will carry the Roman soldiers as they trot into the procession. For many, it feels as if Jerusalem has been transported to Norcia, and the experience borders on the extraordinary. The sacred drama begins with the conferring of a priestly blessing. We see — but more than that, we experience — the touching, key scenes of the Stations, portraying Jesus Christ making His way to Calvary.
At the same time, we, too, make our walk outside the walls of the city. As we stop at each of the Stations depicted, we find ourselves perhaps stepping back in time to that Night of Nights, two millennia ago. From His arrest and appearance before Pilate, to meeting His sorrowful Mother, to encountering the weeping women of Jerusalem, and culminating at the hill of the Cross, we pilgrims witness the Passion of Christ as few Christians can. Though only an hour and a half in duration, this moving experience is the memory of a lifetime.
Overnight: Norcia | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 6: Saturday, April 15, 2028
Norcia to Rome – Holy Saturday
We wake to our last meal in Norcia, followed by a reflection given by Father Cassian, prior emeritus of the Benedictine Monastery of Norcia.
In the last 10 years, Father Cassian has not only battled a debilitating form of blood cancer, but he has also continued with his great efforts of re-founding and building this new Benedictine Monastery. In 2016, after the earthquake in Norcia, Father Cassian stepped down as prior. Yes, he still meets with our small groups of pilgrims. His suffering has only deepened his spiritual vision — he always has profound insights to impart to us — and some are beginning to say in and around Norcia that he is a living saint. Thus, we feel exceptionally privileged to spend this time with our old friend who has done and continues to do so much for the Church.
After we spend time with Father Cassian, we depart at last for Rome and Vatican City State, the heart of the Church, where we will attend the Easter Vigil Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV.
We will stop for a light lunch on our drive into the Eternal City. Lunch will be at an Italian Autogrill, known for good Italian snacks and meals.
After lunch, we arrive at our hotel in Vatican City, where we will be staying for the next five nights. We plan to have enough time for a brief rest before dinner. After dinner, we depart for St. Peter’s Basilica for the Easter Vigil Mass with the Pope. The enormous basilica is in total blackness when the Pope lights the Paschal candle. Then, one by one, the candles of all the faithful are lit, and the entire basilica glows with candlelight as the Pope comes down the aisle and a cantor sings hauntingly of the return of the light, of the return to life of the Lord. Suddenly, the Basilica’s lights come on, and light floods over everyone. It is one of the most impressive liturgical experiences in the world.
Overnight: Rome | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 7: Sunday, April 16, 2028
Rome – Easter Sunday
We begin this joyous day with breakfast. Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Piazza is a jubilant celebration. The piazza is filled with flowers and music.
The Pope will deliver his Urbi et Orbi blessing immediately following the Easter Sunday Liturgy. Our Easter Sunday Feast will be at one of our favorite restaurants near the Vatican. Our afternoon will be quiet, allowing time for pilgrims to reflect, rest, or explore Rome.
Overnight: Rome | Breakfast and Lunch are included. Dinner on your own.
Day 8: Monday, April 17, 2028
Rome, Lanciano, and Manoppello – Easter Monday
Today is la Pasquetta (“Little Easter”) in Italy, the national Italian holiday that continues the joyous Easter celebration. We, too, will continue our celebration by traveling to two very important shrines that house the most important miracles in Italy – the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano and the Shrine of the Holy Face.
We will be up early to travel about 2½ hours across Italy to the Adriatic Sea, to the town of Lanciano in the rugged Abruzzo region. In Lanciano, we will enter the church that houses the Eucharistic Miracle to behold the wonders of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ made visible.
We will stop at a local trattoria in Lanciano for lunch on your own. We will then turn back towards Rome, heading to the tiny town of Manoppello, Italy (population 157), still in the Abruzzo region, about 40 minutes away. There, we will visit the Shrine of the Holy Face, which houses a mysterious cloth bearing the image of a man with wounds on his face — an image some believe is the actual face of Christ formed at the moment of his Resurrection — and attend Mass.
Following our visit, we will return to the hotel for dinner and another night’s rest.
Overnight: Rome | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 9: Tuesday, April 18, 2028
Rome – Easter Tuesday
After breakfast, we travel to the Churches of Sts. Prassedes and Pudentiana. These sisters were the daughters of St. Pudens, a Roman senator converted and baptized by St. Paul. It is said that St. Paul stayed in their home. St. Paul refers to Pudens in his second letter to Timothy. It is believed that St. Peter lived here for 7 years, making this the first papal residence. This is also the site of a Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in 1610.
Then we will visit two of the papal basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. Each of these churches is a glorious monument to the Faith and contains treasures of art and faith that can take one’s breath away.
In St. Mary Major, for example, there is a painting of Mary, which is believed to have been painted by St. Luke, making it the oldest painting of Mary in the world. It is called the Salus Populi Romani (English: the Protectress of the Roman People).
A few blocks away stands the lofty Victorian Gothic church of San Alfonso. There, we will view the Miraculous Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, displayed above the altar in the sanctuary, below a beautiful mosaic of the Holy Family.
St. John Lateran is the oldest and ranks first among the four Papal basilicas of Rome since it is the cathedra or “seat” of the Bishop of Rome. This became the second papal residence in Rome and the Popes lived here for centuries.
