Trip Overview

Join the Immaculate Conception Fraternity of the Secular Franciscans on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi! Journey to the heart of the Franciscan tradition as we spend several days in Assisi celebrating Mass, praying, and reflecting in the places where St. Francis and St. Clare lived their faith. This pilgrimage offers a beautiful opportunity for spiritual renewal, fellowship, and a deeper encounter with Christ!

What’s Included?

  • Professional English-speaking tour escort
  • Local, licensed tour guides
  • Airport/hotel transfers (if arriving/departing within designated window)
  • Transportation on private motorcoach each day per itinerary
  • Accommodations in double-occupancy rooms (single rooms available on a limited basis)
  • Meals as indicated on itinerary
  • Opportunity for daily mass
  • Gratuities for guides, drivers, hotel staff, and meals
  • Tickets for included activities
  • Verso pilgrimage booklets, pilgrim kits, and pilgrim registration support
  • Preparation and follow-up materials
  • Pack & Prep Meeting for all pilgrims to review itinerary, activities, logistical arrangements, and spiritual preparations

Itinerary

April 17, 2027
  • Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to Rome
April 18, 2027
  • Land at Rome Fiumicino airport and meet your English-speaking local guide at the airport
  • Transfer to city center
  • Lunch on your own
  • Mass at local church
  • Check into your hotel
  • Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome

Meals Included: Dinner

Accommodations: Santa Emilia or similar

April 19, 2027
  • Morning Mass in the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica, where St Francis is believed to have begged for alms for the poor
  • After Mass, enjoy a tour of the Basilica with time to see Michelangelo’s Pieta and pray at the tomb of St John Paul II
  • Time for lunch on your own
  • After lunch, transfer to the Lateran area
  • Visit the Basilica of St John Lateran, with time to pray with the relic of the table of the Last Supper
    • This Basilica is particularly important in the life of Francis, not only because Francis attended the Fourth Lateran Council, but because he appeared to Pope Innocent III in a dream holding up the crumbling Lateran Basilica, inspiring the Pope to give the Franciscan Order papal approval
  • Go across the street to prayerfully climb the Holy Stairs, brought from the Holy Land by St Helena
  • Finish the day at the Basilica of the Holy Cross and pray with the Passion relics, a reminder that St Francis shared Christ’s sufferings by bearing the stigmata
  • Group dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodations: Santa Emilia or similar

Crowds of pilgrims in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City
April 20, 2027
  • Morning transfer to Assisi
  • Mass at Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola, the basilica built over the church, or Porziuncola, where St Francis started the Franciscan order and where he died 800 years ago on October 3, 1226
  • Time to pray at the Porziuncola and Chapel of the Transitus
  • Time to browse the bookstore and have lunch
  • Transfer to the hotel to check-in and freshen up
  • Group dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Assisi

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodations: Suore Brigidine or similar

April 21, 2027
  • Celebrate Mass at the tomb of St Francis or in the Lower Church
  • Time to browse the bookstore, pray, and free time have lunch
  • In the afternoon, guided tour of the Basilica of St Francis, the Cathedral of San Rufino, and the Basilica of St Clare
  • Time to pray before the San Damiano Crucifix
  • Dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodations: Suore Brigidine or similar

April 22, 2027
  • Drive down to the San Damiano Monastery, where mass will be celebrated
  • Time to pray at the chapel or dormitory where St Clare died
  • Time for lunch on your own
  • Van transfer to the Carceri Hermitage
  • Time to pray and reflect at the Hermitage
  • Return to Assisi for the evening
  • Dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodations: Suore Brigidine or similar

April 23, 2027
  • Enjoy a day trip to La Verna
  • Visit the sanctuary, see the cave where St Francis slept, Sasso Spicco where he prayed, the Chapel of the Stigmata, and the other churches in the shrine
  • Time to celebrate Mass, pray, and reflect in La Verna
  • Free time for lunch
  • Participate in the 3pm procession from Santa Maria degli Angeli to the Chapel of the Stigmata
  • Return to Assisi for the evening
  • Dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodations: Suore Brigidine or similar

April 24, 2027
  • Enjoy a fully free day in Assisi, with Mass at the Basilica of St Clare (pending availability)
  • Lunch and dinner on your own
  • Overnight in Assisi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodations: Suore Brigidine or similar

April 25, 2027
  • Depart from Rome, stopping en route in Greccio
  • Visit the Hermitage of Greccio and see the first nativity scene in the world developed by St Francis
    • If time allows, visit the International Nativity Museum for an immersion in the historical and cultural evolution of crèches
  • Free time for lunch
  • Attend Mass before continuing on to Rome
  • Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Rome near the airport

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Isola Sacra or similar

April 26, 2027
  • Transfer to Rome Fiumicino airport and depart on your journey home

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodations

Simple Accommodations

Please Note: Pilgrims should reference their Pack & Prep Handout, distributed approximately one month prior to departure, for finalized accommodation details.

