Dear SSND Friends in Faith, We are excited to offer you the opportunity to join our spirit-filled Pilgrimage to Italy, September 11 19, 2015. Upon arriving in Italy, our excursion will begin with a profoundly moving religious experience. We will witness the historic Passion Play in the small northern village of Sordevolo. The significance of this event is that since the 18th century, the Passion Play only occurs every five years. It is not to be missed! We will share exhilarating days in Oropa, Florence and Assisi before traveling to Rome. In Rome, we will be welcomed guests to our SSND Generalate, the central house of our global Congregation. We will attend the Papal Audience in St. Peter s Square, subject to the availability of His Holiness, and we will experience other historic and holy sites. This is truly an exciting and memorable itinerary. Please join us! Reservations are limited. Please look over this brochure and information sheets for full details including important terms and conditions. We look forward to seeing you in September. May God s Love be with you. School Sisters of Notre Dame More than 2,500 School Sisters of Notre Dame serve others in 34 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. We are educators in all we do. Impelled by the Spirit and mission of Jesus, we educate with a global vision believing that the world can be changed through the transformation of persons. We work to empower others through education and spread Jesus message of love and unity.
ITINERARY DAY 1: Fri., Sept. 11 New York/En Route Depart from New York for your overnight trans-atlantic flight to Milan, Italy. DAY 2: Sat., Sept. 12 - Milan/Turin/Oropa D Welcome to Italy! Upon your arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Oropa. En route to Oropa you will visit Turin Cathedral. Continue to Oropa where you will check into your hotel. seven nearby, create a devotional path and inside each chapel is a depiction of scenes of the Virgin Mary s life. The path culminates on top of the hill with the Crowning of Mary. After visiting the sanctuary, celebrate Mass at the old Basilica. PM: Continue to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Loreto in Graglia, located at 2,664 feet above sea level with splendid panoramic views of the Elva Valley. In Graglia, you will see the statue of the Black Madonna of Loreto. Return to Oropa. Dinner: Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in Oropa and savor delicious treats of the regional cuisine. DAY 4: Mon., Sept. 14 - Oropa/Florence AM: After breakfast at the hotel you will depart Oropa and travel to Florence. Upon your arrival you will enjoy a walking tour of Florence. In the evening you will attend the Passion Play. Every 5 years in Sordevolo a momentous Passion Play is performed by the local villagers. The Passion Play of Sordevolo is a reenactment of The Passion of the Christ that has taken place in this small town every year since the beginning of the 18th century. An impressive, unique, and moving theatrical spectacle, more than 700 of the town s residents volunteer as actors and transform the ancient streets of Sordevolo into a reconstructed corner of Jerusalem circa 33 A.D. Florence - Visiting Florence is like being in an intimate, outdoor museum. Florence exudes history and culture. Heralded as the birthplace of Renaissance art, architecture, and science, Florence is home to masterpieces by Michelangelo, Giotto, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Botticelli. Besides its rich artistic heritage, the city itself is beautiful, lying on both banks of the River Arno. PM: Half-day Walking Tour of Florence Florence, a city of artistic wealth and beauty, holds many treasures for you to discover. Start your visit at the beautiful Dinner: Before attending this remarkable performance of The Passion of Christ, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in Sordevolo. DAY 3: Sun., Sept. 13 Oropa/Graglia/Oropa AM: An exciting day of discovery awaits you at two scenic sanctuaries. First you will visit the Sanctuary of Oropa. It is one of the nine Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 12 chapels, plus another Piazza Del Duomo to see the delicately patterned green, white, and pink Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, crowned by Brunelleschi. Then see Giotto s Bell Tower and the Romanesque Baptistery of St. John with the exquisite bronze doors by Ghiberti (Michelangelo called them The Gates of Paradise ). Visit the Academy of Fine Arts, which houses Michelangelo s superb David and many of the master s unfinished works.
