FIFTH ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE & RETREAT
ASSISI & ROME: NOVEMBER 3-10, 2012
Fifth Annual Pilgrimage & Retreat
For the fifth consecutive year, the Assisi Project will sponsor a week-long pilgrimage and retreat to Assisi and Rome, Italy from November 3rd through November 10th. During the fall season of 2008, 2009, and 2010, members of our group journeyed to Assisi and Rome and literally walked in the footsteps of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. And last year, twenty-eight parishioners and friends joined us for a nine day pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
This year, we will journey again to Assisi and Rome. Each morning, we will begin with Morning Prayer and Mass, followed a presentation and discussion on some facet of the Franciscan spiritual tradition. Each afternoon, all pilgrims are encouraged to explore the medieval city of Assisi at their own pace and to visit the countless cafes, churches, museums, and shops. And each evening, we will gather for Evening Prayer, then walk to a local restaurant for a delicious meal of regional Umbrian cuisine.
We will worship at the historic Basilicas of Saints Francis and Clare. Each of these great basilicas house the tombs of the saints, holy relics, and works of art. But they are also pilgrimage sites for prayer and worship. We will visit the Basilica of Saint Rufino, where Saint Francis and Saint Clare were baptized. We will visit the Church of San Damiano, where the famous crucifix spoke to Saint Francis and hastened his conversion. We will visit the little chapel known as the Portziuncula, which is considered the home church of the worldwide Franciscan community.
In addition, we will spend a leisurely afternoon or two in the Piazza de Commune, Assisi's city center, with its ancient Roman temple (now a Catholic church). And the adventurous will have an opportunity to hike to the Rocca Maggiore, the great medieval fortress with its stunning views of Assisi, the Spoleto Valley, and Mount Subasio.
Finally, on our last day in Italy, we will travel to Rome for a visit to Vatican City and Saint Peter's Basilica. In addition, for the first time, we will offer optional excursions to the Carceri (or hermitage) on Mount Subasio, where Saint Francis and his earliest followers retreated for prayer and contemplation; and to La Verna, where Saint Francis received the stigmata (wounds of the crucified Christ).
The cost of this extraordinary pilgrimage and retreat is just $2,399 and includes all air and ground transportation, guest house accommodations (single room) in Assisi and hotel accommodations in Rome (double room; single room option), and all meals (breakfast, lunch, and supper). You don't need to be a member of our fellowship to join this pilgrimage and retreat!
Come & See Meeting: Sunday, March 4, 2012
For more information about the Assisi Project's Fifth Annual Pilgrimage & Retreat, please contact Cliff Garvey at assisiproject@ymail.com. If you would like to see photos and read about our last pilgrimage and retreat to Assisi and Rome in 2010, please click on the icon to the left. Also, all are welcome to join us for a special "Come & See Meeting" about the pilgrimage and retreat on Sunday, March 4th at 1:00pm at Saint Charles Borromeo's Parish Center. Please join us! May the Lord give you peace!
Since January 2008, more than thirty members of our parish community and other parishes have met each month for Mass, a home-cooked meal, and a period of prayer, faith formation, and discussion. These parishioners and friends have dedicated themselves to becoming "Franciscans in Spirit" and to living more faithfully as disciples of Christ through their shared devotion to Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi.
