Religious Treasures of Northern &Central Europe
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$50 Early Booking Discount if Reserved by July 24, 2016 Religious Treasures of Northern &Central Europe Lithuania – Poland – Hungary – Czech Republic Highlights: Divine Mercy Shrines (Vilnius, Bialystok, Krakow), Black Madonna (Czestochowa), Pope St. John Paul II (Krakow, Wadowice), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Budapest), Infant Jesus (Prague) with a Priest Host May 22, 2017 - June 1, 2017 (11 Days) $3,859 from Newark (including Flight, Airport Taxes/Fuel Surcharges, Hotels, Breakfasts, Dinners, Tours and Services of Tour Manager all throughout) For Information and Reservations Contact: Unitours, Inc., Virginia Ricablanca Tel 848-466-0234 Email [email protected] Monday, May 22 - Day 1 - DEPART US - Today, Day 3 – VILNIUS - DIVINE MERCY SITES - Today, we depart Newark or JFK airport to connect with our we trace the origin of Divine Mercy devotion as well as overnight flight bound for Vilnius. the colorful story of the first and original painting of the Tuesday, May 23 - In April 1935, for three days Merciful Jesus, known as the Divine Mercy image. St. leading to the first Sunday after Easter, the Divine Faustina lived in Vilnius from 1933-1936. It was here Mercy image was venerated for the first time in that she met Fr. Sopocko, who asked her to write a diary public at the Gate of Dawn sanctuary, the shrine of and helped her carry out her mission to spread the Holy Mother of Mercy, one of the most important message of God's infinite Mercy. Our first stop is the religious sites in Lithuania. St. Faustina cell where St. Faustina received many revelations from participated and Blessed Fr. Michael Sopocko, her Jesus, including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We confessor and spiritual director, presented a homily proceed to the house, now a convent, where the original about the Divine Mercy. Here are the excerpts, from image of the Merciful Jesus was painted by Eugeniusz St. Faustina’s diary on this first Feast of Mercy: Kazimierowski in 1934, as St. Faustina saw Him in her "When the image was displayed, I saw a live visions. Then to St. Michael’s Church, now a museum, movement of the hand of Jesus, as He made a large where the painting was hung for public veneration in sign of the cross" (Diary, 416). "When he began to 1937 by its rector, Fr. Sopocko. We also visit the speak (Fr. Sopocko) about the great mercy of Our Dominican Holy Spirt Church where the image was Lord, the image came alive and the rays pierced the moved in 1951, before it was transferred to a church in hearts of the people gathered there… " (Diary, Belarus where it remained till 1986. The image was 417)."Toward the end of the service, when the priest spirited back to Vilnius, and in 2005, after restoration, the took the Blessed Sacrament to bless the people, I saw original Image of the Merciful Jesus eventually found a Our Lord Jesus as He is represented in the image. permanent home at the Holy Trinity Church, now the Our Lord gave His blessing, and the rays extended Divine Mercy Shrine. We celebrate Mass here. Time over the whole world" (Diary, 420). permitting, we visit other churches in the Old Town area, Day 2 - VILNIUS - “CITY OF DIVINE MERCY” since Vilnius is also known as the City of 40 Churches. - We arrive in Vilnius airport where we are met by Tonight, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight our Tour Manager. We proceed to the Gate of Dawn at our hotel. sanctuary, a major pilgrimage site in Lithuania, the Thursday, May 25 – Ascension - Day 4 – shrine of Mary, Mother of Mercy, for our Welcome VILNIUS/BIALYSTOK, CITY OF MERCY - Today, Mass. Pope St. John Paul II visited the Gate of Dawn we depart Vilnius and cross the border into Poland. We and prayed before the miraculous icon when he continue to Bialystok, where Blessed Fr. Michael visited Vilnius in 1993. After a brief panoramic tour Sopocko continued to proclaim the truth of God’s mercy of the city, we transfer to our hotel for dinner and for 30 years, until his death in 1975, on the feast day of overnight. St. Faustina. Jesus’ revelation about Fr. Sopocko was Wednesday, May 24 - Following St. Faustina's written in St. Faustina’s diary, “He is a priest after My death, and at the outbreak of World War II, Fr. Own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me (...) Through Sopocko gave a copy of the Divine Mercy image him it pleases Me to proclaim the worship of My Mercy” hanging in St. Michael’s Church and Divine Mercy (Diary, 1256). We visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy documents to Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC, a where we celebrate Mass and visit the tomb of this member of the Congregation of Marians of the humble priest. We also visit some of the sites