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St. Mary’s Italy – October 2026

Pilgrimage to Italy

Trip Date:
Oct 5, 2026
- Oct 16, 2026
Group Type
Open
Activity Level
Moderate
Price
From $3,976
Deposit $500
Hosted by
St. Mary's Parish Kalamazoo
Register
or call us at (574) 383-9396
Register

or call us at (574) 383-9396

Ask a Question

Trip Overview

St. Mary’s Parish and Verso Ministries will embark on pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, and Orvieto, walking in the footsteps of great Catholic saints such as St. Francis and St. Dominic. Pilgrims will visit majestic places of prayer which also steward great works of art, such as St. Peter’s Basilica with Michelangelo’s Pieta or Santa Maria delle Grazie with Da Vinci’s Last Supper. Travel to Italy and get the chance to experience the remarkable history and beauty of the Catholic Church with the St. Mary’s Parish community.

What’s Included?

  • Licensed, local tour guides
  • Airport/hotel transfers (if arriving/departing with the group flight)
  • Transportation on private motorcoach on Days 2, 5, 8, and 11
  • Public transportation pass for Days 3, 4, 6, 7
  • Opportunity for daily Mass
  • Accommodations in double, triple, and quad-occupancy rooms (single rooms available on a limited basis)
  • Meals as indicated on itinerary, including wine at dinners
  • Tickets for included activities
  • Audio headset for each pilgrim
  • Verso pilgrimage booklets and pilgrim kits

Itinerary

October 5, 2026
  • Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to Rome
October 6, 2026
  • Arrive at Rome Fiumicino Airport
  • Transfer to the Catacombs of San Callisto, Rome’s largest catacomb with the Crypt of the Popes
  • Celebrate Mass in the Catacombs
  • Stop for lunch at a nearby restaurant
  • Visit St Paul Outside the Walls, where St Paul is buried Tour of the Basilica by a seminarian from the North American College
  • Transfer to the hotel
  • Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Dinner

The major Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
October 7, 2026
  • Papal Audience (pending the Holy Father’s schedule)
  • After lunch, enjoy a city center walking tour of the churches and piazzas of central Rome
  • Visit can include Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Sant’Agostino, the Gesu, Santa Maria sopra Minerva
  • Mass at Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini (pending availability)
  • Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 8, 2026
  • Mass in the Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Tour of the Basilica by a seminarian from the North American College
  • Scavi Tour (pending availability)
  • Time for lunch
  • Late afternoon entrance to the Vatican Museums, home of the Sistine Chapel
  • Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 9, 2026
  • Day trip to Monte Cassino
  • Tour the Abbey of Monte Cassino
  • Attend Mass (pending availability)
  • Group lunch at a local restaurant
  • Return to Rome Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

October 10, 2026
  • Prayerfully climb the Scala Santa, the Holy Stairs that Christ climbed on his way to his trial, brought to Rome from Jerusalem by St. Helena
  • Mass at the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where a relic of the table of the Last Supper is held
  • Venerate the Passion Relics at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
  • Time for lunch
  • Visit the Basilica of San Clemente and tour the archaeological excavations
  • Continue on to the 5th century church, Santo Stefano Rotondo
  • Free time to explore, with dinner on your own
  • Consider visiting the sites of Ancient Rome, including the Colosseum and Roman Forum
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Breakfast

October 11, 2026
  • Mass at the Basilica of St Mary Major, home of the relic of the Bethlehem manger
  • Visit the Church of St Alphonsus Liguori and pray before the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
  • Time for lunch
  • Free time to explore Trastevere
  • Dinner in Trastevere
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Casa San Giuseppe Montagna

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 12, 2026
  • Free morning
  • After lunch, depart for Assisi
  • Mass at Santa Maria degli Angeli
  • Dinner at the hotel in Assisi
  • Overnight in Assisi

