Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
Last updated: January 3, 2023
at 1:17 pm
About Verso & Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage, at its simplest, is a trip of faith. Which means a pilgrimage can be anything from a walk around your city to an encounter of Jesus in the Holy Land. For Catholics, it’s a trip of faith that people have been taking for hundreds or even thousands of years, many times in the same exact places you can visit today. It’s an opportunity to experience the spots God has made his presence known most in time and space, whether that’s where Jesus walked, where Mary appeared, or where the saints have lived and worked.
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 everything from the holy sites, to the meals, to daily Mass, to your fellow pilgrims are ways God can speak to you, which means we’re intentional about it all. We also believe a pilgrimage isn’t just the days you travel, it’s how you prepare from the moment you sign up, to the days and weeks after you arrive home. Which means it’s our intention to shepherd you through the entire process — before, during, and after — so you can have the best, most transformative experience possible. We’re not just travel experts, we’re experts in Catholic pilgrimage.
We know from experience that preparing for a journey is just as important as the journey itself. Our goal is to make sure you’re physically, logistically, and spiritually ready for your pilgrimage. You’ll receive essential emails that will walk you through the process and give you ways to prepare your mind and heart for what you’ll encounter. A pre-trip webinar will make sure you are in touch with the Verso leader of the trip, can get trip-specific info, and can ask questions. We’ll send you a pilgrim kit that contains a comprehensive booklet for your trip along with some Verso swag that you can bring along with you on your pilgrimage. And of course, we’re always available by phone or email if you have any questions or special needs.
General
Our business hours are Monday- Thursday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET and Friday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET.
You are welcome to contact us either by filling out our Contact Us form, emailing us at hello@versoministries.com, or calling us at (574) 383-9396.
The Verso Ministries headquarters is located in South Bend, Indiana, but our team is distributed across the Midwest.
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.
Travel looks different these days. But with Verso, you can trust that our care for you, your safety, and your travel investment are our top priorities.
Please visit our COVID-19 Response page for full details about our SafelySent protocols, free booking transfer, and much more.
Travel Protection
- We recommend all pilgrims traveling with Verso Ministries consider purchasing travel protection to help protect you and your travel investments.
- For your convenience, we are happy to provide travel protection plan quotations through Travel Insured International.
- Travel Insured International (TII) provides valuable coverage at an affordable price and includes added benefits, such as a waiver of Pre-existing Medical Condition Exclusion and Cancel for Any Reason coverage, if travel protection is purchased during the time sensitive period (additional terms apply). Please refer to the plan document for eligibility requirements and details. Click here for more information.
- If you are interested in receiving a quote for or purchasing a policy, please click here.
Please contact Travel Insured International with specific questions on your travel insurance policy, as they are the experts! You can reach them at 1‑800‑243‑3174.
No, we are not able to refund your travel protection payment. Please contact Travel Insured International to file a claim and discuss options for transferring your policy to a future trip. We are happy to provide any additional documentation you may need if you move forward with a claim.
Booking & Payment
We are thrilled you have discerned a pilgrimage with us and are ready to book your spot! To register for a pilgrimage, please visit the departure page and click the red “Register now” button located throughout the page. Once the registration form loads, please fill in your details and select your booking options on page 1, review your selection, add any active promo codes, review and agree to the terms and conditions on page 2, and complete your booking by submitting your deposit by credit/debit card on page 3.
- We are thrilled you’d like to book a pilgrimage with us and reserve a spot for someone else. It is really easy to book a pilgrimage for someone else using our online booking form.
- If you wish to receive the booking confirmation and all emails related to payments and invoices, on Page 1 below the “Traveler Information” section click “I am booking on behalf of someone”. Then enter your information in the “Booker Information” section (the first section on the form) and the information for the person you are booking on behalf of in the “Guest 1 Information” section. Select the booking options as desired. Finally enter your address for shipping and billing purposes in the “Home Address Information (Traveler 1)” section. Then you will continue with Pages 2 & 3 in order to complete the booking.
