10 2020 DAYS Pilgrimage of Mercy Join us on a magnificent faith journey from Budapest to Prague passing through Polish heartlands steeped in the graces of our Catholic heritage of past and present. COMMENCES TUE 23RD JUN 2020 • 9 NIGHTS / 10 DAYS Budapest (2 Nights) • Zakopane (1) • Krakow (3) • Auschwitz • Wadowice • Czestochowa (1) • Wambiercyze • Prague (2) Accompanied by ARCHPRIEST MICHAEL KALKA Post Tour Option: Oberammergau Passion Play - 2 Nights PREVIOUSLY: GRACES OF EASTERN EUROPE DAY 1: TUE 23 JUN - ARRIVE BUDAPEST DAY 4: FRI 26 JUN - ZAKOPANE TO KRAKOW Budapest (2 Nights) • Zakopane (1) • Be immediately awestruck by the beauty of Theme: Pope John Paul II Krakow (3) • Auschwitz • Wadowice Hungary’s capital Budapest as we commence Today we embark on a cable car ride into the • Czestochowa (1) • Wambiercyze • our pilgrimage journey here in the city known Tatras Mountains with its many walking trails Prague (2) Optional Oberammergau as the ‘Paris of the East’. Join with fellow once frequented by Fr Karol (Pope St John Passion Play Extension (2 Nights) pilgrims this evening for a Welcome Dinner. Paul II) and his companions. Also here atop Situated on the opposite banks of the Danube, Mt Kasprowy we enter the charming wooden the former twin cities of Buda and Pest are linked Jaszczorowka Chapel so loved by Pope St by a series of graceful bridges. John Paul II and where we will celebrate our highlights spectacular Mass. pilgrim Budapest overnight (D) In the late afternoon we journey north to DAY 2: WED 24 JUN - BUDAPEST Krakow. Discover Hungary’s magical twin- + Theme: St Stephen of Hungary Mass Setting: Jaszczorowka Chapel city capital Budapest, stunningly Krakow overnight (BD) linked by a series of bridges over the Our pilgrimage day begins with a visit and beautiful Danube Mass at the stunning Basilica of St Stephen which holds the mummified hand of St + Ascend to the mountainous chapel Stephen, the first King of Hungary. Continue “This pilgrimage has strengthened at Zakopane and experience the on to view the decorative Parliament building, my faith and desire to do more landscape that so inspired Karol Heroes Square, the 118 foot high Corinthian to serve others” Wojtyla. column dedicated to the Roman Catholic — June Church, the 13th century Church of St Matthias + Relish a 3-night stay in spectacular Krakow as we retrace the places and and the Fisherman’s Bastion. Finish our graces of Pope St John Paull II tour with a panoramic view of the city from DAY 5: SAT 27 JUN - KRAKOW Gellert Hill. Pray in the martyrdom bunker of Theme: Sr Faustina and Divine Mercy + Enjoy some free time this afternoon before St Maximillian Kolbe at Auschwitz Today we commence our walking tour at the embarking on an enchanting Dinner Cruise on Concentration Camp Wawel Cathedral where in the crypt below Fr the River Danube to see the city’s architecture Karol was ordained in 1946 and celebrated his + Be blessed by the powerful graces gloriously illuminated. first Mass. of the great Shrines of Divine Mass Setting: Basilica of St Stephen Continue on to St Mary’s Church, University Mercy and the Black Madonna of Budapest overnight (BD) and Market Square to experience one of the Czestochowa most beautiful medieval city centres in Europe. DAY 3: THU 25 JUN - BUDAPEST TO Pray before the Miraculous Little Enter St. Florians Church, where the young + ZAKOPANE Infant of Prague statue at the Church Karol developed a flourishing underground of Our Lady Victorious for extended Theme: Our Lady of Fatima youth ministry at great risk. reflection Departing Budapest this morning, we journey Our afternoon draws us to the inspired Shrine north crossing into the Slovak Republic and A rare combination of Eastern of Divine Mercy where, between 1931 – 1938 + then Poland, passing magnificent alpine Europe’s most intriguing cities of Our Lord appeared to Sr Faustina Kowalska (a landscape to the resort village of Zakopane. Polish Sister of Mercy) entrusting with her the Budapest, Krakow and Prague We will spend the next few days close to the mission of spreading His message of merciful heart of Pope St John Paul II beginning with love for humanity. We will celebrate Mass at Mass and some time for prayer in the Church the shrine, and witness the miraculous image SYMBOLS of Our Lady of Fatima, built in thanksgiving of the Merciful Jesus before venerating the (B) = Breakfast (L) = Lunch (D) = Dinner of Pope St John Paul II’s narrow escape from tomb of St Faustina. assassination at St Peter’s Square on 13 May, Time permitting we will visit the nearby ‘Have = Time Out - Planned site for extended 1981. No Fear’ John Paul II Shrine where we can opportunity for prayer & reflection Mass Setting: Church of Our Lady of Fatima encounter ‘the person of John Paul II, his Zakopane overnight (BD) thoughts, his spirit