Accommodations: Muro Rupto

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Umbria, Italy, as seen on pilgrimage.
October 13, 2026
  • Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis, where St Francis is buried and decorated with murals by Giotto
  • Self-guided tour of the Old City of Assisi, including the Basilica of St. Francis and Basilica of St. Clare, where the San Damiano Crucifix is held along with the tomb of St Clare
  • Free afternoon in Assisi to explore the peaceful medieval town and visit Santa Maria Maggiore and the tomb of Bl. Carlo Acutis, San Damiano Monastery, the Cathedral of San Rufino, Chiesa Nuova, or the fortress of Rocca Maggiore
  • Dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Accommodations: Muro Rupto

Meals included: Breakfast

October 14, 2026
  • Free day in Assisi
  • Option to hike, for example to the Carceri Hermitage
  • Dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Accommodations: Muro Rupto

Meals included: Breakfast

October 15, 2026
  • Depart Assisi for Orvieto
  • Visit the Church of San Domenico, where St. Thomas Aquinas lived from 1263-1264
  • Celebrate a Closing Mass at the Duomo in Orvieto, the majestic Basilica housing the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, which was the inspiration for Thomas Aquinas’s Eucharistic hymns
  • Continue on to Bolsena
  • Visit the Basilica of Santa Cristina and see Lago di Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Europe Return to Rome
  • Conclude the pilgrimage with a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome near the airport

Accommodations: B&B Fiera 2

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

October 16, 2026
  • Transfer to the Fiumicino airport and depart on your journey home

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodations

Standard Accommodations

Casa San Giuseppe Montagna
Rome, Italy
Muro Rupto
Assisi, Italy
B&B Fiera 2
Fiumicino

Pricing

Package Cost
$3,976

Trip Savings

Optional Add-ons

Group Flight
Available 10 months prior to departure
Single Room Supplement (limited availability)
$1,068/person
Gratuities for guide, drivers, hotels, and meals
TBD
Travel Protection
Quote provided after registration*

Pricing listed per person in double-occupancy rooms and includes airfare.
The number of available single-occupancy rooms is limited.

*Travel protection premium is calculated based on a variety of factors and optional plans are provided by Travel Insured International.

Rates assume a minimum of 20 full-paying pilgrims.

Led by

Group Leader/Chaplain
Brielle Treml
Kalamazoo, MI

Biography forthcoming

Flights

There is an optional group flight available for this pilgrimage. Details will be forthcoming. Pilgrims may also arrange their own airfare based on the designated arrival/departure times provided.

Arrival Flight Information: forthcoming

Hotel Transfer Information

  • Pilgrims will be transferred to/from the airport in one group.

Arrival Flight Information

  • Arrive by: October 6, 2026
  • Arrival time: At or before noon
  • Arrival airport: Rome Fiumicino (FCO)

Departure Flight Information

  • Depart on: October 16, 2026
  • Departure time: Any time
  • Departure airport: Rome Fiumicino (FCO)

Airport Transfer

  • Transfer to the hotel/airport by taxi or public transit

More Details

  • Roundtrip group flight (if group flight package is not selected)
  • Gratuities for pilgrimage director, guide(s), driver(s), hotel staff, and meals (optional add on)
  • Verso Pilgrimage Director (included if group is 30+ pilgrims)
  • Passport, visa, or luggage fees
  • Any personal purchases
  • Any meals not indicated on itinerary
  • Any required COVID tests or vaccinations
  • Recommended travel protection with Cancel for Any Reason coverage
  • Anything else not explicitly mentioned as included

Payment Schedule

  • Deposit due upon registration – $500/person
  • 120 days prior to departure – Final balance

Please note: Payment plans can be arranged if needed. Please contact us if you would like to pay in several installments. Final package price is estimated. Pricing is based on currency exchange rates as of October 2025. Any drastic fluctuations in currency exchange rates may impact final pricing. If you have any questions about pricing and when final pricing decisions will be communicated, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

 

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations of individual pilgrims must be made in writing (email or letter) to Verso Ministries. Individual pilgrims should cancel with their group leaders, who are then responsible for notifying Verso Ministries in writing (email or letter). Cancellations are possible at any time, but refunds are subject to cancellation fees at the rates listed here. Cancellation fees are for individual pilgrims. Any cancellation charges incurred from other suppliers or vendors (flight, lodging, ground transportation, tickets, etc.) may come in addition to the administrative fees listed here. All group flight airline tickets, optional excursions, trip options, pre/post extensions, private transfers, and additional hotel nights are non-refundable 100 days or less prior to departure unless otherwise noted. We highly recommend the purchase of individual travel insurance.