If you’d like to book a pilgrimage on behalf of two people, first select in the form “I am booking for two people” and “I am booking on behalf of others”. Then enter your information in the “Booker Information” section (the first section on the form) and the information for the persons you are booking on behalf of in the “Guest 1 Information” and “Guest 2 Information” sections. Select the booking options as desired for each pilgrim. Finally, enter your address for shipping and billing purposes in the “Home Address Information (Traveler 1)” section. Then you will continue with Pages 2 & 3 in order to complete the booking.
We are thrilled you are booking a pilgrimage with us and are here to help you during your journey beginning with registration. If you’d like to book a pilgrimage for yourself and someone else, first select in the form “I am booking for two people”. Then enter your information in the “TravelerInformation” section (the first section on the form) and the information for the person you are booking for in the “Guest 2 Information” section. Select the booking options as desired for each pilgrim. Finally, enter your address for shipping and billing purposes in the “Home Address Information (Traveler 1)” section. Then you will continue with Pages 2 & 3 in order to complete the booking.
- We are thrilled you’d like to book a pilgrimage with us and reserve a spot for your child/children. It is really easy to book a pilgrimage for someone else using our online booking form.
- On Page 1 of the booking form below the “Traveler Information” section click “I am booking on behalf of someone”. Then enter your information in the “Booker Information” section and the information for the person you are booking on behalf of in the “Guest 1 Information” section. If you are booking a minor, we recommend you list your email for both your email address and child’s email address so that you receive all emails sent to parents and pilgrims. Finally enter your address for shipping and billing purposes in the “Home Address Information (Traveler 1)” section. Then you will continue with Pages 2 & 3 in order to complete the booking.
If you’d like to register your family of 2+ persons on a pilgrimage, you can either complete the online registration on behalf of two people at a time then contact us to let us so we can merge your bookings, or you can contact us hello@versoministries.com or (574) 383-9396 and we can book you either manually or using our bulk registration process. Please contact us for more information.
We are thrilled you have discerned a pilgrimage with us and are ready to book your spot! We are happy to assist you with registering offline. Please contact us at hello@versoministries.com or (574) 383-9396 to request a paper registration form.
If you would like to connect 1 or more bookings together and merge the bookings into one invoice to be sent to the designated booker, we are more than happy to help! Please contact us at hello@versoministries.com to submit a request for the bookings to be merged. In order to complete this request we will need approval from both parties along with names and booking numbers.
The sooner you register for the pilgrimage, the better! Not only does registering guarantee you a spot on the pilgrimage before the departure fills up, but if you are one of the first 20 pilgrims to register you will receive the early bird discount. Also, there is no risk for 14-days after you register should you then have to cancel (must register 180 days or more prior to departure). So let’s say you register for a pilgrimage, but then realize you can no longer attend, as long as you cancel your pilgrimage within 14-days of registering and registered more than 180 days prior to the departure, then we will fully refund your deposit no questions asked. Just send us a written confirmation of your cancellation and we will take care of the rest. Plus, the sooner you register the sooner your journey begins. Register today!
There is no risk! Your deposit will be fully refunded as long as you cancel within 14-days of registering and you have registered more than 180 days or more prior to departure. With no risk, why wait? Get registered today!
Registration closes when the pilgrimage reaches the maximum number of pilgrims. If the pilgrimage is filled when you register, you will be added to our waiting list, and contacted in the event that space on the pilgrimage becomes available. Don’t miss your chance, register now and begin your journey.
Including optional add-ons with your pilgrimage can really add to your experience whether it is one of the optional extensions or arranging an extra night stay beforehand so you are rested when the pilgrimage begins. If you would like to add on any optional arrangements, as listed above, please email us at hello@versoministries.com or call us at 574-383-9396.
- We accept credit/debit card and check payments. After you pay your initial deposit online using a credit or debit card, you are welcome to submit payments by credit/debit card or check.
- To pay by credit card, please call our offices at 574-383-9396 and our staff will take your card information over the phone and process the payment immediately.
- To pay by check, please make checks payable to “Verso Ministries, LLC” and include the booking number listed at the top of the invoice in the memo line. Please mail check payments to Verso Ministries, P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, IN, 46556.