We will also visit the Holy Stairs, located near the Basilica of St. John Lateran. These were the steps of Pontius Pilate that Jesus ascended in Jerusalem when He was condemned to die. These stairs were moved from Jerusalem to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th century. Also located near the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (English: Holy Cross in Jerusalem). This basilica contains many relics of Jesus’ Passion, including a few thorns from His crown, the nails from His cross, and the sign Pilate fastened above Christ’s head. We will visit this church to venerate these sacred relics.
The third Basilica we will visit is St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls. It is dedicated to St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, who was beheaded in Rome, and it enshrines his tomb. This very impressive church contains the images of all the Popes in little circular portraits.
Time permitting, we proceed to the Church of St. Paul at the Three Fountains (Chiesa di San Paolo alle Tre Fontane), one of Rome’s earliest churches and the site of the martyrdom of St. Paul. Tradition tells us that, because he was a Roman citizen, he was beheaded rather than crucified. The story was passed down that his head bounced three times on the ground, and at each spot a spring appeared.
Inside, you can see a pillar where St. Paul was, it is said, bound before being martyred. If the gatekeeper is available, the gate may be opened so we may enter and venerate the pillar. The original church was built in the fifth century; the one standing there today dates from the 16th century. The grounds of the Three Fountains are beautiful, prayerful and quiet. Also, we will visit the prison cell of St. Paul in the crypt of another church on the grounds, where he was held before his martyrdom.
Overnight: Rome | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 10: Wednesday, April 19, 2028
Rome – Easter Wednesday
Our last full day together begins with breakfast at the Hotel Michelangelo. We then head to the Papal Audience, which begins at 10:30 a.m. During the audience, the Pope will share a small instruction and reading in Italian, but it will be translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and sometimes other languages, depending on the groups visiting.
The Pope will follow with a greeting to all gathered in St. Peter’s Square. At the end of the audience, the Pope will lead us in the Our Father in Latin. This prayer will be printed on the back of the Papal Audience ticket.
After the Our Father, the Pope will impart his Apostolic Blessing upon the crowd, which also extends to our loved ones at home. He will bless any item that you may have purchased along our journey together.
After the Papal Audience, we will have lunch together near the Vatican. We hope to invite a guest from the Vatican and to hear stories from him about the universal Church. Such intimate and insightful encounters remain with our pilgrims many years later.
In the late afternoon/early evening, we will taxi to the Spanish Steps, where we will begin our slow walk to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Piazza Navona. Along the way, we will continue to point out many interesting places, peeling away the layers of Roman and Church history.
We will visit the Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, which has a very special side chapel. In fact, it is so special because of widespread devotion to the Miraculous Medal that many travel from all over the world to Rome just to visit this shrine and pray at its side altar. In 1842, Our Lady appeared here to Alphonse Ratisbonne, an avowed anti-Catholic Jew, manifesting herself exactly as she appears on the Miraculous Medal, effecting his miraculous conversion.
The first Miraculous Medals were struck in 1832, and while the Miraculous Medal devotion was already circulating throughout France after St. Catherine Labouré’s Marian apparition, it was this miraculous apparition to Ratisbonne that provided the impetus to bring the Miraculous Medal devotion to Italy. This special chapel is also where St. Maximillian Kolbe offered his first Mass on April 29, 1918.
Our farewell dinner, hosted by Dr. Robert Moynihan and Deborah Tomlinson, will be at one of our favorite restaurants along the way.
Overnight: Rome | Breakfast and Dinner are included. Lunch on your own.
Day 11: Thursday, April 20, 2028
Rome – Farewell
After an early-morning Mass, breakfast, and a farewell, your driver will escort you back to the airport for your return home. Farewell to all our fellow pilgrims, our friends, until we meet again…
Breakfast included.
Tour Details & Guidelines
Air Travel:
This pilgrimage is offered as a Land Only Package. Participants are responsible for arranging and covering the cost of their own air travel for the Easter in Italy 2028 pilgrimage. After you book, you will receive the name and contact information of our recommended travel agent.
Arrival Information:
- Airport: Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
- Date: Monday, April 10, 2028 (Day 1 of the pilgrimage)
- Flight Arrival Time: Before 10:00 AM (Local Time) This arrival time allows approximately one hour to pass through passport control and retrieve baggage before the group transfer.
- Transfer: Group transfer from the airport to Assisi
It is strongly recommended that Participants consider arriving on Sunday, April 9, 2028, which is one day before the pilgrimage officially begins. Arriving early allows time to rest after travel and provides greater flexibility in selecting flight options.
On Day 1 of the pilgrimage, the group transfers will pick up Participants from the airport. Please note that if you choose to arrive early, the cost of any additional hotel nights and any airport transfers before the start of the pilgrimage will be the financial responsibility of the Participant.
Departure Information:
- Airport: Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
- Date: Thursday, April 20, 2028 (Day 11 of the pilgrimage)
- Flight Departure Time: After 10:00 AM (Local Time)
- Transfer: The group transfer from Rome to the airport will depart at 7:00 a.m. This schedule accommodates flights departing at 10:00 a.m. or later.
Only one (1) group transfer from the hotel to the airport is provided. To participate in this transfer, your flight must depart at or after 10:00 AM.
Recommended Travel Agency:
For booking flights, we recommend using an experienced travel agency. They will handle your airline reservations and forward the details to our office, ensuring a seamless process. You will receive the contact information for Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages’ recommended seasoned travel agent in your Welcome Letter, which is sent immediately after you register.
To get an idea of the cost and availability of flights, we recommend using Google Flights as a helpful and simple tool for initial research.