One-hundred years ago in Rome, the Franciscan Friars Conventual gave birth to the Militia of the Immaculata (MI), a worldwide movement of Marian consecration and evangelization, founded by Saint Maximilian Kolbe.
To mark this occasion, the Franciscans have organized a unique pilgrimage to the sites associated with St. Maximilian and the MI in both Rome and Poland, which will take place Aug. 7-18, 2017. Since the canonization of St. Maximilian in 1982, his fellow Franciscans have been guiding pilgrimages in his footsteps.
This 11 day pilgrimage is under the leadership of Fr. Jobe Abbass, Fr. James McCurry and Fr. David Stachurski, friars who will immerse the participants in an unforgettable experience of culture, history, religion, and spirituality – all in a relaxing and enjoyable community of Americans and Canadians. Mass will be offered daily and pilgrims of all ages are welcome.
The journey will begin Aug. 7th when the pilgrims will arrive in Rome, where they will stay in a hotel just a short walk from St. Peter’s Square. The following day a welcome dinner will be held at Casa Kolbe Hotel in ancient Rome.
On Aug. 9th the first tour will take place as you visit many ancient Roman monuments, including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Arch of Constantine and St. Peter’s Basilica.
The following day, the group will make the journey to Assisi for a comprehensive tour of places associated with St. Francis, including St. Clare’s Basilica and St. Francis’ Basilica. On Aug. 11, the pilgrims travel from Rome to Warsaw, Poland and take in many of the sites in the city center, which has been completely rebuilt since the destruction of World War II. The tour will include visits to St. John’s Cathedral and the Royal Castle Square.
On Saturday, Aug. 12, the group will drive to Niepokalanow to visit the Franciscan Friary founded by St. Maximilian in 1927. Here you will tour a museum dedicated to his life and celebrate Mass.
On Sunday the journey continues south to Czestochowa, home of the Polish National Shrine of Jasna Gora (Bright Mountain). Over the next three days, the pilgrims will continue to visit Polish cities, making a stop at Auschwitz, the former Nazi concentration camp where St. Maximilian died, Wadowice, Krakow and Wieliczka, as we continue to tour religious and historical landmarks. The group will return to Warsaw on Aug. 17 for a day of rest before returning home on the 18th.
The cost for this All-Inclusive Tour is $3,395 from New York and $3,480 from Toronto with a single room supplement of $750. Departures from other cities are also available. †
For more information visit olaprovince.org or contact Fr. Jobe Abbass by email at jabbass@ustpaul.ca, or PAT TOURS at 1-800-388-0988.
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