and his sanctity’ (Cardinal POLAND Częstochowa 1 Wambierzyce 3 Krakow 2 Auschwitz Prague Wadowice 1 Zakopane Budapest 2 Stanisław Dziwisz). Travel out then for an enthralling tour of “My pilgrimage lifted me out of a the famous Wieliczka Salt Mines, the oldest spiritual slump. I now have so much operational mines in Europe and dating back to the 13th century. more to do with life.” — Mayre Casey Mass Setting: Shrine of Divine Mercy Krakow overnight (BD) DAY 6: SUN 28 JUN - WADOWICE & Jasna Gora (meaning Bright Hill) is located. AUSCHWITZ Czestochowa is home to the cherished miraculous Theme: St Maximilian Kolbe icon of Our Lady with the Child Jesus, an We travel out of Krakow this morning and object of veneration for centuries (also known journey west to visit the celebrated Marian site as the Black Madonna). Attracting more than of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which remains five million pilgrims every year, Our Lady of the favourite boyhood shrine of Pope St John Czestochowa is recognized as one of the most Paul II. visited places of Christian pilgrimage in the world. Continue to Wadowice, the birthplace of On arrival we will celebrate our group Mass. Karol Wojtyla (the now canonised Pope St We will then tour the Basilica, Treasury, John Paul II) where we enter his family house Museum and Knights Hall. A highlight will be and even the grounds where he used to play the opportunity to pray before the image of Football! The central point of the town is the the Black Madonna in the ancient chapel. market square with its Parish Church, and Mass Setting: Czestochowa Shrine Mass Setting: Our Lady of Wambierzyce Shrine the famous Baptismal basin where Karol was Czestochowa overnight (BD) Prague overnight (BD) baptized. Next to the church, we find the saint’s birthplace and the nearby Museum DAY 8: TUE 30 JUN - CZESTOCHOWA TO DAY 9: WED 01 JUL - PRAGUE encompassing the former home of the Wojtyla PRAGUE Theme: Little Infant of Prague family. Theme: Our Lady of Wambierzyce We commence our final day of pilgrimage In the afternoon we journey north and enter Depart Czestochowa this morning and journey with a walking tour of Prague. Visit on a deeply moving encounter of Auschwitz St Vitus west through lush green countryside. We Cathedral, the city’s most distinctive where we mourn the millions of people make a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of who were put to death in this, the biggest landmark which houses the crown jewels and Wambierzyce in the foothills of the Table the tomb of ‘Good King’ Wenceslas. Continue concentration camp of Hitler’s Nazism. Pope St Mountains, where we will celebrate Mass. This John Paul II has termed this place the Golgotha on to the Hradcany area and the Prague is one of the oldest Polish places of Christian Castle. of the modern world. We pray in the martyrdom pilgrimage featuring a Jerusalem-like setting We celebrate Mass today at the Church of Our bunker of St Maximilian Kolbe and view his and home to the miniature miraculous image Lady Victorious where we come face to face cell while reflecting upon his selfless courage. of the Virgin Mary. The Shrine’s grounds and with the Holy Infant of Prague. This wax figure After the tour of Auschwitz, we will have Mass surrounding hills are dotted with numerous has an impressive record of miracle cures in one of the beautiful town Churches. chapels, grottos and stations depicting and is one of the most revered images in the Return to Krakow in time for dinner. important events in the life of Jesus and Catholic world. Mass Setting: Wadowice Chruch Mary. While here we visit the Szopka with its Krakow overnight (BD) hundreds of tiny mechanized figures carved Cross the historical Charles Bridge built in from limewood reliving the Gospel stories. 1400 and continue on to the Old Town area including Wenceslas Square, Celetna Lane, DAY 7: MON 29 JUN - CZESTOCHOWA We reboard our coach and continue west, Old Town Square (with its random network PILGRIMAGE crossing the border in to the Czech Republic. of streets dating back to the 13th century), the Theme: Our Lady of Czestochowa Finally arrive into the golden city of Prague Town Hall with the astronomical clock and Tyn We farewell Krakow this morning, journeying famous for its Gothic and Baroque architecture Cathedral. north by coach to Czestochowa where the and ranked as one of the most beautifully fortress monastery of the Pauline Monks of preserved cities in Europe. CONTINUED POST TOUR OPTION OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2 NIGHTS / 3 DAYS BUDAPEST We enjoy a special dinner this evening as a fitting final celebration of our pilgrimage together. Mass Setting: Our Lady Victorious Chruch Prague overnight (BD) DAY 10: THU 02 JUL - DEPART PRAGUE Our pilgrimage ends after breakfast this morning.