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Pilgrimage to the great shrines from October 25 to November 6, 2023 (13 days / 11 nights)
Experience an accompanied group pilgrimage to the great shrines: Our Lady of Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela and Fatima in autumn 2023.
4,799.00$ – 5,649.00$
CULTURAL TRIPS
CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGES
In collaboration with Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN)
ACN Canada is delighted to offer this bilingual pilgrimage to its benefactors and friends. The pilgrimage will be led by Deacon Brian Cordeiro, who works at ACN and will be accompanied by Fr. Réal Ouellette from the diocese of Pembroke. This pilgrimage has as its goal, to enrich the faith of its pilgrims and help in building community. Many daily masses including at Lourdes, Compostella, Fatima and Lisbon interwoven with social time and visits to cultural points to provide a nice prayer- social life balance.
Highlights
Is leading the pilgrimage. He is a professional accountant who served as Associate The Finance Director of the Archdiocese of Montreal for 14 years until 2022. Since then, he has been employed as Outreach and Office Manager for Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN), which is sponsoring this Marian pilgrimage. Deacon Brian holds a Master’s degree in Theology and is one of the permanent deacons at St. Luke’s Parish in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. He has already led three very successful pilgrimages: in 2015 to the Holy Land, in 2016 to Italy, and in 2018 to Portugal, Spain and France. His pilgrimages have created small communities in which pilgrims continue to meet and enjoy each other’s friendship to this day. FAITH leading to FRIENDSHIP which in turn leads to DEEPER FAITH is how Deacon Brian sees God’s work played out in the lives of his pilgrims. He expects this Marian pilgrimage to France, Spain and Portugal to be an excellent opportunity for a group of pilgrims at different stages of their faith journey to truly experience God.
Ordained in 2002, Father Réal Ouellette is a priest of the Diocese of Pembroke. He has served several French and English parishes in the Quebec and Ontario parts of his diocese, while being involved in various ministries at the diocesan level, from youth ministry to marriage preparation, faith formation and the well-being of the priestly life. Currently, as pastor of three rural parishes, he is particularly involved in his diocese’s evangelization project, the Unbound Ministry, and as codirector of the New Media Office. Father Réal has a Marian devotion that has taken him to Fatima, Medjugorje and 4 times to Lourdes. From the beginning of his ministry, he broadcast his homilies on the Internet. The pandemic led him to migrate to live streaming his masses and many other prayers on numerous social media platforms.
Meet in the afternoon at P.E. Trudeau airport (Montreal) to board a direct international flight to Toulouse on Air Transat.
Arrive in Toulouse at 9:30 am and meet our pilgrimage guide. Free time for lunch followed by a free visit of the St-Sernin cathedral and the Carmelite chapel nicknamed the “little Sistine of Toulouse”. Departure at 2pm to Lourdes, arrival in Lourdes at 4pm. Dinner at the latest at 7pm and night at the HOTEL SOLITUDE **** in Lourdes.
After breakfast, meet your local guide for Lourdes and guided tour of the shrine city: from the famous Grotto of Massabielle of the apparitions and a bath in the healing waters (if permitted) to the church of St. Bernadette via the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Mass in the morning followed by lunch. In the afternoon, walk in the footsteps of Bernadette Soubirous, the little girl from Lourdes who, for more than a century and a half, “made the world go by”. Visit of her dungeon, her father’s house, the mill of Boly and the hospice Sainte-Bernadette. Rest of the day free. Dinner, followed by the Marian candlelight procession at 9pm (lasting up to 1 ½ hours) and overnight at the HOTEL SOLITUDE **** in Lourdes.
Today, we go to the Pic du Jer which overlooks the city; for this, we take the city bus and then the funicular which takes us to 1000 meters of altitude. At the top, a botanical path leads us to the observatory. A beautiful panorama of the Pyrenees with a 360° view of the highest peaks. Possibility of celebrating mass in the open air after 4:00 pm (it will be a Sunday mass). Dinner at the hotel. Marian candlelight procession at 9pm. Night at the HOTEL SOLITUDE **** in Lourdes.
After breakfast, we cross the French-Spanish border through the Pyrenees to arrive in the city of San Sebastian (2 ½ hours drive). Stop at the bay of La Concha, which offers a breathtaking panorama and is the starting point for pilgrims who wish to do the Camino del Norte to Santiago de Compostela. Lunch in San Sebastian/Bay of La Concha, famous for its Basque cuisine. In the afternoon, we will continue our journey to Santander (2 ½ hour drive). Dinner and overnight in Santander at the HOTEL SANTEMAR.
