The United States is home to nearly 70 million followers of the Roman Catholic Church, making it the largest religious denomination in the United States. If you’re one of these followers, this next item will be of particular interest to you.
You may know this already, but Pope Francis has declared the year of 2016 a Jubilee of Mercy. While every day is a good day for people of faith to reflect upon and reaffirm their beliefs, the Pope’s declaration makes 2016 a particularly good year to make a pilgrimage of faith.
With that in mind, Globus and Cosmos are offering special vacation packages in 2016 for those who want to visit the holy grounds of the Catholic Church. Globus has built a network of experienced travel professionals, tour guides, and local liaisons that allow them to offer unique tours you can’t get anywhere else, with exclusive, insider access to many famous landmarks and sights. Their guided tours through Rome and the surrounding area will leave nothing to chance and leave nothing out of your experience.
Here are the two tours being offered:
- Globus’ Grand Catholic Italy is a ten-day journey that starts in Rome and ends in Venice. Though you’ll spend several days in Rome, you’ll visit other locales of religious significance, such as Assisi, Florence, and Padua. You’ll take guided tours of a number of famous churches and cathedrals. Among them: St. Mary Major Basilica, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, St. John Lataran Basilica, St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, Santa Maria Novella Basilica, Santa Croce Basilica, Basilica of St. Dominic, Basilica of St. Anthony, Monastery of St. Damian, the Holy Stairs, Vatican Museums, and that most famous of Michelangelo’s works, in the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel.
- Cosmos is offering the Spiritual Highlights of Italy itinerary, a nine-day excursion where you arrive in and depart from Rome. The major highlight of this tour is in Rome itself, as your itinerary will take you to all four of the major basilicas, the highest-ranking churches in the Catholic Church. Those four are: St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran Basilica, St. Mary Major Basilica, and St.Peter’s Square and Baslilica. While you’re in Rome, you’ll also see the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. This tour also includes pilgrimages to holy sites such as Pietrelcina, San Giovani Rotondo, Shrine of Monte Sant’Angelo, Lanciano (to visit the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle), St. Clare in Assisi, and more.
Mass is included throughout both itineraries, of course. Book now and save up to 10% on either of these tours. If you’re interested in making this spiritual pilgrimage next year, visit our website or call 1-800-935-2620 to speak to one of our experts, who can guarantee you the best price.