|
Including Rouen, Lisieux, Bayeux, Normandy, St. Malo, Mont St. Michel, Chartres & Paris.
|
|
|
|
|
Day 1 - USA / PARIS
This evening we depart from our international gateway for our overnight flight to Paris. |
|
|
Day 2 - PARIS / ROUEN
This morning we arrive at Charles de Gaulle International Airport where we meet our Pilgrimage Tours' tour director who will remain with us until the end of our tour. We depart for Rouen, where in 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Though the city was badly damaged in World War II, most of the monuments in this town of towers and spires were restored after 1945. These include the gothic Cathedral often painted by Monet, the large flamboyant Church of Saint Maclou, the Church of Saint Ouen, the former Palais de Justice, and the Tour de Jeanne d'Arc, where Joan of Arc was imprisoned in 1430. We will visit various places associated with St. Joan's martyrdom. Dinner and overnight in Rouen. |
 |
|
Day 3 - ROUEN / LISIEUX / BAYEUX
This morning we arrive in Lisieux, home of St. Therese the Carmelite nun known as "The Little Flower" and the Newest Doctor of the Church. Here we will visit the site of the Lisieux family home, Les Buissonets, the Carmelite Convent Chapel where St. Therese and her parents are entombed. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Therese. Next we head to Bayeux, the home of the much-venerated "mother-church", Notre-Dame Cathedral. Notre-Dame has survived nearly 1000 years of renovations, many of which are visible to us as we tour the church. We see the famous Bayeux Tapestry that chronicles the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century in no less than 58 episodes. Also in Bayeux we visit the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy, in preparation for our trip to the Normandy Beaches tomorrow. Dinner and overnight in Bayeux. |
 |
|
Day 4 - BAYEUX / NORMANDY BEACHES
This morning we depart for the beaches of Normandy. On this Veteran's Day we participate in the events commemorating the Allied landing in Normandy that marked the turning point of World War II. We visit Omaha and Utah Beaches where the US troops came ashore. We also pay our respects to those who fought to liberate France and all Europe at various cemeteries, including the enormous St. Laurent with its seeming endless sea of crosses. As each nearly every coastal village has a museum dedicated to the events that began June 6, 1944, we will visit some of these. Dinner and overnight in Normandy. |
 |
|
Day 5 - NORMANDY / ST. MALO / MONT ST. MICHEL
This morning we depart for the granite walled city of St. Malo, located on the east bank of the Rance River where it meets the northern Brittany coast. Here we see the Cathedral of St. Vincent, which has one of the oldest vaulted ceilings in this region of France, dating back to 1160. Within the cathedral is the tomb of Jacques Cartier, who discovered and named Canada. Next we depart for Mont Saint-Michel, the celebrated Benedictine abbey on a rocky, cone-shaped island in northwestern France, connected by a causeway with the mainland. The abbey, founded in 708, resisted the assaults of the English during the Hundred Years' War. Its small houses and shops of the 13th century are considered outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. We celebrate Mass at the Mont St. Michel Abbey Church. Dinner and overnight in Mont St. Michel. |
 |
|
Day 6 - MONT ST. MICHEL / CHARTRES / PARIS
This morning we go to the town of Chartres, situated on top of a hill overlooking the River Eure. It is here that Henry IV was crowned King of France in 1594. In the center of the city stands the Cathedral of Notre Dame, one of the finest and best preserved Gothic buildings in France. We will see its very impressive interior including its windows dating back to 1210 that form the most magnificent collection of medieval stained glass in existence. We also see the cathedral's south sprire, its statuary and its Late Gothic choir screens. We head to Paris for dinner and overnight. |
 |
|
Day 7 - PARIS
This morning we will embark on a motor coach tour of the city to include the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees. Then we go to Rue de Bac where we will celebrate Mass at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, where St. Catherine Laboure received her apparitions of Mary. Finally, we will visit the Shrine of Vincent de Paul. The remainder of the day is free. Dinner and overnight in Paris. |
 |
|
Day 8 - PARIS
This morning we will celebrate Mass at the cathedral of Notre-Dame, an architectural marvel, which stands on the banks of the Seine on the site of an early Christian basilica that had in turn been built on the site of a temple from the Roman era. Here we will see the Gallery of the Kings, its Rose Window and its many chapels. When then head to the Montmartre District, the "Artists Quarter" of Paris and visit the Romanesque and Byzantine Sacre Coeur Basilica on top of Montmartre Hill. The basilica with its many domes and arches contain wonderful sculptures, paintings and mosaics. In the rear of the basilica you will see a bell tower that houses the " Savoyarde", a bell weighing nearly 19 tons and one of the largest in the world. Dinner and overnight in Paris. |
 |
|
Day 9 - PARIS / USA
This morning we depart for the Charles de Gaulle airport for our return flight to the United States. Though our pilgrimage has come to an end, its blessings will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer each day to the Lord. |
|
|
|
