Introducing ProRome Tours
Company Profile
We believe that pilgrimage is not a niche market but a permanent feature of Catholic life, rooted in Scripture (the Road to Emmaus, Paul’s journeys) and tradition (the medieval pilgrimage routes that shaped Christendom). Every Catholic should have the opportunity to walk where saints have walked, to pray where martyrs died, to touch the stones that witnessed miracles.
Yet pilgrimage demands both spiritual seriousness and practical competence. The pilgrim needs a guide who knows not only the historical facts but their theological significance. The group needs an operator who has secured the permissions, vetted the accommodations, and anticipated the contingencies. ProRome exists at this intersection, where deep Catholic formation meets professional tourism excellence.
Our team includes graduates of Christendom College, Franciscan University, and the Pontifical universities in Rome. We are not travel professionals who happened into the Catholic market; we are Catholics who recognized that pilgrimage ministry required professional formation. This is the difference that our clients experience.
Start PlanningKey Information
ProRome Tours is IATAN-accredited, IATA-authorized, and a registered seller of travel in full compliance with state and federal law. We carry comprehensive commercial liability insurance and every pilgrim receives a complimentary travel insurance quote through our partner, Allianz Global Assistance.
7,500+
Clients served
During the 2025 Jubilee alone we managed more than 1,500 clients.
30+
Destinations
Italy, France, Spain, England, Ireland, Israel, Japan, and Mexico are just a few of the places we go.
250+
Pilgrimages
We serve many different types of groups: dioceses, parishes, schools, private groups and family/friend groups.
14
Staff members
Our team meets daily and discusses every detail of every tour in order to deliver the experience that you deserve.
Meet Our Team
The people who plan, price, and look after every ProRome pilgrimage. Select a photo to read more.
Joe Long is the founder and CEO of ProRome Tours, an outbound tour operator based in Front Royal, Virginia. Since 2014, ProRome has designed and led group pilgrimages to Italy and across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond for parishes, dioceses, schools, and religious communities. The company now runs more than 50 departures a year, with a Rome office and its own ground operation in Italy.
A dual citizen of the United States and Italy, Joe lived and worked in Rome for several years before returning home to build the company. He holds a BA in the Liberal Arts and an MA in Church History, and speaks English and Italian fluently. His work spans the whole business, from airline contracting and program design to the operations infrastructure behind every trip, but what he cares about most is his relationship with each group leader and getting the experience right for their pilgrims.
Outside the office, Joe spends as much time as he can with his wife and children and, when he can, skis, hikes, and rides his mountain bike.
Ernesto Bonnici is a seasoned tourism professional, born and raised in Catania, Sicily. He earned a degree in Economics and Business Management from Kore University and began his career in tourism in Taormina, where he gained valuable experience and eventually started his own business.
His passion for travel and cultural exchange later brought him to Rome, where he worked as a tour manager. Today, as ProRome’s Director of Tour Operations, he draws on that experience to create enriching journeys for travelers from around the world. Outside of work, Ernesto enjoys spending time with his wife and baby girl.
Bernardo is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he lived and studied abroad in Austria. He has traveled to more than 35 countries and has led many ProRome pilgrimages, including trips to Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the Holy Land. He is fluent in Spanish and familiar with French, Italian, and Portuguese.
Bernardo grew up in a large Nicaraguan Catholic family with 11 brothers and sisters, so large groups make him feel right at home. He loves traveling to new places, learning new languages, playing soccer, and dancing.
Above all, Bernardo is passionate about inviting groups to travel not simply as tourists, but as pilgrims. He firmly believes we are all called to go through life as pilgrims on the journey toward heaven, and he looks forward to leading you on a pilgrimage that brings you into a deeper encounter with Christ.
Sheryl spent much of her early life in Germany and England, first through her father’s military career and later her husband’s, which gave her many opportunities to travel in Europe. A convert to Catholicism, she knows the power of pilgrimage firsthand: her pilgrimage to Fatima was an important step in her spiritual journey.
Sheryl earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Alabama in Mobile. After she and her husband raised and homeschooled their five children, she returned to work in banking and then spent eleven years in the office at Human Life International.
She enjoys time with her family, including her many grandchildren, singing in the choir, playing the piano, reading, and outdoor adventures with her husband, Michael.
Evelyn is a senior pursuing her BA in History at Christendom College. She completed a three-month study abroad program in Rome, during which she traveled throughout Europe, and she has a working knowledge of Italian and French.
As executive assistant to the accounts team at ProRome, she supports each group from the initial proposal through the close of the trip.
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Our tour managers
Dozens more, on the ground
Behind our office team stands a much larger group: tour managers based across the United States and Europe who lead our pilgrims day by day. We have spent years forming them, and out of respect for their privacy and the team we have built together, we don’t list them publicly. We’d be glad to tell you more about the tour manager who will travel with your group.
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