DAY 5: Tues., Sept. 15 - Florence/Assisi/Rome This morning you will depart Florence and travel to Rome. En route you will stop in Assisi. Assisi - A gentle landscape outside its walls and a history of gentle saints within, characterizes serene Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis and St. Clare. During the Middle Ages, it repeatedly battled neighboring Perugia. Into these turbulent times, St. Francis was born in 1182. The son of a wealthy merchant he spent his early years pursuing life s pleasures. A nearly fatal illness converted him to a life of poverty, penitence, and prayer. In 1210, he founded the Franciscan Order. Since its native saints restored simplicity and joy to a strife-torn Christendom, Assisi has changed little. Flowers, birds, and quiet make it one of the most charming towns in Umbria. 1,900-year-old Coliseum, then walk down an avenue of modern buildings? Rome has been the center of Christendom ever since St. Peter established the Church here. DAY 6: Wed., Sept. 16 - Rome AM: Papal Audience After breakfast at the hotel, you will proceed to St. Peter s Square to attend the Papal Audience, subject to the availability of His Holiness. PM: Tour of the Vatican Museums In the afternoon you will visit one of the most splendid museums in the world, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Your detailed visit begins with the Corte Della Pigna where your expert guide will discuss the history and beauty of the Sistine Chapel. Then, visit the Hall featuring Greco-Roman sculptures, the Hall of Tapestries, featuring magnificent 16th century Flemish tapestries executed from Raphael s designs, and the Maps Gallery, a 120-feet-long gallery, hung with interesting ancient maps. Your tour will end at the Sistine Chapel, the Pope s official private chapel, where election conclaves are held, a gem among gems. In order to respect its reverence, the Vatican has requested silence during your visit. Raise your eyes to see Michelangelo s Creation and the famous Last Judgment. Sightseeing Tour of Assisi Your first stop will be the Basilica of St. Francis, which houses the frescoes of Giotto and Cimabue depicting the life of St. Francis. Next, you will visit the Church of Santa Chiara. Under the high altar is the Tomb of St. Clare, the enthusiastic disciple of St. Francis who founded the order of Clarissines of Poor Clares. Then on to the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, containing the famous Porziuncola, the chapel where St. Francis consecrated St. Clare as the bride of Christ. PM: Continue to Rome, the Eternal City! Rome - To discover the treasures of Rome is to take a walk through the centuries. Even in ancient times, Rome was known as the Eternal City. Today, it is even more remarkable, a bustling 20th century metropolis, flourishing amid ancient monuments. Where else but in Rome can you visit the Continue to St. Peter s Square, one of the most beautiful and famous in the world, surrounded by Bernini s imposing colonnade that seems to embrace it with its 284 columns. In the background, see the massive structure of the Basilica with its gigantic facade, the largest church in Christendom. The interior, extending for 186 meters, culminates under the dome with the Confession Altar and the Papal Altar, covered with the sumptuous bronze baldachin by Bernini, and the apse, aglow with golden mosaics. In the first chapel on the right is the famed Pieta by Michelangelo. Tonight you may want to plan a visit to the Trevi Fountain, one of Rome s most celebrated sights. The Trevi Fountain is best seen at night, when it is fully illuminated. Throw a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to this wonderful city!
DAY 7: Thurs., Sept. 17 - Rome AM: Visit the SSND Generalate, the central house of our global Congregation. PM: The afternoon is at leisure to explore Rome on your own. DAY 8: Fri., Sept. 18 - Rome Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you depart for a full day sightseeing tour. AM: Tour of Christian Rome Your tour starts with a visit to the magnificent Basilica of St. Paul s Outside the Walls, the largest in Rome after St. Peter s. Marvel at its beautiful cloisters. It is said that when Emperor Constantine the Great brought peace to the Christian Church, and honored her saints, he enclosed the Apostle s body in a metal case and placed upon it a heavy cross of gold. He then built a church above the grave. This Basilica is the most beautiful of all the Roman churches and one of the four patriarchal basilicas. battleground of the gladiators, and scene, according to some, of the martyrdom of early Christians. However, there is no historical basis for this tradition. The Coliseum was particularly admired by 19th century travelers to Rome because of its romantic ruined state. Next, you will visit the Roman Forum. The origins of the most ancient and romantic group of ruins in Rome are lost between history and legend: once nothing more than a marshy hollow, the area was drained with the digging of the Cloaca Maxima ; it became the political, commercial, and religious center of Rome. Excavations began in the 18th century. From here you may climb up to the Palatine Hill, to see the remains of the most ancient Roman homes and of the Roma Quadrata (Square-shaped Rome) founded by Romulus. The extraordinary archaeological site is also celebrated for the beauty of its scenery. Dinner: Enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. DAY 9: Sat., Sept. 19 - Rome/New York B Arrivederci! A nostalgic goodbye but a promise to return. This morning you will be transferred to Rome s Fiumicino airport for your return flight home. You return home richly endowed with new insights, spiritual renewal, and vast cultural wealth. B=breakfast; D=dinner Continue along the Old Appian Way to visit one of the magnificent Catacombs of Rome. This curious underground maze of tunnels is hollowed out of rock. Here the early Christians, persecuted by the Romans, practiced in secret, their religious rites and buried their dead. Next, you will visit St. John in Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. Opposite the Lateran Palace, there is a 16th century building containing the Scala Santa, which according to legend were brought to Rome by St. Helena from Pontius Pilate s house in Jerusalem. PM: Tour of Ancient Rome Relive some of the city s past splendor as you pass legendary monuments, palaces, ruins, and fountains. Visit the most famous monument of ancient Rome, the monumental Coliseum, famed