11 Days
Specific Tour
40 people
English
Join Fr. Bierbaum and Dr. Staudt as they lead a spiritual and cultural journey through France, the “Eldest Daughter of the Church.” We will visit beautiful shrines and the relics of some of the most powerful saints of our faith. We will also visit excellent museums and abbeys and experience wines from this world-renowned wine country. It will most certainly be a profoundly impactful journey.
Saturday – September 19 – Day 1 – Departure
Depart for our overnight to Toulouse, France. We are served dinner and breakfast on board.
Sunday – September 20 – Day 2 – Arrive Toulouse – Lourdes
Upon arrival at Toulouse Airport, we will meet our English-speaking tour escort and proceed to find our bus. Transfer to Toulouse. Lunch on your own. After lunch, a tour of Toulouse to include the Jacobin church, where we pray by relics of St Thomas Aquinas, and a visit to St Sernin (Mass). Depart for Lourdes. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes. (D)
Monday – September 21 – Day 3 – Lourdes
After Breakfast, we celebrate Mass in Lourdes, followed by the Water gesture at Lourdes bath and a visit to the Shrine. Walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette Soubirous. Lunch on your own. Afternoon at leisure, walk and pray the life-sized stations of the cross walk. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes. (B,D) Tonight, join the faithful in the candle procession at the Shrine.
Tuesday – September 22 – Day 4 –Lourdes – Carcassonne – Avignon
After breakfast and check out. Celebrate Mass at the Shrine in Lourdes. Depart for Carcassonne, where upon arrival we enjoy some time at the medieval town for lunch on our own. Proceed to Avignon. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant (Included) and overnight in Avignon. (B,D)
Wednesday – September 23 – Day 5 – Avignon – Barroux Abbey – Avignon
After breakfast, we visit the Papal Palace in Avignon. Depart for le Barroux Abbey – Morning Prayer with the monks, Mass, followed by an outdoor picnic (subject to confirmation) and a conference given by one of the Benedictine monks. Free time to walk around the grounds to pray and relax. Visit the Via Caritatis Winery experience (this is the winery of the abbey). Return to Avignon for dinner and an overnight stay. (B,D)
Thursday – September 24 – Day 6 – Avignon – Apt – Baume – Avignon
After breakfast, we depart for the Grotto de la Sainte-Baume, a revered pilgrimage site nestled in the mountains. Upon arrival, we begin a scenic pilgrimage walk through the forested trail, ascending to the grotto where tradition holds that St. Mary Magdalene spent her final years in prayer and contemplation. We spend time in quiet reflection and prayer at the Grotto before descending and returning to our bus. In the afternoon, we continue to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, arriving around 12:30 PM for lunch. In the early afternoon, we visit the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, home to the relics of Saint Mary Magdalene and one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in southern France. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica, immersing ourselves in the sacred atmosphere of this historic church. Following our visit, we depart for Apt, for a visit to St. Anne’s Cathedral, a beautiful church containing the relics of St. Anne, Jesus’s grandmother. After our time in Apt, we return to our hotel in Avignon. Dinner will be served at the hotel, and Overnight in Avignon. (B,D)
Friday – September 25 – Day 7 – Avignon – Ars – Paray Le Monial
After breakfast and check out, we depart for Ars. Visit the Basilica of St. Jean Baptiste Vianney (Jean-Marie Vianney) for prayer and Mass, tour his rectory, and stroll the small town on one’s own. Lunch on your own. On to Paray-le-Monial, visiting the Church of the Sacred Heart, where St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received visions of the Sacred Heart. Dinner and overnight in Paray-le-Monial. (B,D)
Saturday – September 26 – Day 8 – Depart for Autun – Beaune (Burgundy wine experience) – Dijon
After breakfast, we depart for Autun and Beaune, which form part of the ancient pilgrimage paths leading to Santiago de Compostela. We start with a visit to Autun Cathedral of Saint Lazare, where, according to tradition, there are relics believed to be St Lazarus of Bethany. Mass. Next, we visit Musee Rolin. On to Beaune, the capital of Burgundy wines. We visit Hotel-Dieu des Hospices, visiting its chapel that houses the Beaune Altarpiece, a masterpiece by Rogier van der Weyden depicting the Last Judgment. Visit a local winery to include wine tasting OR visit Basilique de Notre Dame “Basilica of Our Lady”.
On to Dijon for dinner and an Overnight Stay. (B,D)
Sunday – September 27 – Day 9 – Dijon – Basilica of Vezelay – Fontenay Abbey – Clos de Vougeot – Dijon
After breakfast, depart for Vezelay, a significant site of Christendom and a charming hilltop village. Vezelay is an undeniable masterpiece of Romanesque art. An important pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages, thanks to the cult of Saint Magdalen’s relics. Mass. Continue to Fontenay Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981. The abbey was one of the first French monuments to be included on this prestigious list that distinguishes the exceptional value of both the Fontenay Abbey complex and its natural environment. Lunch on your own. Afternoon visit to the Clos de Vougeot winery, estate home to the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an international wine fraternity with a historical exhibition. With its magnificent castle and its famous fine wines, Vougeot is one of the most famous villages in Burgundy and a major tourist destination. The most remarkable monument is, without a doubt, the Château du Clos de Vougeot. Constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries, this castle blends elements of several architectural styles, from Cistercian to Renaissance. Dinner and overnight at Dijon. (B, D)
Monday – September 28 – Day 10 – Dijon – TGV to Paris
Notre Dame Cathedral (Mass?), Sainte Chapelle, cross the Pont Neuf bridge, Saint Eustache Church. Walk through the Louvre campus (for those who wish to go to the museum, tickets will be reserved). Visit Musée d’Orsay (for those who wish to go to this instead of the Louvre, tickets will be reserved), La Grande Epicerie de Paris (one of the best “foodie“ markets in Paris), visit both the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and the Chapel and relic of St. Vincent DePaul. On to Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Paris.
Tuesday, September 29 – Day 11 – Departure
Transfer to the airport for the return home.
