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Day 1 - USA / LONDON
We depart the U.S. today en route to London, England. Meals served on board. |
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Day 2 - LONDON
We arrive in London and meet our Pilgrimage Tours' tour director for an orientation tour of London. We will see London's historic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We will then participate in a guided walking tour of Westminster Abbey, originally built by Edward the Confessor in 1050 and where rulers of England have been coronated since 1066. Next we will visit the Catholic Cathedral with its wonderful mosaics and celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in London.
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Day 3 - LONDON
Following breakfast we will embark on a walking tour of London in the same neighborhood that St. Thomas More attended school. We will see the Lincoln Inn where Thomas More studied upon his return from Oxford in order to earn his law degree. It is in this area that you will also observe the London Stock Exchange as well as the Bank of England. Our morning ends with a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral. This cathedral dates to 1666 and was built after the Great Fire of London. This is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married. We then go to Westminster Cathedral near the Abbey to celebrate Mass. In the afternoon we visit the Tower of London where the Royal Family's Crown Jewels are kept and where Thomas More, and many others such as Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were imprisoned before their executions. We will see Tower Hill where Thomas More was beheaded for refusing King Henry VIII's demand that he take the oath of the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Dinner and overnight in London. |
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Day 4 - LONDON / MOUNT CARMEL / ROCHESTER / CANTERBURY
This morning we will depart for Alyesford, passing through the Kent countryside, and visit the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is where the Blessed Mary presented the Brown Scapular to St. Simon Stock. Here we will celebrate Mass and join the Friars in the Liturgy of the Hours. After visiting Mount Carmel, we go to Rochester, home of St. John Fisher. Along with Thomas More, Bishop Fisher was the only Bishop in England to oppose King Henry VIII. We visit the chapel built to honor St. John Fisher. In the afternoon we will head for Canterbury to see the place where St. Thomas Beckett was martyred at the hands of King Henry II in 1170. The history of Canterbury dates to the time of St. Augustine who brought Christianity to England in 597. We visit the Cathedral that is the Mother Church to the Anglican faith. Finally we visit the Heritage Museum that offers an audio-visual presentation about Canterbury. Dinner and overnight in London. |
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Day 5 - LONDON
This morning we will visit Elthan Palace, a favorite country residence of many kings. Much of the palace has been rebuilt this century but it still includes the stone bridge over the moat that was used by Thomas More to meet with a young Prince Henry. In the afternoon we travel to Hampton Court Palace and Gardens. Built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1520, it was then given to King Henry VIII. It is here that Thomas More spent the majority of his time with the King. The Court Clock on site still announces the date, time, phases of the moon and the state of the tide at London Bridge to this day. Dinner and overnight in London. |
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Day 6 - OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM / LONDON
This morning we visit the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. In 1061 Mary appeared to a noble widow named Lady Richeldis who received instructions from the Virgin Mother of a house to be built on this site identical to the house at Nazareth. Walsingham became known as the "Little Nazareth". Though the house was destroyed during the Reformation, archaeologist have unearthed its remains located near the Priory. We visit the Slipper Chapel, so named because pilgrims would leave their shoes there and walk the final mile to the shrine. We also see the Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and participate in the Noon Pilgrims Mass. We return to London in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight. |
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Day 7 - LONDON / OXFORD
This morning we depart for a tour of Oxford University, where Thomas More entered at Canterbury Hall. In the afternoon we depart for Coventry where Thomas More would visit his sister and enjoyed the town's local pageants. In Coventry, we can see the town's two major cathedrals, one bombed during the war and the second rebuilt with German war reparations. We return to London for dinner and overnight. |
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Day 8 - LONDON / KNOCK
This morning we depart London for Ireland, arriving in Dublin and proceeding straight to Knock in County Mayo. We visit the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, the single most important Marian Shrine in all of Ireland. We visit the Church of the Apparition where the apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist occurred and was witnessed by some 15 people in 1879. Here we will celebrate Mass. We then see the "Way of the Cross" and the Folk Museum. The rest of the day is free. Dinner and overnight in Knock. |
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Day 9 - KNOCK / ST. PATRICK'S HOLY MOUNTAIN
This morning we pay a visit to St. Patrick's Holy Mountain where history reports that St. Patrick spend 40 days fasting in 441. The shrine on top of the mountain has been a place of Christian worship and pilgrimage since the 5th century. For those who wish, may climb to the top of the mountain and visit the shrine. We return to Knock in the afternoon and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Apparition. Dinner and overnight in Knock. |
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Day 10 - KNOCK / DUBLIN
This morning we depart Knock for Dublin. We arrive in Dublin and celebrate Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Founded in 1190, we explore this cathedral's famed majestic interior rich with historic relics. We will then visit the Christchurch Cathedral, founded in 1030 by the Danes, rich in cultural history and architectural design such as the Baroque tomb of the Earl of Kildare. The remainder of the day will take on a different kind of spirited atmosphere when we visit the famed Olde Jameson Distillery. At the end of our tour, we may select from the many free samples offered to their guests. Dinner and overnight in Dublin. |
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Day 11 - DUBLIN / USA
This morning we depart Dublin for our return flight home. Though our pilgrimage has come to an end, its blessings will last a lifetime and are certain to draw us closer to the Lord each day. |
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