Fr. Allan Morris Abuan
March 27, 2025
Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary
Pope Francis has announced that the 2025 Jubilee Year’s theme will be “Pilgrims of Hope.” This theme invites pilgrims to journey to Rome as a collective act of hope, faith, and unity.
The Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year 2025, also known as the “Holy Year” or “Year of Jubilee,” every 25 years (or for extraordinary events), providing pilgrims with an opportunity for spiritual renewal, indulgences, and acts of penance. The opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica will signal the start of the Holy Year. The other three major papal basilicas in Rome—St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls—will also open their Holy Doors.
Walking through these doors symbolizes far more than a ritual act. It is a representation of one’s transition from sin to redemption, a search for spiritual renewal and forgiveness. Pilgrims who walk through a Holy Door can receive plenary indulgence under the usual conditions.
Walk through the Holy Doors of Rome for the Jubilee Year 2025 and have that rare chance to engage in a journey of profound meaning. Visit other significant places in Italy and encounter God in breathtaking Eastern Europe! Join a 19-day Pilgrimage to Italy with Eastern Europe with Fr. Allan Abuan on March 27 – April 14, 2025.
Begin your pilgrimage with a 3-night stay in the magnificent city of Rome. See all that the Eternal City has to offer. Visit the major sites, shrines, and basilicas of Rome, including the four major basilicas, and pass through the holy doors of St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, and Sta. Maria Maggiore. Have a chance to pray on bended knees at Scala Santa (Holy Stairs), where you can find 28 marble stairs carefully preserved and which, by tradition, were the steps walked by Christ on his way to trial before Pontius Pilate.
Onwards to San Giovanni Rotondo, where St. Padre Pio spent most of his life. Visit the cell where St. Padre Pio lived and died. See the crucifix in front of which he received the stigmata while praying in the Church of Our Lady of Grace (Santa Maria delle Grazie Church). Pray before his incorrupt body displayed in a part-glass coffin at the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (sometimes referred to as Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church).
Next stop is Lanciano to see the Eucharistic Miracle, which has been miraculously preserved in a monstrance in the Church of St. Legontian since the eighth century. Head for Loreto to visit the Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto, a shrine believed to be the home of the Holy Family and the place where Our Blessed Mother was conceived and born.
On to Assisi for a two-night stay in this medieval city built on a hill and the home of St. Francis, the founder of the Franciscan Order. The sublime city of Assisi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In particular, the Basilica di San Francesco, which houses the tomb of St. Francis, is considered a masterpiece.
Make your way to Padua to visit and celebrate mass at the magnificent Basilica of St. Anthony de Padua, which houses the remains of St. Anthony. Enjoy a full-day visit to Venice, sometimes referred to as the City of Canals or the Floating City. Venetian architecture, serpentine canals, and exquisite bridges make this city among Italy’s most charming. Visit Venice’s major sights, including the Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, the magnificent Basilica of St. Mark, and more.
Austria’s capital city, Vienna, offers a unique blend of imperial traditions, music, and endearing charm. This fascinating city is a collage of green, rolling vineyards and magnificent imperial buildings Vienna is known for. Not to be missed is a drive around Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the most beautiful boulevard in the world and home to many of Vienna’s best-known sights. Visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the symbol of Vienna and also the very center of the city.
Leave Austria for the Czech Republic. Stop at Cesky Krumlov, a charming historic town known for its well-preserved medieval architecture, stunning castle, and meandering Vltava River that flows through the town. Spend two nights in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Celebrate Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Victorious, which houses the image of the Sto. Nino del Praga. Enjoy a leisurely walk through the Charles Bridge and into the Old Town with the famous Town Hall’s astronomical clock.
Journey on to Poland to Wadowice to visit St. John Paul II’s hometown. Step into the past when you see the church where he was baptized and where used to serve as an altar boy at the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Sacrifice. Head for Krakow and visit its postcard perfect Old Town that comes complete with Europe’s largest medieval market square and a fairytale castle overlooking the river.
Make your way to Lagiewniki to visit the Shrine of the Divine Mercy. At the heart of the shrine stands the chapel where the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina are found. Onwards to Czestochowa to visit the Jasna Gora Monastery, home to the beloved miraculous icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Numerous miracles and answered prayers have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Next stop is a visit to Niepokalanow, an important pilgrimage shrine founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Wind down your pilgrimage in Warsaw, Poland. Rising from the ashes of its tumultuous past, Warsaw is a fascinating collection of neighborhoods and landmarks. Not to be missed is a delightful walk along the Old Town and Royal Route as it combines a series of old royal residences, parks, and churches.
The Jubilee Year 2025 promises a profound experience for those seeking a spiritual journey through history, faith, and unity in the heart of Rome. Follow the footsteps of Saints in the many cathedrals, churches, and cities of Eastern Europe. Join a 19-day Pilgrimage to Italy with Eastern Europe with Fr. Allan Abuan on March 27 – April 14, 2025. May this pilgrimage bring you closer to Jesus and help you discover your true purpose in Him.
with Fr. Tedley Villanueva, SSS
READ MORE +PROCESSING TIME: 15 – 30 days
VISA FEE: Php 7,000.00 *
*Subject to change without prior notice!
1) A US$ 1000.00 deposit is required upon reservation together with a photocopy of a passport (valid for 6 months from date of departure), Pilgrim’s Profile with a passport-size photo, visa, and travel insurance payment.
2) Full payment in U.S. dollars is required before ticketing but in no case shall it be later than 30 days before departure date.
3) The following cancellation charges will apply:
> 45 days before departure date – US$ 500.00
> 30 days before departure date – 50% of the Tour Cost
> 20 days prior to departure date – Full tour cost will be forfeited.
> US$ 1000.00 Admin Fee for any visa denial.
BASIC TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: Visa fees and documentation expenses, travel insurance, hospitalization, and other medical expenses, tours and transportation during free periods, porterage of extra pieces of luggage in excess of maximum allocation of one (1) piece of luggage, drinks and beverages taken during meals, items of personal nature such as laundry, telephone, fax, room service and other expenses not mentioned in the itinerary terms and conditions.
THE PILGRIMS’ CENTER by EXECUTIVE RESOURCES, INC. has arranged for the various tour services to be performed under the responsibility of various contractors. The company, its employees or its subagents therefore only act as agents for the contractors providing the various services described in the tour and accept no responsibility or liability in connection with losses or accidental expenses due to delays of schedule, overbooking, defaults or “force majeure”. All tours and arrangements are subject to the general conditions specified by each contractor. Tour itineraries and prices are subject to change without prior notice. When making a tour booking, the passenger acknowledges and accepts the foregoing conditions.