Introduction
The parish of St. Peter's, Hatfield is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. We look forward to the future with hope and trust in God. We look back with thanksgiving for all those who, over the years, have built up the parish and passed on the Catholic faith. It is also right that we take time to reflect on the life and faith of our patron, St. Peter, asking for his continued prayers. And where better to look for Peter than in Rome? We will have Mass at his tomb in the Vatican and attend an audience with his sucessor, Pope Benedict. In Rome we widen our horizons, we realise we are privileged to be part of the universal Church stretching back through St. Peter and the apostles to Our Lord Himself. Our itinerary draws us close to the disciple upon whom Christ founded His Church, but it also gives plenty of time for those churches, ancient sites and works of art for which Rome is rightly renowned - as well, no doubt, as a little wine, pasta and icecream. Peter is the Fisherman, Francis is the Friar. St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most loved of all saints, serving Christ joyfully in the poor, and always united to Peter's successor, the Pope. We will capture something of the Franciscan spirit in the beautiful, gentle countryside of Umbria, not only Assisi itself, but also Arezzo and La Verna.
Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life. On this pilgrimage we follow in the footsteps of Peter, and we do so joyfully and confidently.
Basic Itinerary
DAY ONE - SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER
London - Rome
Travel to Rome by scheduled daytime flight from Stansted. On arrival transfer by coach to our accommodation, the Casa Maria alle Fornaci, just five minutes' walk from the Vatican. Dinner will be in a restaurant near to the hotel.
DAY TWO - SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER
English College and St Peter's
We begin the day at the English College, centre for the English community in Rome for over 600 years. A seminary for over 400 years, we join the students there for Mass at 10am. Lunch will be in a local restaurant, after which we walk to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which is the Titular Church in Rome of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor. Built over a series of Roman temples (including one to Minerva, as early as the 8th century AD), it contains the body of one of Italy’s two patron saints, St Catharine of Siena, who is buried beneath the High Altar. To the left of the altar is “The Risen Christ” by Michelangelo. Afterwards there will be a walking tour of Baroque Rome, to include the Gesu, the first Jesuit church in Rome and the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, which contains Caravaggio’s three paintings of the life of St Matthew. Our tour ends with a visit to the Pantheon and to Piazza Navona. The rest of the day will be at leisure, with dinner at choice.
DAY THREE - MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER
St Peter's and the major Basilicas of Rome
We begin with an early morning Mass in St. Peter’s itself. After breakfast, we return to St. Peter’s for a guided tour of the Basilica and Square. After time for lunch we join the coach and guide for a tour of the remaining three major basilicas of Rome that all pilgrims must visit. The first is the basilica of St Mary Major, where we will celebrate Mass, and the second is the Pope's seat as Bishop of Rome, St John Lateran. Nearby are the Scala Sancta – the steps brought from Jerusalem by Empress Helena in the fourth century and thought to be those ascended by Christ on his way to Pilate. Our final visit of the day is to the basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, built over the site of the Apostle’s burial. Dinner will be in a local restaurant tonight.
DAY FOUR - TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER
St Peter in Chains - Ancient Rome
We start this morning with the celebration of Mass at the 5th century Church of S. Pietro in Vinculi (St. Peter in Chains), after which we may wish to venerate the chains by which St. Peter was bound, and to see Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses. Afterwards we ascend Michelangelo’s Campidoglio, for the view over the forum, and continue on foot past the coliseum, visiting the Mamertine prison, where SS. Peter and Paul were both imprisoned. The afternoon will be at leisure. This evening, dinner will be at L’eau Vive restaurant, run by a Belgian order of missionary nuns.
DAY FIVE - WEDNESDAY 27TH OCTOBER
Papal Audience - Citta di Castello
Mass will be celebrated before breakfast in the church next door to our hotel. After breakfast, we walk to St Peter’s to take our seats for the Papal General Audience in St Peter’s Square (if The Holy Father is in Rome at the time). We bid farewell to Rome and head north to the region of Umbria, home to St. Francis, and the town of Citta Di Castello, where we check into our hotel for dinner and a three-night stay.
DAY SIX - THURSDAY 28TH OCTOBER
Assisi
After breakfast, drive to Assisi. This morning we journey in the footsteps of St Francis and St Clare with a guided walking tour of the town as they would have known it. We see the Basilica of St Clare, which contains the Crucifix (which was originally in S. Damiano) from where St Francis heard the call to “Rebuild my church which is in ruins.” We see St Francis’ birthplace and the cell where he was imprisoned. The climax of our tour is the magnificent twin Basilica of St Francis, built twenty years after the saint’s death and built over his tomb. We will celebrate Mass here, after which we break for lunch (included). This afternoon, there will be a tour of the Basilica by one of the resident friars. We see the frescos by Cimabue and Simone de Martine in the Lower Basilica and those attributed to Giotto in the Upper Basilica, which is now fully restored. Afterwards, we drive down to the valley below Assisi, and call at the Basilica of S. Maria Degli Angeli (St. Mary of the Angels). This contains the tiny, ancient chapel, the Porziuncula (little portion), where St. Francis gathered his first community. We return to Citta Di Castello, where dinner will be at choice.
DAY SEVEN - FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER
La Verna - Arezzo
Early breakfast, before driving to La Verna. Situated over 3,000 feet abve sea level, this beautiful sanctuary in the Cassentino National Park was where St. Francis and his followers came to spend short periods in seclusion and where in 1224 the great saint received what he felt to be the greatest honour from his Lord, that of the signs of Christ’s Passion, the Stigmata. Mass will be celebrated at the sanctuary, before descending to the valleys, and driving to the beautiful city of Arezzo and in particular the Church of San Francesco, where Piero della Francesca carved out his masterpiece, the fresco cycle of the legend of the True Cross, which depicts a traditional account of how the relics of the cross on which Christ was crucified were found. Afterwards, there will be time for wandering around the lovely squares and streets of Arezzo, which provide the backdrop for the film, ‘Life is Beautiful’. Lunch will be at choice today, (we will stop at a suitable Venue between La Verna and Arezzo). Return to Citta di Castello in the late afternoon for dinner in our hotel.
DAY EIGHT - SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER
Ancona (Pisa or Bologna) - Stansted
After breakfast drive to Ancona, Bologna or Pisa airport for our return flight to Stansted airport.
