0908AA5 - Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrimage 7 days from Charlotte

Early this morning, we depart Charlotte Airport on our flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival, we pass through customs and claim our luggage. We are welcomed by our Unitours Tour Manager. We board our motor coach and enjoy a brief orientation tour of Mexico City. If time allows, we celebrate our first pilgrim’s Mass in Mexico at the Church of the Holy Family, which contains the shrine of Blessed Miguel Pro, here in Mexico City! Blessed Miguel was a Jesuit priest, executed for exercising his priestly duties during the persecution of the Catholic Church under the late President Elias Calles in the 1920s. Beatified in 1988 by Pope Saint John Paul II, Fr. Miguel, was an inspirational figure as Mexico rebuilt its Catholic institutions following President Calles reign. Afterwards, we transfer to our hotel for our “welcome” dinner and overnight.

This morning, following breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Tulpetlac Church, the site of the fifth apparition of Mary and site of the healing of St. Juan Bernadino, St. Juan Diego’s uncle. We then visit Cuautitlan, the birthplace of St. Juan Diego. Following lunch on our own, we spend the afternoon visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “Patroness of the Americas,” where we view the original sackcloth “tilma” of St. Juan Diego hanging above the main altar as testimony of Our Lady’s miraculous appearances. We have a group photo taken while there, which our pilgrims can purchase a copy of. We conclude our time there and return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, following breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe or an adjacent chapel, followed by time for prayer, reflection, or to browse the complex at our own pace. Later, we visit the El Pocito Church and continue to the San Juan Market for browsing and shopping. Afterwards, we journey to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, “Place of the Sun and Moon,” the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and other fascinating cultural structures nearby. Any pilgrims who consider the visit here too physically stressful may choose to remain on the coach bus. Our included lunch will be enjoyed nearby afterwards. We return to Mexico City in time for dinner and overnight at our hotel.

This morning, following breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Church of San Francisco, Mexico City’s first Catholic church. We then enjoy a walking tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral, Constitution Square and the National Palace, before our drive to the Anthropology Museum. Those who consider the walk too physically stressful can remain in the square and enjoy the early Spanish Colonial architecture and scenery and rejoin the group. Lunch is on our own along the route or at the wonderful Anthropology Museum. Following our visit to the museum, we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, following breakfast, we depart Mexico City for our drive to the colonial city of Puebla, and celebrate morning Mass at the Puebla Basilica Cathedral, also known as the “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception”. Following a walking tour of the Spanish-Colonial area nearby, we stop at the Church of St. Dominic and it’s beautiful Rosary Chapel before breaking for lunch on our own. Those who find the walking tour too physically stressful can wait in the square for the group to finish. We continue to the city of Cholula, with its famous pyramid, with the majestic Church of Our Lady of Remedies on the summit. Those who find the steep climb to the summit physically stressful can wait in the bus until the group returns. Following our visit, we return to Mexico City for dinner and overnight at our hotel.

This morning, following breakfast, we begin our day with Mass at the beautiful Carmelite church of Del Carmen. We then continue to the Coyoacan and San Angel areas for a brief bus tour of an area once totally covered in lava and now home to the largest University in Mexico. We stop for our lunch included in the area. This afternoon, we make our final visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and have ample time for prayer, journaling, or to finish some last-minute shopping for religious articles. We return to our hotel for our “farewell” dinner and overnight.

Today, following breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our return journey home with memories of a lifetime and a renewed devotion to Mary’s intersession.