associated Immaculate Conception, who was in Vilnius, with Fr. Sopocko to gain more understanding of the escaping the Nazis. Fr. Joseph, after a perilous remarkable contributions of Fr Sopocko in the spread of journey, eventually reached the U.S., where later, the Divine Mercy devotion. Then transfer to our hotel for Marians established the Shrine of Divine Mercy in dinner and overnight. Stockbridge, Massachusetts from which they have spread the message of Divine Mercy around the “Have questions about this pilgrimage? Ask world us! Go to www.Unitours.com/questions.” Book on-line at http://bit.ly/FrJocsonCentralEurope Friday, May 26 - Day 5 – BIALYSTOK/ Stephen’s Basilica, then enjoy a boat ride on the Danube; CZESTOCHOWA - We depart early this morning commentary will include the history of the city’s most and journey to Czestochowa. We celebrate Mass at important buildings situated along the river. Our dinner the Jasna Góra Shrine, the home of the miraculous this evening is at the Gypsy Tavern with folkloric icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which according entertainment. Overnight at our hotel. to tradition was painted by St. Luke on a tabletop Tuesday, May 30 - Day 9 - BUDAPEST/GYOR/ built by Jesus. It was discovered by St. Helena during PRAGUE - Today, we leave the Hungarian plains and her search of the true cross in Jerusalem and was travel to Prague. We drive to the famous Danube Bend enshrined in Constantinople. It remained in a royal for brief shopping and exploration of the village of palace in Ruthenia for 600 years, then finally Szentendre along the Danube Valley, well known for its transferred to Jasna Gora and entrusted to Pauline artists and artisans. Afterwards, we travel to the city of monks in the 14th century. We tour the shrine, then Gyor, situated halfway between Budapest & Vienna. transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight at our Gyor is famous for its Baroque architecture and sacred hotel. monuments which symbolize 1,000 years of Hungarian Saturday, May 27 - Day 6 - CZESTOCHOWA Christianity. We visit and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral /KRAKOW/ LAGIEWNIKI - After an early of Gyor, where the Irish Madonna, known as Our Lady, breakfast, we travel to Krakow, to the Church of St. Consoler of the Afflicted, attracts many pilgrims. We Florian where Pope St. John Paul II served as a continue to Prague for dinner and overnight. curate, and where he lived while a university Wednesday, May 31 – Visitation - Day 10 - PRAGUE chaplain. We visit the courtyard of 16th century - After breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Church of Our Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral, where Lady Victorious. We view the famous statue of the generations of Polish Kings are buried. We then take Infant Jesus of Prague, originally from Spain and donated a walking tour of Old Town, visiting some of the to the Carmelites in 1628. We visit the museum to see treasures of this wonderful old city. We will view the part of the Infant Jesus’ wardrobe, most of which are gifts Town Hall Tower and the Cloth Hall, located on the of gratitude. The vestments of the Infant Jesus are same site since the 14th century, the 15th century traditionally changed about ten times a year according to Collegium Maius in the oldest university area and St. the liturgical season. We proceed to St. Nicholas Church Mary's Church. Here we enjoy the ancient tradition (Mala Strana), one of the most beautiful baroque of the "Hejnal" or bugle call from the Tower, which churches in Prague, where Mozart’s spectacular warned residents of the coming of an enemy. We masterpiece, Mass in C, was first performed. Afterwards, continue to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in we tour Castle Hill and visit St. Vitus Cathedral, Lagiewniki where at 3PM we pray the Divine Mercy Vladislav Hall and Golden Lane. Our afternoon tour of Chaplet. We celebrate Mass at the chapel where the Prague will include the Old Town with Astronomical miraculous Divine Mercy image and the tomb of St. clock, Our Lady before Tyn Church, Jewish Quarter and Faustina can be found. Afterwards, we visit the Charles Bridge. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Basilica, see the convent and meet with the Sisters Thursday, June 1 - Day 11 - RETURN TO US - This there. Before returning to Krakow, we stop at the morning we transfer to the airport in Prague to board our nearby Shrine of Saint John Paul II. We visit the flight to the USA arriving later today with memories of a lower church and see the Holy Father’s relics. lifetime. Tonight, dinner is at a restaurant in Krakow. Overnight at our hotel in Krakow. Sunday, May 28 - Day 7 – KRAKOW/BUDAPEST - Early this morning we depart Krakow and travel to Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II.