Trip Overview

Ascend High School Pilgrimage Program

Offering high school students and their teachers the opportunity to enrich their faith, grow in community, and expand their horizons through a transformative Catholic pilgrimage, regardless of the size of your group.

Discover the heart of the universal Church on this handcrafted pilgrimage to Italy. Encounter God’s majesty in the beautiful Roman basilicas, pray at the tombs of monumental saints, and walk through the ruins of Ancient Rome and the peaceful Italian countryside. Through prayer in the world’s most iconic churches, and immersion into all the beauty and culture Italy has to offer, this pilgrimage will inspire you to marvel at the work God has done through the church and draw you into deeper relationship with Christ.

Big or small, your group belongs on this journey. Our Ascend high school pilgrimage program lets you join with other schools—no need to recruit a full group.

What’s Included?

  • Local, licensed tour guide(s)
  • Airport/hotel transfers (if arriving/departing with the group flight)
  • Transportation on private motorcoach between cities (pending hotel location, coach will be included some days, but other days pilgrims will walk or metro to nearby sites)
  • Accommodations in double, triple, and quad-occupancy rooms (single rooms available on a limited basis)
  • Meals as indicated on itinerary
  • Opportunity for daily Mass
  • Tickets for included activities
  • Audio headset for each pilgrim
  • Verso pilgrimage booklets and pilgrim kits
  • Preparation and follow-up materials

Itinerary

June 22, 2027
  • Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to Rome
June 23, 2027
  • Arrive at Rome Fiumicino Airport and transfer to the hotel
  • Gather as a group at 4pm and make your way to St Mary Major
  • Welcome Mass at the Basilica of St Mary Major, with a relic of the Bethlehem manger and the tomb of Pope Francis
  • Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
  • After dinner, enjoy a self-guided gelato-tour of some of Rome’s best gelateria
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Hotel San Pietro or similar

Meals included: Dinner

June 24, 2027
  • Morning Mass in the Crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a tour of the Basilica, including time to pray at the tomb of Pope St. John Paul II and to see Michelangelo’s Pieta
  • Free afternoon and evening at the Vatican
  • Consider climbing the Cupola of St Peter’s for views of the city of Rome, or visit the Vatican Museums, home of the Sistine Chapel
  • Pizza-making dinner experience
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Hotel San Pietro or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

June 25, 2027
  • 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
  • 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
  • Visit the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and venerate the relics from Christ’s Passion
  • After lunch visit San Clemente with entrance to the excavations beneath the Basilica
  • Free evening to explore ancient Rome
    • Consider visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Hotel San Pietro or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

June 27, 2027
  • Transfer outside the walls of Rome and cycle along the ancient Appian Way, stopping to explore the Catacombs of San Sebastiano or San Callisto
  • Mass in the Catacombs (pending availability)
  • Lunch at a local restaurant
  • Gladiator School group experience
  • Visit St Paul Outside the Walls with time to pray at the tomb of St Paul
  • Overnight in Rome

Accommodations: Hotel San Pietro or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

June 27, 2027
  • Morning Mass at a local church
  • Pray the Angelus with the Pope in St Peter’s Square (pending the Holy Father’s schedule)
  • Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the churches and piazzas of central Rome using Verso’s Rome resources
    • Stops can include Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Santa Maria sopra Minerva (with the tomb of St Catherine of Siena), Sant’Agostino (with the tomb of St Monica), and the Gesu (with the tomb of St Ignatius of Loyola)
  • Or enjoy a free day in Rome
    • Consider going to the Borghese Estate and visit the Borghese Gallery, with masterpieces by Bernini, or go paddle-boating in the lake on the grounds
  • Transfer to Assisi
  • Dinner at a local restaurant
  • Overnight in Assisi

Accommodations: Monastero Santa Colette or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

June 28, 2027
  • Prepare your trekking kit for a day out in the Umbrian countryside
  • Transfer from Assisi to Gubbio
  • Hike from Gubbio’s historic city center along an ancient mule track up the mountains to reach the Abbey of San’Ubaldo and the fortress of Mount Ignino. Follow the medieval aqueduct over the Bottaccione gorge to return to city center
    • Distance: 20km
  • Mass at the Church of St Francis in Gubbio
  • Return for a free evening in Assisi
  • Overnight in Assisi

Accommodations: Monastero Santa Colette or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast

June 29, 2027
  • Enjoy a guided tour of the Old Town of Assisi, beginning at the Basilica of St Clare, where she is buried and with the San Damiano crucifix, and ending at the Basilica of St Francis, where he is buried and with murals by Giotto
  • Celebrate a Closing Mass at the Basilica of St Francis
  • Free time to explore Assisi – pray at the tomb of St Carlo Acutis in Santa Maria Maggiore or walk down to the Monastery of San Damiano
  • Transfer back to Rome and check-in to a hotel by the airport
  • Farewell Dinner at the hotel
  • Overnight in Rome near the airport

Accommodations: Hotel Isola Sacra or similar

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

June 30, 2027
  • Transfer to Rome airport and depart on your journey home

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodations

Pricing

Package Cost
$3,295

Optional Add-ons

Travel Protection
Quote provided after registration*
Single Room Supplement
$890/person

Pricing listed per person in double, triple, or quad-occupancy rooms and does not include 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

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.

Rates assume a minimum of 20 full-paying pilgrims.

Flights

Pilgrims are responsible for booking their own flights to/from the pilgrimage using the information below regarding airports and designated arrival/departure times.

Traveling with a group of 10 or more? Group flights are an optional add-on available to groups with at least ten travelers. Contact hello@versoministries.com for information on how to set this up.

  • Arrive by: June 23, 2027
  • Arrival time: By 1:00 P.M.
  • Arrival airport: Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO)
  • Arrival transfer: Pilgrims will transfer on their own to the hotel via taxi or public transportation.
    • Note: If your group arranges a group flight with Verso Ministries, we will include a transfer from the airport to your hotel.
  • Depart on: June 30, 2027
  • Departure time: Any time on June 30
  • Departure airport: Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO)
  • Departure transfer: Pilgrims will transfer on their own to the airport via taxi or public transportation.
    • Note: If your group arranges a group flight with Verso Ministries, we will include a transfer from the hotel to the airport.

More Details

  • Roundtrip group flight (optional add on if group is 10+ pilgrims)
  • 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

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.

 

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

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.
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Who can I contact for more information?

Our team is eager to help and is available 9am-5pm EST by phone at 574-383-9396 or by email at hello@versoministries.com
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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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Resources

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

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

Finding the Saints in Rome

The Jubilee Year 2025

In Via: Journey Through Rome’s Station Churches

What Our Pilgrims Have to Say

Father Kuhn

Jocelyn

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