Pricing

Package Cost
$3,624

Optional Add-ons

Roundtrip Group Flight (ORD-FCO)
$1,119 / person
Single Room Supplement (limited availability)
$990 / person
Travel Protection*
Quote provided after registration

Pricing listed per person in double-occupancy rooms and does not include airfare.

The number of available single-occupancy rooms is limited.

Rates assume a minimum of 20 full-paying pilgrims.

If pilgrims traveling by themselves are unable to be matched with a roommate, the single room supplement may apply. See Additional Information section below for details.

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

Led by

Group Leader
Timothy Short
LaPorte, IN
Group Leader
Sister M. Anita Holzmer, OSF
Mishawaka, IN
Chaplain
Fr. Brad A. Milunski, OFM Conv.
Chicopee, MA
Fr. Brad is originally from Amsterdam, NY, and is a Conventual Franciscan Friar from the Our Lady of the Angels Province, headquartered in Ellicott City, MD. He studied philosophy and Franciscan spirituality at St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby, MA, and received a Master of Divinity degree from the Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC. In 1989 he professed final vows and was ordained to the priesthood in 1993. He received a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (S.S.L.) in 2000 from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy. Fr. Brad has served primarily in parish ministry, province administration, and initial formation on the pre- and post-novitiate levels. Since June 2021 he has served as Pastor/Rector of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus in Chicopee, MA.

Flights

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

Please note: All group flight tickets are roundtrip airfare. Pilgrims must fly on both the outbound and return flights with the group. If a pilgrim does not fly on the outbound flight, the airline will cancel their reservation on all flights without refund.

Arrival Flight

April 17-18, 2027: United Flight #970
  • Departs from ORD at 3:40 p.m.
  • Arrives in FCO at 7:55 a.m. (the next day)

Departure Flight

April 26, 2027: United Flight #971
  • Departs from FCO at 9:45 a.m.
  • Arrives in ORD at 1:05 p.m.

Arrival Information:

  • Arrive by: April 18, 2027
  • Arrival time: Arrive by 8:00 a.m.
  • Arrival airport: Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome (FCO)
  • Arrival transfer: Pilgrims will self-transfer to the hotel upon arrival (possible to use the group transfer if arriving at the same time as the group flight)

Departure Information:

  • Depart on: April 26, 2027
  • Departure time: Depart anytime
  • Departure airport: Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome (FCO)
  • Departure transfer: Pilgrims transfer from the hotel to the airport on their own (possible to use the group transfer if they depart at the same time as the group flight)

More Details

  • Verso Pilgrimage Director (included if group is 30+ pilgrims)
  • Group Flights (optional add-on; need a minimum of 10 people to offer a group flight)
  • 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

Verso Ministries will administer registration and payment collection from individual pilgrims. Registration can be done directly on the Verso Ministries website whereby pilgrims can make their initial $500 deposit using a debit/credit card. All following payments would be accepted via check, money order, or debit/credit card. Customizable payment plans can be discussed depending on the needs of your group.

#1 Deposit: Upon registration, $500 / person

#2 Final Balance: 120 days prior to departure, final balance

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations of individual pilgrims must be made in writing (email or letter) to Verso Ministries. 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.

 

Important Information for Pilgrims Seeking to be Matched With A Roommate

  1. Pilgrims who register by themselves can indicate in their Pilgrim Portal that they would like to be matched with a roommate. Verso Ministries will make every effort to accommodate that request, however, cannot guarantee that this will be possible.
  2. If, by 90 days prior to departure, Verso has not been able to match a solo pilgrim with a roommate, the single room supplement will be applied to the pilgrim’s invoice and due for payment.
  3. If Verso is able to match a pilgrim with a roommate after they have paid the single room supplement, the pilgrim will be refunded the extra charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
Read More

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.
Read More

Resources

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

A couple walking down a street in Rome.

How to Prepare for Your Trip to Rome

A metaphor of one of the benefits of going on a pilgrimage, a highway comes into sharp focus through a camera lens.

5 Benefits of Going on a Pilgrimage

A picture of the cieling of St. Peter's Basilica.

Finding the Saints in Rome

What Our Pilgrims Have to Say

Father Kuhn

Jocelyn

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