Welcome Pilgrims!

Join me on a spiritual journey to Italy! This beautiful pilgrimage begins in spectacular Sorrento- where we will stay for 5 nights. Besides visiting Capri, by boat, we journey to the most famous and iconic village on the Amalfi Coast – Positano. A visit to Pompeii is also included where we celebrate Mass in the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary. Following the Amalfi Coast we spend 4 nights in Rome. Attending the Wednesday audience with Pope Francis, visiting the Vatican museums and the Colosseum are all experiences we will treasure. We will also enjoy a few excellent restaurant dinners and some at our hotel. Our pilgrimage will be an adventure in every sense of the word! I hope you can join me to explore this beautiful part of the world. My parents, John and Nancy Argentieri are joining us, to celebrate their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary and I will celebrate 15 years of priesthood during our pilgrimage. If you have a birthday or anniversary – we will celebrate along with you also! Our time together will allow us to reflect on our lives and deepen our faith. It will be a joy to share this journey with you, to celebrate daily Eucharist and to be inspired by your presence. God bless you,

Father Nick Argentieri

Day 1 | Monday June 12 - DEPART USA Today our pilgrimage begins! We depart the USA for Rome, connecting to our transatlantic flight aboard a wide-bodied jet. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft.

Day 2 |Tuesday June 13 – ROME/SORRENTO Upon arrival, we are met by our tour manager, who will remain with us for the duration of our pilgrimage. We drive from Rome to the picturesque town of Sorrento, on our air-conditioned coach. Sorrento, situated on the far end of the Bay of Naples is known for its lemons, ceramics, beauty and sea views. The lure is understandable. We celebrate our arrival Mass at a local church and then have some free time to acclimate and enjoy lunch on our own. We check into our beautiful hotel where we will remain for 5 nights and enjoy an included dinner with wine. Overnight Sorrento.

Day 3 | Wednesday June 14 – POMPEII This morning after our daily included breakfast, we enjoy a day trip to Pompeii. Pompeii is a city in southern Italy’s Campania region overlooked by the active volcano Vesuvius. In 79 A.D. Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried this ancient city. The ruins include a frescoed villa of the Mysteries and the city’s amphitheater. We celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary and enjoy its frescoed and marbled splendor, before returning to Sorrento. Dinner is on our own tonight. Our guide will assist us in making a group reservation at a restaurant, walking distance from our hotel. Overnight Sorrento.

Day 4|Thursday June 15 – CAPRI After breakfast, we celebrate Mass at a local church, before we take the ferry from Sorrento’s Marina Piccola port to Capri! Capri, a resort since the Roman Republic, is an island in the bay of Naples, famed for its rugged landscape, limoncello and leather sandals. Weather permitting we will take a boat into the Blue Grotto, to experience the dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue, the result of the sunlight passing through the underwater cave. We enjoy free time in Capri to explore. There are 12 churches on the island. We may choose to walk or take a taxi to La Piazzetta, the main square- the center of the town and visit the little shops. We return by ferry to Sorrento. Dinner with wine included at our hotel in Sorrento.

Day 5| Friday, June 16 – POSITANO (John and Nancy Argentieri 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary) Today we drive down the famed Amalfi Coast to beautiful Positano. Positano is one of the most glorious cliffside villages on southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast. It has steep, narrow streets lined with boutiques and cafes. Its Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta features a majolica- tiled dome and a 13th- century Byzantine icon of the Virgin. We celebrate Holy Mass here and Nancy and John Argentieri will renew their wedding vows, celebrating their 50th Golden Anniversary. Other married pilgrims may also renew their vows at the same time. We will enjoy a guided walking tour of Positano and enjoy free time for lunch on our own. Tonight we have an included dinner at the famous Museo Caruso Ristorante in Sorrento with wine. Overnight Sorrento.

Day 6 | Saturday, June 17– SORRENTO Today is free for relaxation. We will have Mass at a local church and our full time tour guide will walk us around Sorrento if desired, otherwise make your own plans or enjoy a well-earned siesta. Dinner on our own tonight. Our guide will assist us is finding a good local restaurant, if we need recommendations. Overnight Sorrento.

Day 7 | Sunday June 18 – ROME Today we bid adieu to Sorrento and head to Rome. We stop at St. Paul Outside the Walls where we celebrate Mass. This magnificent basilica with enormous marble columns and gold mosaics, is built over the grave site of St. Paul the Apostle, after he was executed in the first century AD in Rome. Portraits of each of our Popes grace the walls of the basilica, with a ray of sunshine lighting up the portrait of our current Pope, Francis. We enjoy a tour of the Basilica followed by a sightseeing bus tour of Rome including a stop at the famed “Giancolo Hill” to admire the beautiful view. We check into our hotel in Rome for 4 nights. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Rome.

Day 8 | Monday June 19 – ROME This morning, after breakfast, we explore Rome. Our first stop is a guided tour of the interior of the Colosseum, the largest ancient amphitheater ever built. We continue to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, to celebrate Holy Mass. It is here that St. Francis gained permission from Pope Innocent III for the Franciscan Order. We also stop at St. John Lateran Baptistery, the oldest monumental Baptistery, built in the 4th century by Constantine. We walk to the nearby Santa Scala, believed by many to be the staircase from Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem, brought to Rome by St. Helen in the 4th century. Dinner tonight is on our own, but a group reservation will be made at Da Roberto’s on Borgo Pio, walking distance from our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Rome.

Day 9 | Tuesday, June 20 – ROME Today we visit St. Peter’s Basilica , location of the sculpture “La Pieta” and tombs of many Popes- and celebrate Mass. After, we visit the Vatican museums and marvel at the many treasures including Michelangelo’s restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. This afternoon, we enjoy free time, for lunch, shopping and maybe to climb to the top of Cupola. Tonight we enjoy an included dinner at the Scarpone Restaurant with wine.

Day 10| Wednesday, June 21 – ROME (Father Nick’s 15th Priesthood Anniversary Day) This morning if Pope Francis is in residence, we attend the General Audience at the Vatican. After we have free time in Piazza Navona for lunch on our own. Later we have a guided of the Pantheon. Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica di Santi Dodici Apostoli at the altar of St. Joseph of Cupertino. Tonight our included dinner is at the Abruzzi restaurant with wine. We will toast Fr. Argentieri on his 15 years of priesthood! After we will stop at the Trevi fountain, to throw in our coin and vow one day to return to Rome! Overnight Rome.

Day 11| Thursday, June 22 - USA This morning we bid Arrivederci to Roma, as we begin our journey home, with stories to share and memories of a lifetime ( time permitting we will have Mass at the hotel before departure).