Latin Mass Pilgrimage to Italy - Rome & Sicily

April 9th-19th, 2027

with Fr. Neal Nichols, FSSP

Visiting Rome, Orvieto, Amalfi, Paestum and Sicily Messina, Taormina with views of Mt. Etna, Catania and Syracuse.  

Syversen Touring invites you to join us on a Latin Mass Pilgrimage to Italy - Spend time in the Eternal City walking in the footsteps of a milenia of saints and pilgrims.  Experience the excitement of being in the presence of the Vicar of Christ at the Papal Audience. Discover the Major Basilicas of Rome along with many unsung but magnificent churches. Walk in the hallowed catacombs of Rome frequented by the early Christians looking for safe refuge. Stay in the same house that St. Bridget of Sweden once resided from 1349 to 1373. Admire some of Caravaggio's most beautiful paintings.  Dine on the famous Piazza Farnese and walk the narrow streets of the colorful Trastevere district.  Witness a Eucharistic Miracle in the Umbrian Cathedral of Orvieto beckoning the faithful with the frescoes of the Last Judgement.  Travel through the Provinces of Lazio, Salerno, Campania and Calabria. See the Amalfi Coast by boat.  Discover the ancient Greek cities of Poseidon and Syracuse. Cross the Strait of Messina connecting you to Mediterranean Island of Sicily.  See Mount Etna which has dominated the lives of locals for centuries with Volcanic eruptions. Finally honor two of the most important early Christian martyrs, St. Agatha and St. Lucy with a visit to the Sanctuary of St. Lucy in Syracuse and to the Cathedral of St. Agatha in Catania.  Both are celebrated in the Roman Canon.  Come join us! 

Late afternoon departure from New York JFK on an overnight nonstop flight to Rome. Dinner served on board.

Morning arrival in Rome's Fiumicino Airport. Meet our guide and board our coach for a wonderful week in Italy taking in Rome and Sicily. Our first stop this morning will be at the magnificent Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Built in the 4th Century over the site of St. Paul's burial, marvel at the amazing lineup of Papal medallions (267) starting with the first Pope, St. Peter and continuing to Pope Leo XIV, showing the continuity of the Succession of Popes. See the chains that bound St. Paul as a prisoner of Rome. Then continue to the historical center of Rome and enjoy a panoramic tour taking in many of the sites from the coach including the Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine. Midafternoon check-in at the beautiful Casa Brigida on the famous Piazza Farnese within easy walking distance to the Piazza Navona, the bustling Trastevere and the Vatican. Dinner and overnight on the Piazza Farnese. 

This morning travel outside the walls of Rome along the ancient Appian Way to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. Dating back to the early church of the 2nd and 3rd centuries when Christianity was outlawed and Christians persecuted, the catacombs, with miles of underground tunnels and caverns, provided secret meeting places and burial crypts for the early Christians. Time permitting, stop at the Church of Quo Vadis where St. Peter encountered the Risen Christ and asked, "Lord where are you going?” Next stop - St. John Lateran, the oldest of the major basilicas and the designated Cathedral of Rome, the official seat of the Pope.  Approaching the basilica by foot, pass by the notable monument to St. Francis of Assisi representing the arrival of Francis and his followers in Rome in 1209 to meet with Pope Innocent III (residing in the Lateran) to seek approval for their new order. After initially refusing permission, the Pope had a dream showing Francis holding up a falling church. Realizing that Francis would be instrumental in saving the church, he gave his approval.  Across the street from the Lateran is the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy Stairs and the Sancta Sanctorum which has the Holy Stairs brought from Jerusalem by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine in 326 AD. Here you can climb the Holy Stairs that are known to be ones that Jesus walked on the way to face Pontius Pilate.  Dinner and overnight on the Piazza Farnese.

First stop of the day will be to visit the on Basilica of St. Mary Major on Rome’s Esquiline Hill. It was here on this hill that snow miraculously fell on the summer day of August 5 in the year 358 designating the spot where the Basilica was to be built. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and given the honor of housing the relics of the Holy Crib of Bethlehem and the mortal remains of St. Matthew and St. Jerome. See the golden ceiling, an architectural marvel. It was here that the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854. Later this morning travel outside of Rome to the city of Orvieto in the Umbrian Hills just north of Rome.  Enjoy a lunch (included) in the upper city. Dramatic and enchanting, the highlight of this city is its majestic 14th century gothic Cathedral of Orvieto especially noted for its Chapel of the Corporal where you can witness the relics of a 13th Century Eucharistic Miracle. See the Cathedral’s Chapel of San Brizio, famous for its frescoes depicting the Last Judgement started by Fra Angelico in 1447 and completed by Luca Signorelli. Late afternoon return to Rome. Overnight on the Piazza Farnese. 

Enjoy a free morning in Rome. There will be an opportunity to attend the weekly Papal Audience on St. Peters Square (pending the Holy Father's schedule). This afternoon depart Rome and travel south through the Region of Lazio and into the Province of Salerno. Along the way take in a view of the of famous Abbey of Monte Cassino (founded by St. Benedict in 529) situated high on a mountain top. Late afternoon arrival and check in at our hotel on the Cilento Coast, a beautiful stretch of beaches overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Dinner and overnight.

This morning visit the well-preserved Archaeological Park of Paestum, designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Paestum was founded by the Greeks around 600 BC and named Poseidonia (city of Poseidon). It was built to honor the Greek god of the Sea.  Here, you can see some of the most well-preserved Greek temples rivaling those in found in Greece.  This afternoon enjoy a boat ride along the fabulous Amalfi Coast and some free time in town of Amalfi to visit the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew, the jewel of Amalfi. Here you can venerate the relics of the Apostle Andrew.  Late afternoon return to our hotel on the Cilento Coast. Dinner and overnight. 

Travel south through the ancient region of Campania to the Strait of Messina. Along the way enjoy a stop in the picturesque coastal town of Tropea. Time permitting visit the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Isola, prominently situated on a hilltop overlooking the sea. Continue on to port of Villa San Giovanni. Here, board a ferry for a 20-minute crossing to Messina, our first point of entry into Sicily.  Stop for a sunset view from the ancient Amphitheater in Taormina overlooking the Ionian Coast.  From here you can enjoy excellent views Mount Etna. Late afternoon arrival and check in in our hotel in Catania, the second largest city in Sicily. Dinner and overnight in Catania. 

Excursion to the ancient city Syracuse (Siracusa) founded by Corinthian Greeks in 734 BC. This morning explore the Neapolis Archaeological Park to see the Greek Theater, the Roman Amphitheater, the Ear of Dionysius and the Cordari Grottos. Enjoy some free time on the Island of Ortigia (historic center of Syracuse and a UNESCO site) for lunch. Afternoon visit to the Cathedral of Syracuse built on the columns of the Doric Temple of Athena. Then continue the Basilica Sanctuary of St. Lucy. This venerable church was built to honor the memory of St. Lucy. It was on this site that she was martyred in 304AD when she refused the arranged marriage to the Roman governor during the Diocletianic Persecutions. See the famous Caravaggio painting of “The Burial of St. Lucy). Late afternoon return to Catania. Dinner and overnight in Catania.