After breakfast, departure at 9am for Ribadeo (2 hours) along the Atlantic coast. Health break in Ribadeo where we will be able to observe the cathedral-like rocks of the Playa de las Catedrales. Lunch at noon. At 2 p.m., we continue to Santiago de Compostela (2 hours drive from Ribadeo). We will attend the pilgrims’ mass in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela at 5 pm. Dinner at 7 p.m. and overnight stay in Compostela at the EXE PEREGRINO.
One of the most remarkable cities in Spain and one of the most important places of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. After breakfast, guided tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, an architectural jewel with its magnificent portal, the Portico de la Gloria, which gathers around Christ the four evangelists, the apostles and the 24 elders of the apocalypse. Mass in Santiago de Compostela. Lunch and free afternoon for personal discovery. Dinner and overnight stay in Santiago de Compostela at the EXE PEREGRINO hotel.
Departure from Compostela at 9am in the direction of Porto. Stop en route in Braga (2 ½ hours from Compostela), known for its heritage and religious events. Lunch in Braga at noon and departure at 1pm for Porto (45 minutes drive). Starting at 2pm, guided tour of the city of Porto, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Discovery of its spectacular S. Bento train station with its frescoes painted on the walls, the clergy tower, the Sé de Porto cathedral, etc., followed by an unforgettable stop in Vila Nova de Gaia to visit a port wine cellar and taste this wonderful Portuguese wine. Free evening. Night in Porto. Stay at the HOTEL BLACK TULIP.
This morning, departure from Porto at 9:00 am in the direction of Fatima. Stop en route in Coimbra (1 ½ hour from Porto), a wellpreserved medieval city with a historic university. Mass at the Sé Velha cathedral at 11am. Lunch at 12:00 followed by a visit to the cathedral. Departure at 3pm from Coimbra to Fatima (1 hour drive). Participation in the night candlelight procession at 9:30 pm. Night in Fatima at the HOTEL STEYLER ****.
In the morning, Mass followed by a guided walking tour of Fatima including the famous Shrine of Our Lady, the Basilica and the Capelinha where Our Lady appeared to the three children. The afternoon and evening are free to meditate and enjoy the place. Possibility of participating in the candlelight procession at 9 pm. Night in Fatima at the HOTEL STEYLER ****.
Morning mass at the shrine, free time in Fatima for the rest of the morning, then departure after lunch for Lisbon, with a stop to visit Tomar on the way. Arrival at the hotel in Lisbon. Meeting at the hotel at 6:00 pm before dinner for a debriefing of the pilgrimage, reliving the pilgrimage experience and sharing stories. Night in Lisbon at the HOTEL VIP ENTRECAMPOS ****.
Departure at 9 am. This morning, you will discover the Hieronymites or Jeronimus monastery, an absolute masterpiece that testifies to the opulence of the era of the great discoveries. Lunch at 12:30 pm. In the afternoon, during a guided walking tour of Lisbon, you will discover the Avenue of Freedom, Baixa – that part of the city that was completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755. Finally, a stop to taste the famous Pastéis de Nata, these small Portuguese pastries! Free evening. Dinner and overnight in Lisbon at the HOTEL VIP ENTRECAMPOS ****.
After an early breakfast, transfer to Lisbon airport for your return flight to Montreal. ***Itinerary subject to change ***.
PRICE
*Spiritours offers the possibility of twinning, but exceptionally, Spiritours cannot assume the additional costs for single occupancy if we are unable to match you.
* All prices are based on the exchange rate in effect on April 15, 2023.
THE PACKAGE INCLUDES
THE PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE
REGISTRATION
Registration deadline: August 25, 2023 (60 days before departure or when the maximum number of passengers is reached). Possibility to register after this date, an additional fee may apply.
To register: you can register on our website (see top of the trip webpage, on the right) or download and fill out the PDF form and send it to us with your $750 deposit. Please register as soon as possible as space is limited. Please include a photocopy of your passport and proof of travel insurance with your registration.
Travel insurance: for travel insurance, contact us to find out your rate.
Number of participants
Minimum 30 – Maximum 50
Documentation required: All Canadian travellers to Europe must be in possession of a passport valid for at least three months beyond the expected date of return.
For more information please contact
Le diacre Brian Cordeiro – brian.cordeiro89@gmail.com
(514) 467-2552
For registration, please contact Anne Godbout – anne@spiritours.com
(514) 374-7965 ext. 201
Video testimony of Father Emmanuel Zetino who made this pilgrimage with Spiritours in May 2018. At the end of his testimony he shares some beautiful video images of his experience: https://www.facebook.com/anne.godbout.1/videos/10156451564068143
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