Check in at Gatwick North Terminal at 09:55 for Air Malta flight KM 117 to Malta International Airport. On arrival we shall transfer to the Victoria Hotel, Sliema, which will be our home for the next three nights. The facilities of this four star hotel include indoor and outdoor pools and leisure services.

This morning we have a private Mass in Valetta. Lunch is at choice, after which we drive to Rabat and Mdina. We visit St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Catacombs and the grotto where St Paul is said to have lived and preached after his shipwreck. Mdina was the Roman capital of Malta and predated Valetta by several centuries. Mdina is co-cathedral with St John’s in Valetta. It is believed to stand on the site of the Palace of Publius, who was Roman Governor at the time of St Paul’s visit, and who subsequently became the first Bishop of Malta. There is a superb view of the islands from the ramparts of Mdina. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

We start the day by driving to St Paul’s Bay, where the apostle came ashore after being shipwrecked. Nearby is Ghajin Razul (the Apostle’s Fountain), where St Paul struck a rock which is said to have miraculously brought forth water. We also visit the church of St Paul built over the spot where St Paul is said to have lit a fire and thrown on to it the viper which had attacked him. This afternoon we visit Malta’s capital city, Valetta. We concentrate on visiting the churches. Firstly, St Paul’s Shipwreck Church, one of the oldest churches in Valetta. We may view the vault paintings of Attilio Palumbi, portraying episodes in the life of St Paul, as well as two important relics, an arm-bone of St Paul and a piece of the column on which he was beheaded. We will visit St John’s Cathedral, where Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Beheading of John the Baptist hangs in the Oratory.

The ship carrying St Paul called at the great port of Syracuse, staying there three days. This morning, we take the 90-minute catamaran crossing from Valletta to the small Sicilian port of Pozzallo. On arrival at Pozzallo we shall travel by coach to Agrigento where we shall stay overnight at the 4-star Hotel Kaos. The 165 km journey runs along the southern coast of Sicily. The Best Western Hotel Kaos has a private beach and swimming pool and is close to the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Temple of Heracles. Dinner will be provided at the hotel. The story of Agrigento begins in 581BC, when it was founded under the name of Akragas by a group of Greek colonists. The city reached the height of its splendour in the 5th century B.C. under the tyrant Tenore, who extended his dominion out to the northern coast of Sicily. During this period, art and culture were intensely pursued in the city. It was in this period that the temple of Olympian Zeus was constructed, as well most of the other temples, rendering Agrigento, according to the Greek poet Pindaro, "The most beautiful among the dwellings of mortals." The year 406 was a tragic one in the history of Agrigento: the city was defeated by Hannibal and the Carthaginians, who completely destroyed the city. Agrigento was refounded in the 4th century by the statesman and general Timoleon. During this period, the new Hellenic quarter was constructed, signalling the grand rebirth of Hellenistic art and culture in Agrigento, until 210 B.C., when the city came under Roman rule. After the fall of Imperial Rome, the city did not return to its former splendour until after the Arab and Norman occupations. In the 9th century, the Arabs built a new city, which still stands today as both medieval and modern Agrigento. In 1087, they were succeeded by the Norman occupation. With the construction of numerous churches, the Normans gave new life to the Christian arts and culture. The fortifications they built defended Agrigento from the incursions of Saracen pirates.

After Mass in the Cathedral of San Gerlando (subject to confirmation) we shall have a guided tour of the Valley of the Temples and visit the archaeological museum. Lunch will be at choice and in the afternoon we shall drive to Syracusa, where we shall stay for five nights in the 4-star Hotel Roma (http://www.hotelromaSyracuse.it/hoteleng.html). The hotel is situated on the peninsula of Ortygia, close to the Duomo (Cathedral). For the three nights in Syracuse dinner is not provided in the hotel. This will provide us with opportunities to sample the local cuisine and wines in the many restaurants and trattorias of Ortygia. For those who wish to eat as a group we shall make reservations in local restaurants. The island of Ortigia is the historical heart of Syracuse. There are fewer archaeological sites exposed to view here (the island has been heavily built-up ever since the time of the Greeks). The tight-knit lanes are pleasant for strolling, and much of the island's charm lies in wandering down narrow medieval lanes, past romantically-crumbling – or lovingly-restored - Baroque palaces and churches. A walk around the perimeter of the island is a good way to begin to get your bearings. With a map and a guidebook you can locate individual buildings of note, such as the bizarre Palazzo Impellizzeri, lined with faces and the small Chiesa of San Martino.

After Mass this morning in the Duomo we shall visit some of the city which St Paul would have seen, including the Church of St John the Evangelist which houses the original Greek temple and also catacombs. We shall also visit some of the Greek and Roman antiquities. Syracuse's Duomo is one of the town's most celebrated sights. The building records the many ages of the town. Once it was the Greek Temple of Athena, with a giant gold statue of the goddess on its roof. The massive Doric columns of the temple are still visible; rather wonky after earthquake damage. The wall above the columns along Via Minerva, with battlements, is Norman in origin, while the fancy Baroque facade was a replacement after the 1693 earthquake. Inside the Duomo, you can see more evidence of the temple origins of the building.

This morning we shall drive to the former spa town of Acireale where we shall celebrate Mass in the Cathedral of the Annunciation and Santa Venera (subject to confirmation). After a short break for a look around the Cathedral, and coffee, we shall drive north to the foothills of Etna and on to Taormina. The volcanic soil of Etna produces some of the finest wines of Sicily and arrangements are in hand to visit a winery. Taormina was founded by the Greeks in the Classical Hellenistic era and is one of the most beautiful sites in Sicily. There is a lift to convey us from the car park to the old city.

This morning we drive to the provincial capital of Ragusa. The city comprises two parts which were separate cities until 1929. The lower city is renowned for its baroque churches and we are aiming to celebrate Mass in the Cathedral of San Giorgio. The details of this day have yet to be finalised but we shall aim to return to Syracuse in the late afternoon. Ragusa has associations with the Sacred Heart. There is a Jesuit parish of the Sacred Heart and it was there that in 1889 Blessed Maria Schinina founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Ragusa.

We shall celebrate our last Mass in the Duomo and after checking out from the Hotel Roma by 12:00 we shall drive to Catania for lunch at choice and a short visit before leaving for the airport at 17:30. Catania has a stupendous collection of dark-hued Baroque architecture, watched over by the looming presence of Etna. Catania is constructed from the black lava that enveloped the medieval city when Etna erupted in 1669 – an earthquake in 1693 finished the destruction. Admire the uniform collection of Baroque buildings and Catania's icon, the Elephant Fountain on Piazza del Duomo square, also made from black lava. You will pass a string of dusky buildings as you make your way along Via Etnea, Catania's main shopping and dining street. There are a number of Roman excavation sites around town, including the impressive Amphitheatre. Airport check in at 18:45 for Flight BA2595 to Gatwick, arriving at the North Terminal at 22:55.