Pilgrimage to Fatima and Santiago de Compostela

Depart London Stansted to Lourdes Please wear your badge the whole time so that your leader can easily identify that you are one of the group. Upon arrival at Lourdes airport coach transfer to our hotel in Lourdes and check-in. Depending on the time of arrival you may have time to wander around the Sanctuary. Your evening dinner will be at the hotel. At 9pm we participate in the Candlelight Procession. Return to our hotel and overnight.

After breakfast we meet at the lobby and walk together to the basilica of St Pious X to attend International Mass in the underground basilica. To get the best seats please arrive at least one hour before Mass, this is due to many pilgrims attending; you won’t get the best seats if you arrive late. Free time before we return to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we walk to the Sanctuary to meet up with the guide (a nun) at the Forum Information where she takes us to the Museum of St Bernadette; Bolly Mill - the family home of St Bernadette and where she was born. We will visit Cachot, the prison cell the family lived after they were evicted from Bolly Mill. Return to the Sanctuary and free time before we return to our hotel for our evening dinner. We participate in the Blessing of the sick at 5pm and Candlelight procession at 9pm (optional).

Our last full day in Lourdes. After breakfast, we have Mass followed by Stations of the Cross either on the hill or on the ground level of Lourdes. The rest of the day will be free to do your own personal and private devotion including a visit to the bathes. Please be there at least 30 minutes before opening time. Most pilgrims start queuing one hour prior to the official opening time. Evening dinner at the hotel. Tonight, is the last night to participate in the Torchlight procession.

We say goodbye to Lourdes and check-out. Today we have a long journey to Garabandal 5 and a half hrs (approx.). Lunch en-route. We plan to arrive at the hotel in time for our evening dinner. Here in Garabandal, Our Lady appeared to four girls, Conchita Gonzalez, Mari Loli Mazon, Jacinta Gonzalez and Mari Cruz Gonzalez, aged between 11 and 12, over 2,000 times from 2nd July 1961 until 13th November 1965. Our Lady’s messages conveyed by Saint Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Mother called for a profound conversion of life, emphasizing the importance of prayer, sacrifice, frequent communion, and devotion to the Eucharist and the priesthood. Check-in to our hotel and overnight.

After breakfast, we celebrate Mass in the only church in the village. After Mass, we walk to the local community centre. Here, we watch a video presentation on the apparitions and history of Our Lady of Garabandal, offering us a deeper insight into the events that took place in this humble village between 1961 and 1965. Afterwards, a local guide will accompany us through the village, showing us the homes of the four seers and sharing stories of their lives and families. Afterwards, we walk up to the Pines - the Hill of the Apparitions and pray the Stations of the Cross while we walk. When you arrive at the top of the hill, we pray the Rosary and take time to be still, pray, and reflect in God’s presence. Afterwards, we spend time in silence, prayer, and reflection in the serene presence of God.

After breakfast we check-out and travel to Santo Toribio de Liebana Monastery. The monastery houses the largest known piece of the True Cross. The piece is discovered in Jerusalem by Saint Helena of Constantinople and brought from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Saint Turibius of Astorga. We line up to venerate the Cross. On September 23, 1512, Pope Julius II, through an apostolic bull, granted the privilege of celebrating the Jubilee Year of Lebaniego, making the monastery an important pilgrimage centre. The monastery is located in lush green hills and also renowned for its stunning architecture and serene atmosphere. Continue our journey to Santiago de Compostella This is another long drive of approx. 5 hrs. Lunch en-route. Check-in to our hotel and overnight.

We meet our local guide and leave our hotel early in the morning to celebrate Mass in a chapel within the iconic Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, renowned as the burial site of St. James the Great and a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Following breakfast at our hotel we then return to this magnificent basilica for a guided tour that culminates in viewing the beautiful Pórtico de la Gloria and sacred tomb of St. James, lying beneath the high altar. You have free time to walk around the Old Town steeped in medieval charm followed by lunch in a nearby restaurant. After lunch we leave Santiago behind and travel to Fatima (approx. 4 hrs. drive). Check-in to our hotel and evening dinner here. Join the Rosary at the chapel of Apparition at 9.30pm and candlelight procession afterwards.

The next two days are the most important days in Fatima as we commemorate the first Apparition of Our lady. Our Lady’s messages remind us to pray the Rosary and pray for Peace in the World. We will join the concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of Apparition. After lunch we will have a guided tour in the Sanctuary including the visit to the basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary to view where the 3 shepherd children are buried. We also visit the new basilica - the Most Holy Trinity. After lunch, watch the video presentation about the history of the Apparition of Our Lady in Fatima. Free time for the rest of the afternoon giving you the chance to explore Fatima for personal devotions and shopping. We join the Rosary at the Apparition Chapel at 9:30pm and Candlelight procession afterwards.

Today is a special day. We join the International Mass together with hundreds of pilgrims from all over the world to celebrate the anniversary of the first Apparition of the mother of God to the 3 shepherd children in 1917. After lunch, we participate in the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacra. “The Sacred Way” marks the path the shepherd children took to the first apparition of Our Lady. Then continue our walk to the village of Ajustrel, the village home of the children. View their homes, now unoccupied. Walk back to the Sanctuary or take a mini train (cost not included). Evening dinner at the hotel.

Early breakfast and drive towards Lisbon to St Anthony’s church. We view his tomb located underneath the Altar and celebrate Mass here. If time allows, we have lunch here and tour around the city in our coach then proceed to the airport for our flight back to London. Note: this itinerary is subject to change owing to circumstances beyond our control and the smooth running of our pilgrimage. E&OE