Donahue Academy Trip to Rome & Assisi

July 6 - 16, 2019

A journey to the roots of our Faith

Pilgrimage Tour Escorted by Fr. Pablo Santa Maria Watson, Chaplain

OverviewTo go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe. - Pope Benedict XVI

Meet the Tour DirectorMr. Joe Long will be acting as our tour director. As the executive director of Virginia-based ProRome, LLC, a Catholic tour operator, Joe leads a number of pilgrimages, tours and summer programs in Rome every year. He lives with his wife in Honesdale, PA and Rome, Italy.

Monday, July 8Underground Rome & the

Ancient City

Tuesday, July 9 Underground Rome

Today will begin with the Scavi Tour, an underground tour that will take us deep beneath St. Peter's Basilica and to the tomb of St. Peter! This will be followed by a tour of St. Peter's Basilica. We will then visit St. Paul Outside the Walls and finally complete our day with a subterranean tour of the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

Lunch: La Frustra Dinner: La Frustra

ITINERARY

Saturday, July 6Departure

Today we depart from Miami at 7:40 PM on Air France 99 for Paris.

Sunday, July 7 Arrival

After a short layover in Paris we board Air France 1604 for Rome where we arrive at 5:10 PM. Upon arrival at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci international airport private vans will meet us and bring us directly to our hotel the Guest-house Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci, a lovely three-star hotel located just next to St. Peter’s.

We will then visit St. Peter's Square where we will enjoy a lecture in the shade of the Colonnade on the first Christians and the persecutions. We'll then enjoy a local dinner before heading to back to the hotel to catch up on sleep.

Dinner: La Frustra

Wednesday, July 10The Holy Father & the Holy Relics

Our day begins with an Audience with the Holy Father! We will then catch a bus over to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major where we will have Mass. Following Mass we will embark on the Holy Relics Pilgrimage, a walking tour on which we will venerate some of the holiest relics of all of Christendom. Churches on this tour include the Major Basilica of St. Mary Major, the Basilica of Santa Prassede, the church of the Santissimo Redentore e Sant'Alfonso, the Major Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs and the Major Basilica of Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

Lunch: RigatoniDinner: La Frustra

Thursday, July 11Trastevere

Today we will visit the great ancient quarter of Rome that is “across the Tiber,” namely, Trastevere. Before exploring its many churches and piazzas we will climb to the top of the Gianicolo hill for a marvelous view of the city of Rome. From there we will descend in Trastevere and visit the churches of St. Cecilia, St. Chrysogonus and St Mary’s in Trastevere. After lunch we will make our way to the Tiber Island to visit the Church of St. Bartholomew and then up the Aventine hill for a visit to Santa Sabina and Sant’Anselmo. Folllowing the tour we will enjoy dinner and then a light-show in the Roman Forum!

Lunch: Carlo MentaDinner: Luzzi

Today we will enjoy a comprehensive visit of the ancient city center. We'll begin underground, with the crypt below the church of San Clemente adjacent the Colosseum. We will then explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Lunch: LuzziDinner: La Frustra

Mediterranean Sea

5310

Atlantic OceanFÁTIMA, LOURDES & SHRINES OF SPAIN:Friday, July 12

Counter Reformation & the Baroque

Today we will depart for the center of Rome where we will enjoy a comprehensive guided tour of the churches, piazzas and temples of the Campus Martius , the ancient “Field of Mars”. This tour will take an in depth look into the Counter Reformation, exploring the lives of St. Philip Neri and St. Ignatius of Loyola. Along the way we will have Mass at the tomb of St. Monica in the church of St. Augustine, as well as visit the churches of the Gesu', Sant'Ignazio, Sant'Agnese and San Luigi Francese (which houses some of the most moving works of art of all time: the St. Matthew Cycle by Caravaggio. Our day will conclude with evening visits to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Lunch - Vouchers Dinner - Abruzzi

Saturday, July 13Assisi

Today we depart by train for Assisi. Prior to reaching the medieval city center of Assisi we will visit the original home of the Franciscan order and the place of St. Francis's death at the Porziunzcola chapel, inside the great baroque Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Here we will have Mass together.

After Mass and lunch we will visit the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Claire where these two great saints are buried. Before returning to Rome there will be time to climb up to the castle above Assisi for a once-in-a-lifetime view of Italy.

Lunch - VouchersDinner - Packed dinners on train

Sunday, July 14Angelus and Villa Borghese

Today we will attend Sunday Mass in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia followed by the Angelus with the Holy Father in St. Peter's Square.

After lunch we're off to the Villa Borghese Museum where we will visit one of the finest art collections in the entire world. Following the tour we will enjoy the afternoon cycling or just relaxing in the beautiful park and gardens.

Monday, July 15Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Today we will explore one of the finest museums in the world, the Vatican Museums. On this tour our guide will unravel for us some of the greatest wonders ever created, sponsored by the Papacy: the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel! Our day will conclude with a group visit high above Rome to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica!

Lunch - Maria's (Ristorante dei Musei) Dinner - La Frustra

Tuesday, July 16

Return to USA

Today we depart for Paris on Air France 1205 at 10:00 AM. After a short layover in Paris will depart for the US on Air France 90 and will arrive in Miami at 5:20 PM.

DONAHUE ACADEMY PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY

ONLY 10 SEATS AVAILABLE

Open to all current sophomores and juniors in good standing.

Apply by contacting Mr. Jahnke before December 7th 2018

Mark.Jahnke@donahueacademy.org

Company Information

ProRome, LLC316 North New Street |Staunton, VA 24401

Phone: 1-800-280-5283E-mail:info@prorome.comWebsite: www.prorome.com

We are a Virginia-based tour operator specializing in Catholic high school trips to Italy. We love Catholic history and culture and seek to share that with you.

Our ultimate goal is to organize and operate a safe and well-organized trip that truly immerses your group in the beauty and wonder of Catholic civilization.

Since 2014 we've operated more than fifty trips to Rome. We promise professional and trustworthy service from start to finish.

School Chaperones in Attendance

Dr. Guernsey & Mrs. Guernsey, RN

Academics

→ Students attending will enroll in a Spring semester0.5 credit Rome Study high school class→ Final course assignment is a presentation to otherstudents upon return

Cost & Scholarships

→ $4,000.00 per student→ Six $3,250.00 student scholarships are available(students pay $750)→ Up to four $1,000.00 student scholarshipsavailable (students pay $3,000.00)→ Non-refundable deposits of $750.00 are due in full

on January 1st, 2019

Qualifications

Students are selected by a committee evaluating on the basis of:

o Demonstrated commitment to school missiono Demonstrated self-discipline and maturitynecessary for foreign travelo Academicso Leadership