Following lunch we will depart for the Couvent des Jacobins, a magnificent gothic church (formerly) which enshrines the remains of the great saint and doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas. We’ll then visit the Basilique Saint-Sernin, one of the greatest Romanesque churches found anywhere in the world, and the largest remaining Romanesque structure in Europe! Here we will learn the story of the great Saint Saturninus, a missionary from Rome who in the third century set out to evangelize the Gauls. He was martyred here in Toulouse by his pagan enemies – dragged through streets by a bull. After learning his inspiring story and experiencing his great legacy, Father will celebrate Mass for the group within the Basilica. We will then return to the hotel for dinner and a free evening. 

Day 3 – Monday, October 17

Following breakfast we will board the bus and depart for Rocamadour, a scenic two hour drive north. Rocamadour is a magnificent medieval mountain village, built into the cliffs of the surrounding mountains, and is today recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. For more than a thousand years this has been a Christian pilgrimage destination. Rocamadour’s story is awe-inspiring.

Tradition holds that at some point following the Our Lord’s Ascension, the disciple of Christ, Zaccheus, set out – like the Apostles – on a missionary journey to the west. His travels brought him to Roman Gaul – to the south of France in particular – where he set up for himself a hermitage. This hermitage became a place of pilgrimage, and miracles soon began to abound. Fast forward a thousand years and this shrine, built against the side of a cliff and overlooking the valley below, became one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in all of Christendom! Great saints and sinners alike would make the arduous trek from every corner of the world to come here – Charlemagne, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, and King Louis XI are among those who visited!

Upon arrival we will climb the 216 stairs to the shrine of Rocamadour, which literally means “Amador’s Rock” (in reference to Zaccheus who had taken the Christian name “Amador”). We’ll all go on foot, as still to this day, cars are not able to access the village! Here we will visit the Chapelle Notre Dame which is home to the Black Madonna of Rocamadour, the Basilica Saint-Sauveur, the Saint-Michel chapel, and the Palace of the Bishops. Here we will learn the history and stories of this ancient and holy place and Father will celebrate Mass for the group. We will then enjoy some free time for lunch and shopping before returning to Toulouse for a group dinner at the hotel. 

Day 7 – Friday, October 21

Our day begins with a tour of the Papal Palace. It took nearly twenty years to construct this building and it is in fact the largest Gothic construction of the Middle Ages! We’ll explore this great Christian fortress’s many chambers, chapels and ramparts as we learn the incredible story of the Avignon papacy, and the even more incredible story of how the Popes would eventually return to Rome. Following our tour we will enjoy some free time followed by lunch. 

In the afternoon we’ll rendezvous for a walking tour of the historic center, which starts with Mass at the church of the Holy Cross, where a Eucharistic miracle occurred on November 30, 1433.  The entire church building was completely consumed by a flood, but the Eucharist, exposed for adoration, remained dry. Ever since that day pious Christians have come here to pray and to worship God in the Eucharist, the great mystery of our Faith. Following our time here we will enjoy a stroll through the historic center followed by some free time for shopping. We will then meet at the hotel for dinner. 

Day 9 – Sunday, October 23

Today following breakfast we will depart for Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, a small town that holds some of the most sacred relics of early Christianity – the remains of St. Mary Magdalene. Tradition holds that in 47 AD St. Mary Magdalene came to Roman Gaul (now France) along with her brother Lazarus and a number of other early disciples of Jesus Christ. (The story of their voyage is an incredible one, but we will save it for France!) Upon making landfall this small group set out to convert the people dwelling here, and were so successful in fact that the people of this part of the world still trace their Chrsitianity back to them. In the town of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume we will attend Mass at the tomb of St. Mary Magdalene followed by free time for lunch. 

Following lunch we will depart for the shrine of St. Mary Magdalene, an ancient grotto found up in the mountains and now cared for by the Domincans. It is here that St. Mary Magdalene spent as much as thirty years, in prayer and spiritual direction, bringing countless souls to Christ. The hike to the shrine takes about forty-five minutes, but it is well worth it! The first-century Church will feel that much closer as you escape the world just as St. Mary Magdalene did, nearly two thousand years ago. Following our time here we will return to Aix for dinner and a free evening in the city. 

Day 10 – Monday, October 24

Following an early breakfast at the hotel we will board the bus for Cotignac. Found in the heart of the southern Alps, Cotignac is marked by two apparitions! In 1519 the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus appeared to a humble woodcutter and in 1660 St. Joseph spoke to a young shepherd. These apparitions make this small village the only one in the world where the entire Holy Family has appeared! Upon arrival in Cotignac we will visit the sanctuary Notre Dame de Grâces, the site of the Marian apparition. Here we will learn the awe-inspiring story of this incredible place and then attend holy Mass. 

Following Mass we’re off to Nice, the capital of the Cote d’Azur. This city is as much Italian as it is French, having been traded to the French as recently as the 19th century! Nice’s Old Town market, baroque churches and incredible color and charm make her truly one of a kind. Upon arrival we will check in at the beautiful four-star Hotel Westend, located on the famous Promenade des Anglais and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We will then enjoy a light welcome lunch followed by an afternoon tour of Nice. In the late afternoon there will be free time followed by our farewell dinner in the hotel.