- Extra savings! Typically, we offer an extra option to save between $50-100 per person if you elect to pay your remaining balance after deposit by check.
- Please check the Payment Schedule section of your particular departure page or your invoice for your departure’s payment instructions as payment charges and saves vary by departure.
If only the deposit has been paid by credit card, then yes, we can add the Pay by Check Savings to your invoice if you pay the rest of your balance by check
- You are welcome to pay your balance however you would like. If you elect to pay by credit card, we will remove the Pay by Check Savings from your booking and invoice.
- To pay by credit card, please call our offices at 574-383-9396 and our staff will take your card information over the phone and process the payment immediately.
- If you would like to add the group flight on your pilgrimage package and request a deviation for your alternate return flight, please contact our staff at hello@versoministries.com or 574-383-9396.
- If you are able to secure a flight deviation for your alternate travel dates from the airline, please note the price of the group flight may be adjusted based on this change.
You cannot use frequent flier miles to purchase the flight ticket, but you can send us your frequent flier account number for us to share with the airline so you can earn miles for the Group Flight.
You add the extension to your booking at any time. However, to guarantee a spot on the extension, you have until the final payment due date to add the extension package. After the final payment deadline, you can still add the extension to your package, but it will be pending confirmation.
World Youth Day
World Youth Day is an incredible opportunity for young people to deepen their faith, share hope, prayerfully journey on pilgrimage, and immerse themselves in the true universality of the Church. Want to know more about this global event? Read on.
We are happy to announce that World Youth Day 2023 will take place from August 1st to August 6th! To learn more about the dates, click here.
As Pope Francis announced at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama City, Panama, Lisbon, Portugal will host World Youth Day 2023.
WYD 2023’s theme is from the Gospel of Luke: “Mary arose and went with haste,” (Luke 1:39). From the logo, to the theme, and eventually, the week of WYD itself, evangelization will be what Pope Francis hopes is instilled into the hearts of the world’s youth. Learn more about the theme by clicking here
After a global competition, dozens of entries from five continents, and input from the Vatican itself, a new logo for World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 has been announced. Click here to view the logo and learn more about it!
World Youth Day is filled with so many wonderful experiences! Click here to check out 12 things you can expect during this absolutely unforgettable opportunity.
- Don’t worry, we are here to help and support you as you prepare for this amazing opportunity and journey. Our ministerially trained, travel-expert staff will be with you throughout your preparation to answer your questions, guide you spiritually as you cultivate a pilgrim’s heart, and walk alongside you before, during and after your pilgrimage to WYD 2023.
- Check out our blog post about everything you need to know to get ready for this trip of a lifetime.
- Small group? No group? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Open Enrollment is available for individuals and groups of 14 or less to experience all that WYD has to offer. Open Enrollment pilgrims will be divided into two groups — young adults (ages 18-39) and youth and families. Contact us to learn more about joining the Open Enrollment group.
- Click here to learn more about our Open Enrollment groups and get registered!
- We accept credit/debit card and check payments. After you pay your initial deposit online using a credit or debit card, you are welcome to submit payments by check or credit/debit card (fees apply)..
- To pay by check, please make checks payable to “Verso Ministries, LLC” and include the booking number listed at the top of the invoice in the memo line. Please mail check payments to Verso Ministries, P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, IN, 46556.
- Credit card payments are also accepted with a 3.5% processing fee per transaction. To pay by credit card, please call us at (574) 383-9396.
In order to secure your space, Verso Ministries requires a non-refundable deposit of $300 per person. All final balances are due by April 1, 2023. Your group’s payment plan can be found on page 2 of your invoice.
- To catch up on missed payments, please submit payment as soon as possible by check or credit/debit card (fees apply).
- If you need to adjust your payment plan, please contact us at WYD@versoministries.com and we will suggest an alternative plan for you.
If you need a different payment plan, please contact us at WYD@versoministries.com and we will suggest an alternative plan for you.