  • Within 2 weeks of deposit: Free cancellation*
  • 14 days after deposit & 91 days or more from departure: Deposit is retained
  • 90-61 days prior to departure: 25% of trip cost is non-refundable
  • 60-31 days prior to departure: 50% of trip cost is non-refundable
  • 30 days or less prior to departure: 100% of trip cost is non-refundable

*To qualify for free cancellation within 2 weeks of deposit, deposit must be made 180 days or more prior to departure.

Want help arranging your flights?

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I purchase travel protection?

We recommend that all pilgrims consider purchasing travel protection. We partner with Travel Insured International (TII) to offer travel protection.  According to TII, travel protection helps protect you and those you are traveling with from unforeseen emergencies, which always seem to happen at the worst possible time. In the event of emergencies, both before and during your travels, as well other circumstances, like travel delay, lost baggage, missed connection(s), and much more, travel protection can help. Upon registration you will receive a travel protection quotation from TII. If you have any questions regarding your quotation, please call TII. If you need an updated or new quotation, please contact us at hello@versoministries.com or call us at 574-383-9396.
Read More

Why should I travel with Verso Ministries?

At Verso, we believe in crafting pilgrimages that offer you a view of God’s world and his work in it that you can’t get anywhere else.    We believe that everything – from the holy sites, to the meals, to daily Mass, to your fellow pilgrims – shape the ways God can speak to you, which means we’re intentional about it all.  We believe a pilgrimage isn’t just the days you travel, but it’s how you prepare – from the moment you sign up, to the days and weeks after you arrive home. We shepherd you through the entire process so you can achieve the most transformative experience possible.  We’re not just travel experts; we’re experts in Catholic pilgrimage.
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How does Verso Ministries prepare me for my journey?

We know from experience that preparing for a journey is just as important as the journey itself. From pre-departure spiritual formation emails and webinars hosted by the Verso trip leader, to providing you with a pilgrim kit to bring with you on your journey, we accompany you through the entire process – before, during, and after the pilgrimage – to prepare your mind and heart for what you’ll encounter. And of course, we’re always available by phone or email to answer and assist with any questions you might have.
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Why should I register now?

The sooner you register for the pilgrimage, the better! Pilgrimages can fill up quickly, especially if pilgrims decide to bulk register as a group, so registering as soon as you think you will be able to travel with us guarantees you a spot on open pilgrimages. If you register and find out you can no longer attend, as long as you registered more than 180 days prior to the departure and cancel within 14-days of registering, we will fully refund your deposit. Just send us a written confirmation of your cancellation and we will take care of the rest.
Read More

Resources

Discover helpful guides and tips to prepare for your pilgrimage and enrich your journey with Verso Ministries.

Silhouette of a man walking against a pink sky during Catholic pilgrimage.

What is a Catholic Pilgrimage?

Read More
The major Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

What are the 4 Major Basilicas?

Read More
A couple walking down a street in Rome.

How to Prepare for Your Trip to Rome

Read More

What Our Pilgrims Have to Say

Father Kuhn

Jocelyn

“Verso provided a safe, quality travel experience, but even more important – a transformative pilgrimage. You are making a solid choice when traveling with Verso and will not regret the decision.”

Rev. Jonathan Meyer
Pastor, All Saints Parish

“It was the experience of a lifetime. This pilgrimage gave us a true glimpse of what it would be like to walk with Jesus in the Holy Land. Celebrating Mass, traveling with superb guides, and reflecting on Biblical passages enriched our love of the Holy Land and deepened our faith.”

Deacon John & Ada H.
Pilgrims, Holy Land

“Who doesn’t love a trip that’s already perfectly planned for you? You don’t have to do much except come and experience the trip. I’m really grateful for Verso because they know what they’re doing.”

 
McKenzy S.
Pilgrim, World Youth Day
View all Testimonials

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