5 Days
Specific Tour
30 people
English
Day 1. Depart for Mexico City
Make your way to your local airport where you will board your flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival, you will collect your luggage in the baggage claim area and continue to the Arrival’s Hall where you will be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver. Transfer to your hotel. Check in and dinner at the hotel.
Day 2. Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Museum of Anthropology
After breakfast, depart for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas), by way of the Plaza of the Three Cultures. You will first visit the Church of Santiago Tlatelolco, where St. Juan Diego was baptized. This plaza is important as it symbolizes the unique blend of the pre-Hispanic and Hispanic cultures that make up Mexico. Continue to the Shrine of Guadalupe, built in response to Our Lady’s request to the visionary, St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. Upon arrival at the Shrine, you will celebrate Mass as you marvel at the brilliantly colored Basilica. Following Mass, we visit the various points of interest in the Tepeyac area surrounding the Basilica, each associated with the story of the apparitions of Our Lady. We see the original chapel on the exact site of the apparitions to Juan Diego (Capilla del Cerrito) and the Old Basilica, completed in 1709. One special stop is La Capilla del Pocito (Chapel of the Little Well) – a well which opened under the feet of the Virgin. We will join the other pilgrims as you kneel before the “Tilma”, where Our Lady’s image was miraculously imprinted. Lunch will be served at a local convent within walking distance, and afterwards, continue for a visit to the famous Museum of Anthropology for a guided visit. Dinner on your own.
Day 3. Fri. Tulpetlac and Teotihuacan
Departure after breakfast today for the town of Tulpetlac to celebrate Mass at the site of the 5th apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to San Juan Diego. Then, you will make your way to San Juan Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to mythology, this site was chosen to be the center of the universe, and from then on, it became a prominent political and religious center from the second century until the ninth century. Enjoy a guided tour of the Archaeological zone and view the pyramids of the Sun and Moon, and learn how the Aztecs used to work the obsidian stone and the multiple uses of the Maguey Plant. Buffet lunch is included at a nearby restaurant, After this fun-filled busy day, return to the hotel for dinner at leisure and evening on your own.
Day 4. Mexico City. Miguel Pro, Zocalo
This morning, your day will begin with breakfast, followed by Mass at the Holy Family Church, where you will view the tomb of Fr. Miguel Agustin Pro, the Jesuit martyr. In a time of great religious persecution, Fr. Pro was exiled from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. However, he returned to Mexico and was aided by a secret ministry that helped him hide from authorities. During his time in Mexico, he assisted many individuals in their spiritual, as well as temporal, needs. He was eventually discovered, arrested, and killed by authorities. While at the Holy Family Church, you may pray to this great martyr who remained filled with the joy of serving Our Lord even in the midst of very difficult times. You will also visit the small but very inspiring Museum dedicated to honoring Father Pro. There will be time for a prayer and a special blessing. After this visit, you will tour the oldest and largest cathedral in all of Latin America, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Throughout your time in the cathedral, you will be overwhelmed by the stunning paintings, altar pieces, and statues. Continue the day with a visit to the Plaza of Santo Domingo. This plaza contains two Holy places that are architecturally exquisite: the Church of Santo Domingo, the first church built by the Dominicans in 1576, and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the first Rosary Shrine in Mexico. Additionally, you will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga, the headquarters of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. This Shrine is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Asturias (Spain).
Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
Day 5. Return Home
This morning, you will say farewell to friends and a pilgrimage that will last in your memory for years to come. We celebrate a final mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe en route to the airport for our departure flight back home.
