Proposed Itinerary Crafted Especially for PARISH OF ST JOHN DIEGO MARTIN Fr. Wilfred John Spiritual Director Betty De Roche Co-ordinator Eight-Day Pilgrimage to Mexico JULY 19 TH TO 26 TH 2015 Mexico City Xochimilco Cuernavaca Puabla Teotihuacan PILGRIMAGE INCLUSION: Airlines: Round-trip economy class via Copa Airlines: Port of Spain/Panama City/Mexico City/ Panama City/Port of Spain. Departure tax; Customs User fee; Security Tax; and all airport departure taxes. All flight arrangements will be handled by Superl travel. Accommodations: Seven (7) nights accommodations in twin rooms with private facilities at first class hotels throughout. Meals: Breakfast and dinner daily, including a gala Dinner and enjoy the Ballet Folklórico de México at the beautiful Palacio de Bellas Artes. Coach Transportation: Local modern deluxe motor-coach transportation, upon arrival and available for the entire tour. Tour Management: One full-time, multi-lingual Tour Manager will be on each motor-coach throughout the entire tour, including arrival and departure transfers. Peter s Way Manager and Overseas office staff are easily available 24 hours daily to render assistance whenever needed. Excursions: All sightseeing, conducted by licensed, professional, English-speaking guides as outlined in the day-by-day Tour itinerary. Entrance fees to all sights, as per itinerary included. Portage of one piece of luggage, per person, at hotels throughout. Coordination of all Liturgies as per itinerary. Tour brochures: Special promotional brochures of the pilgrimage printed free for distribution by you. Peter s Way travel documents, travel wallet, luggage tags, name badge and backpack. Liability Insurance: Three million dollar Peter s Way Tours Inc. Liability Insurance coverage. EXCLUSIONS: Health, trip cancellation/interruption or baggage insurance. All are strongly recommended. Passports & Visa costs, if any. Passports must be valid for at least six (6) months subsequent to the return date. Items of a personal nature (hotel extras, laundry, phone calls, etc. Meals not specified in the program. Gratuities to the Tour Manager/guide and driver.
2 A Specially Prepared Itinerary for PARISH OF ST JOHN DIEGO MARTIN Fr. Wilfred John Spiritual Director Eight-Day Pilgrimage to Mexico JULY 19 TO 26, 2015 "OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE" Mexico City Xochimilco Cuernavaca Puabla Teotihuacan MEXICO CITY: Our Lady of Guadalupe...In 1531 on December 9 the Blessed Mother appeared to a peasant named Juan Diego on a hill near what came to be known as Mexico City. During an apparition the Blessed Virgin Mary asked Juan Diego to build her a sanctuary. The great miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe was the face of the Virgin Mary that was left on the tilma (cloak) of Juan Diego, which today is as beautiful and as intact as it was on the day of the miracle. The tilma is displayed today in the glass case behind the altar in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Today Our Lady of Guadalupe is designated as the patroness of both North America and South America. The Basilica of Guadalupe receives millions of pilgrims who travel for days from their place of origin throughout the country. All Pilgrims prepare their clothes and carry banners, candles and offerings. Many pilgrimages also include a music band that leads the way and parade floats carrying people who represent the moment when the Virgin appeared before Saint Juan Diego. Flight arrangements made by SUPERL Travel Services Ltd., from Port of Spain Airport, as follows: Departure City Arrival City Airline/Flight Departure Date/Time Arrival Date/Time Port of Spain POS Panama City PTY Copa Airlines #315 July 19 6:17 am July 19 8:25 am Panama City PTY Mexico City MEX Copa Airlines #120 July 19-9:14 am July 19 1:09 pm Mexico City MEX Panama City PTY Copa Airlines #195 July 26 6:51 am July 26 10:38am Panama City PTY Port of Spain POS Copa Airlines #366 July 26 12:18 pm July 26 4:30 pm Please note: Flight itinerary subject to change without notice. - I T I N E R A R Y - Day 1, July 19, Sunday: Depart for Mexico City Today: Depart Port of Spain and Panama City airport via Copa Airlines for our flight to Mexico City. Complimentary beverages will be served in-flight. Afternoon: Upon arrival at Mexico City International Airport, proceed through Passport Control, claim our luggage, and a Peter's Way Tour Manager will meet you upon your exit from Customs. Board our comfortable motor coach for direct transfer to your hotel in Mexico City. Check-in and balance of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Mexico City. (D)
Day 2, July 20, Monday: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Tepeyac Hill Morning: Breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, we travel by way of the Plaza of the Three Cultures to visit the baptismal place of Juan Diego. As we drive, you will be enchanted by the artful blending of pre-hispanic and Hispanic cultures. Our destination is the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas. Celebrate Mass in the brilliantly colored, modern Basilica dedicated in 1976. Join your prayers with those of other pilgrims as you kneel before the altar displaying the astounding Tilma, the sackcloth bearing the image of the Holy Virgin. Independent lunch. Afternoon: We will ascend Tepeyac hill where Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego, standing before a luminous cloud. We will visit the Guadalupe Museum, which houses the beautiful marble statue depicting the scene of St. Juan Diego giving Bishop Zumarraga the sign. Enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Basilica grounds with time given for prayer and reflection. Return to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Mexico City. Day 3, July 21, Tuesday: