Lord by the grace of this pilgrimage may we who ask forgiveness be ready to forgive one another.

ITINERARY:

Day 1 Thursday/27 August (USA/Warsaw)

Our journey begins with an overnight flight. Meals on board.

Day 2 Friday/28 August (Warsaw)

Welcome to Warsaw, the 8th largest city in the European Union and is the capital and largest city of Poland. Meeting, assistance and transfer to our hotel. Balance of the afternoon is at leisure to relax and become acclimated to a new time zone and/or perhaps a good time to start exploring the wonders of this city. Evening starts with a Thanksgiving prayer, brief orientation, followed by a welcome dinner. (Welcome Dinner)

Day 3 Saturday/29 August (Warsaw/Czestochowa)

Carefully reconstructed after the WW2, this fairly young city has so much to offer. Among the most notable landmark of the Old Town we are visiting are the Royal Castle, King Sigismund's Column, Market Square, the Barbican and St. John's Cathedral. Then on to the prettiest, the biggest and the oldest "Lazienki Park and Chopin's Monument". We'll also visit the emotive "Warsaw Ghetto", was the largest Jesish ghettos located in the territory of General Government during WW2. And on our way to Czestochowa. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 4 Sunday/30 August (Czestochowa/Wadowice/Krakow

Guided tour by one of the Paulinian Fathers or Sisters of the Jasna Gora Monastery - Poland's premiere PIlgrimage Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, popularly known as the "Black Madonna".

HIGHLIGHT: POPE JOHN PAUL II
Wadowice - a small city with an international recognition. The birthplace of Pope John Paul II, born in 1920 as Karol Wotyla. We'll get to see the places associated with the beloved Pope's life. The day ends in Krakow. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 5 Monday/31 August (Krakow)

We'll start the day with a visit to the St. Mary's Church (Kosciol Mariacki). Its asymmetrical facade dominates the Old Town Square. From here, every hour, on the hour (come rain and snow), a bugle rings out across the city. Inside is the world famous art work - "extraordinary wooden altar piece" built by Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss) in the 15th century

HIGHLIGHT: DIVINE MERCY
Krakow's Lagiewniki's Basilica of Divine Mercy dominates the sanctuary. Convent of the Sisters of Mercy. It depicts Christ as He appeared before a visionary Polish nun, Sister Faustina (St. Faustyna Kowalska) instructed her to commision the very likeness of Himself. The Lord's Mercy icon remains in the heart of the sanctuary, where St. Faustyna's relics are also to be found. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 6 Tuesday/01 September (Krakow/Prague)

Early departure from Poland to Czech Republic. Enroute visit Olomouc(Northern Moravia): Holy Hill is one of the most visited Christian sites in Czech lands. During a visit in 1995, Pope John Paul II raised the status of the Church of Visitation to the rank of "basilica minor". Then, some free time in the Market Square, where we see the UNESCO protected Trinity Column (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 7 Wednesday/02 September (Prague)

Our day starts with a visit to the Shrine of Loreto. Then see the Prague Castle and Mala Strana with its beautiful architectural buildings, and the Church of St. Nicholas the Lesser.

HIGHLIGHT: INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE
The Infant Jesus of Prague (Bambino de Praga). The doll-size wax figure of Spanish origin, whose shrine is located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious.

Continue across the Charles Bridge to visit the Old Town considered the best preserved Old Town in Europe with over 1000 years of history. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 8 Thursday/03 September (Prague/Freising/Regensburg)

Early departure for Germany

HIGHLIGHT: POPE BENEDICT XVI
Enroute stop in Regensburg - Pentling, a municipality in the district of Regensburg in Bavaria, Germany to visit the house of the Ratzinger Family and Freising where Pope Benedict XVI studied and became Bishop. Visit St. Korbinian Cathedral where he was ordained to the priesthood and the Theological University where he taught. Then enjoy a walking tour of Regensburg, one of the prettiest of German cities. Visit the Dome of Greensburg and the university where Cardinal Ratzinger worked as professor. In the evening, savour a typical Bavarian dinner. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 9 Friday/04 September (Marktl/Altotting)

Today's first stop, Marktl, or often called Marktl am Inn (Little Market on the Inn River), is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border. the birthplace of our current Pope, Benedict XVI (formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), who succeeded Pope John Paul II as the 265th head of the Roman Catholic Church. We'll get to have a beer tasting stop at their own beer.

Then, on to a top stop along Germany's Pilgrimage Route - Altotting - Germany's Lourdes, with the Chapel's 13th century statue of the Blessed Virgin credited with numerous miracles. We'll have a guided tour in the footsteps of the Holy Father, and other Popes who visited Altotting. Also see the Treasury like numerous chalices, and precious items given to the Chapel of Our Lady of Altotting by several visiting Popes. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 10 Saturday/05 September (Lake Chiemsee)

We drive along the picturesque Alpine "Benedikten Wand"(Benedictine Wall). A quick visit to Traunstein where Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) went to school, attended the archiepiscopal seminary and celebrated his first Mass. Our next stop is at Bavaria's biggest lake, Lake Chiemsee, also known as the "Bavarian Sea" although it is actually the remains of a glacier. We'll take a boat to the Castle Herrenchiemsee, built by King Ludwig. Continue on to Oberammergau. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 11 Sunday/06 September (Oberammergau)

PREVIEW - 2010 PASSION PLAY SITE
The play depicts the Passion of Christ - from the entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection. The original performance dates back to 1634. During the Thirty Year War, the village of Oberammergau was spared from the Black Plague and for this reason, the villagers vowed that every 10 years they would give a play to honor the life of Christ.

In the morning, we'll take a walking tour of the Oberammergau, the Passion Play town nestled in the Alps, also famous for the craftsmanship of its woodworkers. Our program then takes us to Kloster Ettal to tour the beautiful monastery and visit the distillery. (Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 12 Monday/06 September (Munich)

There is one thing for sure- there is no shortage of beautiful churches in Bavaria. One of the most beautiful and well-known is Die Weiss Kirche (The White Church), a perfect example of baroque architecture and then on to Munich. Highlights of our walking tour: the famous Glokenspiel Carillon in the Marian Platz, and the Church of Our Lady. We then visit the "Liebfrauendom" where Pope Benedict XVI was declared bishop of Munich - Freising and later Cardinal. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure for last minute shopping and/or relaxing. A very special "Gemutlichkeit" of "good time" is planned for the night with beer and wine in a typical Bavarian restaurant. (Breakfast/Farewell Dinner)

Day 13 Tuesday/07 September (Munich/USA)

After breakfast, check out- transfer to the airport for flight back home laden with photographs, blissful memories and new found friends (Breakfast)

"Home Sweet Home"