- Verso Ministries will purchase post-departure benefits of the Student Deluxe Group Plan from Travel Insured International on behalf of all pilgrims (U.S. only).
- Pilgrims have the option to upgrade their travel protection to plans that include Trip Cancellation, Cancel For Any Reason coverage, and other benefits. We highly recommend all our pilgrims to purchase CFAR coverage.
- In the next month, you will receive an email with your group’s specific Student Group Deluxe Plan link, which you can use to purchase a policy.
- Rates are based on overall trip cost and not age.
- You will need to enter the cost of your full trip cost and make your purchase prior to final trip payment on the Student Deluxe Plan in order to qualify for the pre-existing medical condition waiver.
- For questions on the plan, coverage or procedures, please contact the Group Support Desk at Travel Insured 844‑440‑8113.
- You can purchase the Student Group Deluxe Policy benefits, minus time-sensitive benefits, until 48 hours prior to departure.
- If you want to take advantage of the time-sensitive benefits, such as Cancel For Any Reason coverage or to qualify for the pre-existing medical condition waiver, you will need to purchase the plan prior to submitting final trip payment.
- If your parish/diocese/organization is submitting a payment/scholarship is submitting payment on your behalf or you’ve been awarded a scholarship, your organization will send us a list of pilgrims and the amounts they will be covering. If your name is on the list, then we will apply the amount they indicate to your account.
- Meanwhile, you are welcome to submit payments for your invoice balance for the portion of which you are responsible. You’ll find instructions for paying by credit card or check on page 2 of your invoice. Please note, there is a 3.5% processing fee for credit card payments, so people usually opt to pay by check, which has no transaction fee.
If there are any errors in the information you entered during the registration process or errors in the confirmation email, please contact us WYD@versoministries.com with detailed information of what is erroneous and how it needs to be fixed.
Yes, you will need a valid passport in order to travel to Lisbon, Portugal for WYD 2023. Per US and international border regulations, U.S. citizens must have a passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months after the date of their return from international travel. So for WYD, passports will need to have an expiration date no earlier than February 8, 2024.
If your passport is expired or expires on or before February 8, 2024, you will need to renew your passport. We recommend beginning the renewal process now. According to the State Department website, routine processing of all passport services take between 7-10 weeks, not including mailing time.
- As of October 2023, U.S. citizens traveling to Portugal for 90 days or less are not required to apply for a visa.
- If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must check visa requirements with the country in which your passport is issued. Obtaining the necessary documentation needed is the responsibility of each individual traveler.
Great question! Please complete your registration with your legal name as it appears on your government issued passport and then enter your religious name in the “Preferred Name” field in your Traveler Form. This ensures that all flight documents, etc., will match your passport information, but all correspondence from us will address you according to your preferred name.
Yes, we will need that information and more in order to make arrangements on your behalf. You will receive an email with a link to your individual Traveler Form, which each pilgrim will receive. You may have already filled out some information in the form, but we will be sending the Traveler Forms weekly to all pilgrims starting mid-November and will require all pilgrims to complete their form by December 31, 2022.
Yes! This is possible. To pay by check, please make checks payable to “Verso Ministries, LLC” and include the booking number listed at the top of the invoice in the memo line. Please mail check payments to Verso Ministries, P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, IN, 46556. To pay by credit card, call us at (574) 383-9396, and please note there is a 3.5% processing fee per transaction.
Your invoice is sent to you via email in advance of your upcoming payments and afterwards if payment is not processed by the deadline. This email includes both your payment schedule and your remaining balance. Try searching your inbox for an email that says “Your Updated Invoice” from wyd@versoministries.com. If you can’t find your invoice, please contact us.
Absolutely! You are welcome to pay off additional portions of your remaining balance at any time.
You can send a money order to Verso Ministries PO Box 986 Notre Dame, IN 46556. Please be sure to include your booking number on the order and sign it before sending!
You will receive an email confirmation as soon as your check has been processed with an updated invoice reflecting your new balance. If you have not received this confirmation within two weeks after mailing your check, please contact us. You can contact us WYD@versoministries.com or (574) 383-9396.
