Saturday – Sunday: Visit the Friary; the cell where the Saint lived and died, the crucifix before which he received the stigmata, the old and new churches & the Way of the Cross. Visit Padre Pio’s tomb and see the exhumed body of the saint. Celebrate mass in the church of Our Lady of Grace. Visit Monte Sant’Angelo, the nearby shrine in the cave where the Archangel Michael appeared. It may also be possible to visit St Matthew’s monastery in the nearby town of San Marco in Lamis.
Optional tour to Pietrelcina, birthplace of Padre Pio (approx 3 hours each way). A minimum of 20 people must travel in order to run this tour.
Monday – Thursday: This morning, after breakfast, we will depart San Giovanni for the Adriatic Coast where we will stay for 4 nights on a half bard basis. Situated in the north of Abruzzo, near the Marche region, the silver beach and crystal clear sea of Alba Adriatica provides the perfect setting for a relaxing sunshine holiday. You may choose between the equipped beaches or the free beach bordered by rich pine woods. There are kilometres of promenade, perfect for afternoon strolls. There are also plenty of bars and restaurants in the area.
While in Alba Adriatica we will have lots of leisure time but a variety of optional excursions will also be organised for those wishing to alternate sunbathing with sightseeing. The following is a selection of excursions which your group leader, together with your tour coordinator may organise for your enjoyment during your stay:
Cascia: Cascia owes its fame and notoriety in the world to Saint Rita, the Augustinian nun who was born in 1381. The town stands in a beautiful position among the green mountains of Umbria, perched on one side of St. Augustins Hill. We will also visit Roccaporena, a hamlet where we will see St. Rita’s house.
Full day tour to Loreto: According to tradition, the house in which Our Lady lived in Nazareth at the time of the Annunciation now stands in Loreto. After the fall of Jerusalem in the Thirteenth Century, angels are said to have transferred the little house to a number of new locations, finally settling at Loreto. A Fifteenth Century basilica now contains the house beneath its dome, encased in a marble shrine. Pope Clement VII closed one doorway and cut three others to accommodate the flow of pilgrims.
Lanciano: Lanciano is a small town in the centre of Italy and it was here that the first Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church took place, in the Church of St Legontian, in the 8th Century A.D. During Holy Mass after the two-fold consecration the host was changed into the live flesh and the wine into live blood. The Host-Flesh has the same dimensions as the large Host used today in the church; it is light brown and appears rose-coloured when lighted from the back. The Blood is coagulated and has an earthy colour resembling the yellow of ochre. This Miracle is still preserved and can be observed in this church today.
Tour to Isola del Gran Sasso St Gabriel Passionist: In a panoramic position against the profile of the Gran Sasso mountain, this fine centre is full of memories of the past, and a busy destination for tourists coming to nearby Santuario di S. Gabriele, to ask for help from the Saint.
Tour to Shrine of the Holy Face at Manopello: Situated in the Province of Pescara is the sanctuary of the Holy Face of Jesus at Manopello. The Shrine houses what is said to be the veil of Veronica, an image of the face of Jesus imprinted on the cloth with which Veronica wiped the face of the suffering Christ on the way to Calvary.
Friday:
Today after lunch we leave this lovely area and travel back to Rome. This will take approximately 3˝ hours. Afterwards we will depart for Fiumicino Airport to connect with our return flight home.
