6 Days
Specific Tour
50 people
English
Day 1. Depart for Mexico City
Make your way to your local airport where you will board your flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival, you will collect your luggage in the baggage claim area, and continue to the Arrival Hall where you will be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver. Transfer to your hotel.
En route, time permitting, welcome Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Check-in and dinner at the hotel.
Day 2. Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Museum of Anthropology
After breakfast, depart for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas), by way of the Plaza of the Three Cultures. You will first visit the Church of Santiago Tlatelolco where St. Juan Diego was baptized. This plaza is important as it symbolizes the unique blend of the pre-Hispanic, and Hispanic cultures that makeup Mexico. Continue to the Shrine of Guadalupe, built in response to Our Lady’s request to the visionary, St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. Upon arrival at the Shrine, you will celebrate Mass as you marvel at the brilliantly colored Basilica. Following Mass, we visit the various points of interest in the Tepeyac area surrounding the Basilica, each associated with the story of the apparitions of Our Lady. We see the original chapel on the exact site of the apparitions to Juan Diego (Capilla del Cerrito) and the Old Basilica completed in 1709. One special stop is La Capilla del Pocito (Chapel of the Little Well) – a well that opened under the feet of the Virgin. We will join the other pilgrims as you kneel in front of the “Tilma”, where Our Lady’s image was miraculously imprinted.
Lunch will be served at a local convent within walking distance and afterwards, continue for a visit to the famous Museum of Anthropology for a guided visit.
Dinner at the hotel.
Day 3. Mexico City. Miguel Pro, Zocalo
This morning, your day will begin with breakfast, followed by Mass at the Holy Family Church, where you will view the tomb of Fr. Miguel Agustin Pro, the Jesuit martyr. In a time of great religious persecution, Fr. Pro was exiled from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. However, he returned to Mexico and was aided by a secret ministry that helped him hide from authorities. During his time in Mexico, he assisted many individuals in their spiritual, as well as temporal, needs. He was eventually discovered, arrested, and killed by authorities. While at the Holy Family Church, you may pray to this great martyr who remained filled with the joy of serving Our Lord even in the midst of very difficult times. You will also visit the small but very inspiring Museum dedicated in honor of Father Pro. There will be time for a prayer and a special blessing.
After this visit, you will tour the oldest and largest cathedral in all of Latin America, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Throughout your time in the cathedral, you will be overwhelmed by the stunning paintings, altar pieces, and statues. Continue the day with a visit to the Plaza of Santo Domingo. This plaza contains two Holy places that are architecturally exquisite; the Church of Santo Domingo, the first church built by the Dominicans in 1576 and; the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the first Rosary Shrine in Mexico. Additionally, you will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga, the headquarters of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. This Shrine is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Asturias (Spain).
Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
Return back to your hotel in the afternoon.
Dinner at the hotel.
Day 4. To Puebla
A fun-filled day is ahead of you. Enjoy a spectacular drive to what is known as Mexico’s most beautiful city – Puebla. On your ride, you will climb to over 10,000 feet above sea level and view two magnificent peaks; one that is covered with snow and the other that is an active volcano. On our sightseeing tour, we will visit: the Cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, a treasure of colonial art, and the Church of St. Dominic to admire the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary built in 1690. This is an outstanding example of Mexican Baroque, with dazzling use of gilded stucco and onyx stonework. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, where you will view the incorrupt body of St. Sebastian of Aparicio, and time for shopping at the local Parian market with its colorful, glazed pottery. Enjoy a typical poblano lunch while Mole tasting is served at a local restaurant.
By the afternoon we will be at Santa María Tonantzintla, located in Cholula town, is a chapel famous for its elaborate interior decorations where two religious interpretations coexist, the indigenous and the Christian brought by the Spanish Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Puebla.
Day 5. San Miguel del Milagro and Ocotlan
On this day we will start our way back to Mexico City, but before that, we are going to do some interesting visits. Our first stop will be at San Miguel del Milagro place of the apparition of San Miguel. In its atrium, there is a well, which, according to tradition, was blessed by Saint Michael the Archangel. Therefore, the water from the well is considered miraculous.
We will continue our way to visit Our Lady of Ocotlán in the state of Tlaxcala. Built-in 1541 after the miracle of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego Bernardino when asked about its construction. We will celebrate mass there before enjoying lunch in a nearby restaurant
We will continue our way back to the hotel where we will enjoy dinner.
Day 6. Fri. Tulpetlac and Teotihuacan
Departure after breakfast today for the town of Tulpetlac to celebrate Mass at the site of the 5th apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to San Juan Diego. Then, you will make your way to San Juan Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to mythology, this site was chosen to be the center of the universe, and from then on, it became a prominent political and religious center from the second century until the ninth century. Enjoy a guided tour of the Archaeological zone and view the pyramids of the Sun and Moon and learn how the Aztecs used to work the obsidian stone and the multiple uses of the Maguey Plant. Buffet lunch is included at a nearby restaurant, After this fun-filled busy day, return to the hotel for dinner at leisure and evening on your own.
Day 7. Return Home
This morning, transfer to the airport for your return flight home. You will say farewell to friends and a pilgrimage that will last in your memory for years to come. Time permitting, farewell mass at the Shrine en route to the airport for departure flight back home.