Excursion to Tlaxacala, Ocotlan & Puebla Morning: Breakfast at your hotel Today, enjoy the ride through the mountains as we travel to Tlaxcala and the Shrine of San Miguel Del Milagro. Upon arrival our priest will celebrate Holy Mass at the site where St. Michael the Archangel appeared to Diego Lazaro in 1631, directing him to the Grotto, and to a well of miraculous curative waters. We continue to Ocotlan to visit the beautiful church and see the miraculous image of Our Lady burnt into a tree trunk after she appeared to Juan Diego Bernardino in 1541. Perfectly preserved, the image in a tree resides in the Basilica of Our Lady of Ocotlan. Continue to Puebla, the City of Angels. Independent lunch in Puebla. Afternoon: We enjoy a sightseeing tour of this beautiful and historic city. What is most imposing is the Cathedral, built during the 16th Century and topped by a dome of tile and two domed steeples. Visit the "Hidden Convent" of Santa Monica, one of the most important Catholic shrines of Puebla, the Chapel of the Rosary whose carved gilt altar is truly a work of art, the House of the "Alfenique" and the Santa Rosa Convent known as the Ceramics Museum. Return to Mexico City. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Mexico City. 3
4 Day 4, July 22, Wednesday: Our Lady of Guadalupe - Xochimilco Morning: Breakfast at your hotel After breakfast, you will board your motor coach and be transferred to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrate Mass at the Shrine. Time will be given for prayer and reflection at the Shrine. Following Mass, our journey will continue on to Xochimilco, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Independent lunch en route. Afternoon: Visit the beautiful natural setting of Xochimilco, adjacent to the famous Floating Gardens, is home to the Dolores Olmedo Museum. Enjoy a visit to the museum, which also serves as a center for presentations of all aspects of Mexico s cultural heritage. One of its treasures is the small Tzomolco chapel, consecrated to St. John the Evangelist. Only the bare architectural outline remains of this historical monument. Dinner at hotel. After dinner this evening, enjoy the Ballet Folklórico de México at the beautiful Palacio de Bellas Artes -- it's a treat to see its Tiffany-glass curtain lowered. The world-renowned Ballet Folklórico de México, of Amalia Hernández, is a visual feast of Mexican regional folk dances in whirling colors. Overnight at hotel in Mexico City. Day 5, July 23, Thursday: Mexico City & Our Lady of Covadonga Morning: Breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, begin our day with a visit to La Votiva Church to celebrate Mass. After Mass, We visit the Museum for Anthropology, itself an architectural wonder that houses artifacts from Mexico's pre-columbian civilizations. Independent lunch at the Museum. Afternoon: Drive to Historical Mexico City to visit the Zocalo where we will see the National Palace and visit the Metropolitan Cathedral. Continue on to the Plaza of Santo Domingo, the first church built by the Dominicans in 1576. Housed within is the first rosary shrine in Mexico, Our Lady of the Rosary; and a second shrine, Our Lady of Covadonga (the headquarters of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary founded in 1538). Drive back to Polanco and Lomas residentialcommercial zones to visit the Church of our Lady of Covadonga in Palmas Boulevard. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Mexico City. Day 6, July 24, Friday: Mexico City ~ Templo Mayor Morning: After early breakfast, you will be transported to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Celebrate Mass in the Chapel of the Angels. Following Mass we will have a brief tour of the Cathedral including the site of Bishop Zumarraga s tomb. We will continue with a visit to the city of Mexico. Our city tour begins at the Zocalo, on the city s main square. See the National Palace, the seat of the federal executive in Mexico, containing some of Diego Riviera s most outstanding murals depicting five centuries of Mexican history. Independent lunch. Afternoon: This afternoon we will visit the Templo Mayor archaeological site. Continue on to Chapultepac Park, a focal point of the city. A centuries-old forest encircles Chapultepac hill, which is crowned by an impressive castle. This expanse of parkland, complemented by cultural centers, museums, a zoo and lakes, is a vital part of this heavily populated city. Marvel at the view of the affluent residential area of Lomas as you travel back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight hotel in Mexico City.
5 Day 7, July 25, Saturday: Fr. Miguel Pro; Teotihuacan; San Jerónimo Morning: Breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, you will board your motor-coach to visit the beautiful Church of the Holy Family which houses the martyred remains of a young Jesuit priest named Miguel Pro. Blessed Miguel Pro was martyred on November 23, 1927, and beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988. Celebrate Mass at the Church of the Holy Family. Then, we continue on to Teotihuacan, a UNESCO S World Heritage site, and the country's true first city. You will view the ancient Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. See the grand Avenue of the Dead and visit Temple of Quetzalcoatl and others. Teotihuacan thrived between 500 B.C. and 700 AD. Independent lunch. Return to Mexico City and balance of the day at leisure. Afternoon: Tonight, enjoy a total Mexican dining and entertainment experience at "Villa Maria." This unique place combines local folk music with local delicacies. Overnight at hotel in Mexico City. Day 8, July 26, Sunday: Return to Trinidad Morning: Early morning, transfer to Mexico City International Airport for our return flight home.