Our spiritual pilgrimage begins today as we board our transatlantic flight to Warsaw. Meals and refreshments will be served aloft.

Upon arrival in Warsaw we will be met by tour manager, who will remain with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. We will transfer to our hotel for check-in and our first of two nights in Warsaw. (D) Overnight Warsaw

This morning, we will begin our day at St. Stanislaw Kostka Church, where the martyred Solidarity priest Father Popieluszko worked and is buried. Then enjoy a full day tour of Warsaw including visits to the Cathedral of St. John (outside visit), the Royal Castle, the Old Town Square, the Barbican and City Walls, and Zygmunt’s Column. Follow the Royal Route to Lazienki Park where we will see the Palace on the Water. We will end our day with a visit to the Shrine of Our Mary Immaculate and St. Maximilian Kolbe in Niepokalanow. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Warsaw

Depart Warsaw this morning and drive to Czestochowa which is the most popular pilgrimage site in Poland. Here we will visit the Jasna Gora Monastery where we will see the Treasury, Knight’s Hall, Refectory, and the Basilica of the Holy Cross and Nativity of Mary. The highlight of our visit will be viewing the famous icon of the Black Madonna to which numerous miracles are attributed. Late this afternoon, we proceed to Krakow, our home for the next four nights. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Krakow

Following breakfast, we will travel to Auschwitz-Birkenau to pay respects at the remains of this Nazi concentration camp where over a million people were killed during World War II. Both St. Edith Stein and St. Maximilian Kolbe were sent here, along with millions of other innocent Jews, Christians, and Poles. We then return to Krakow and proceed to Wawel Hill and the Cathedral of St. Stanislaw, Poland’s second most important pilgrimage shrine. Continue to Krakow’s Old Town to see the main Market Square, the Church of St. Mary, City Hall Tower, Kanonicza Street where Pope John Paul II resided while living in Krakow and the courtyard of the Collegium Maius where he was a student. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Krakow

This morning, we travel to Wieliczka to visit one of Europe’s oldest salt mines, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These mines are a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt. After lunch, we journey to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Lagiewniki, where Saint Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, lived and died. Enjoy a guided tour of the shrine, which includes the convent chapel and St. Faustina’s tomb, and venerate the image of Divine Mercy and the relics of St. Faustina. Afterwards, we have the opportunity to pray by a relic of St. John Paul II in the new center “Have no Fear.” (B, D, Mass) Overnight Krakow

Today we walk in St. John Paul II’s footsteps as we retrace much of his early life, beginning with Wadowice where we visit the Gothic Basilica of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, where he received baptism, first communion, and confirmation. See the Baroque nave and the miraculous picture of Our Lady of Perpetual help, in front of which the future saint prayed daily. Get to know the former Karol Wojtyla in a new way as we explore his hometown and the museum located in his family home, containing relics of his youth and personal belongings from when he was a local priest. Our next stop is a place that was one of John Paul’s favorite pilgrimage sites from his youth and young adult years – Kalawaria Zebrzydowska. This unique location began in the 17th century when the Palatine of Krakow founded a Bernardine Monastery and built a replica of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The complex grew over the years to encompass replicas of the Tomb of Christ, The Mount of Olives, the Home of Caiaphas, and other sites in the Holy Land, to provide a place of more local pilgrimage for those who could not journey to Jerusalem. Now, on the slopes of the hills and in the valley are 43 chapels and shrines scattered on only 4km distance honoring the Way of the Cross, the Mysteries of the Rosary, and 7 Sorrows of Mary. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Krakow

Depart this morning for the Czech capital of Prague, one of Europe’s most attractive capitals. En route, stop in Brno to visit the Old Town and the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul. We will also have a chance to see the original motherhouse of our own Marian Sisters, who came to Nebraska after the suppression of their congregation under Communism. In 1994, the Mercy Sisters of St. Francis (as they are known in Czechia) were allowed to return to Brno (Grohova 110/14, 602 00 Brno-střed, Czechia). Upon arrival in Prague, we will check-in at our local hotel. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Prague

Today we will enjoy a full day tour of Prague, starting with a visit to Loreto Shrine, one of the most important pilgrimage shrines in Czechia. Then visit Prague Castle where we marvel at St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, the picturesque Golden Lane, the Royal Palace, and St. George’s Convent. Proceed to Mala Strana, “the Little Quarter”, with its beautiful architectural buildings. Here we will visit the Church of St. Nicholas and then the Church of Our Lady Victorious where we will see the famous statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Prague

This morning, we will cross the Charles Bridge to visit the Old Town, considered to be one of the best historical city centers in Europe. Visit the Old Town Square, the Town Hall with its famous Astronomical Clock which comes alive when the hour strikes and the twelve disciples appear to bless the crowd, the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, and the Church of St. Nicholas. In the afternoon we will take an excursion to Kutna Hora to see the Sedlec Ossuary, popularly referred to as the “Bone Church” which contains the exhumed remains of up to 40,000 people. This evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Prague

After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Prague for our flights to the Medjugorje area. Upon arrival, we will check into our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D, Mass) Overnight Medjugorje

• On our first full day in Medjugorje, Ann will provide you with a comprehensive orientation about Medjugorje and the apparitions, and you will be a given a brief tour of the area, so that you are familiar with everything.
• Many of the activities will be subject to availability and weather. You will always have the option of participating in group activities or spending time by yourself. These activities include:
  • Attending the Holy Mass in English every day at St. James church (usually at 10:00 am), with English speaking pilgrims from throughout the world.
  • Participating in the international program of prayer each evening, which includes the Rosary, Sacrament of Reconciliation, international Mass for all pilgrims, prayers for healing, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
  • Climbing Apparition Hill, the site where Our Lady first appeared to the visionaries.
  • Climbing Cross Mountain; praying the Stations of the Cross as we ascend to the summit.
  • Hearing talks by priests, visionaries, and other locals, when possible.
  • Free time for shopping, so that you can bring back a piece of Medjugorje to your loved ones at home, and private reflection.

We have an early morning transfer to the airport for our return flight home, bringing with us all the graces and blessings of this pilgrimage.