Fr. Mark Demanuele, MSSP
Bro. Bo Sanchez
March 14, 2025
Malta and Italy
“Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.”
~ Acts 28:1-2
St. Paul was the first Christian to arrive in Malta, and his arrival altered the history of the country. Spread throughout the Maltese archipelago are over 365 churches and several chapels, making the islands an open museum of Christianity. Acts of the Apostles Chapters 27 and 28 recount the shipwreck of St. Paul in Malta during his journey from the Holy Land to Rome. This accidental journey would forever change Malta into an enduring beacon of Christian faith.
Jubilee Year is a special time of pilgrimage where pilgrims are granted the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence. The Jubilee Indulgence is a concrete manifestation of God’s mercy. 2025 marks 25 years since the Rome Jubilee of 2000. The theme for Jubilee Year 2025 will be “Pilgrims of Hope” and will officially begin on Christmas Day 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, ending on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026.
Embark on a Pilgrimage to Malta with the Shrines of Italy with a Pilgrimage Chaplain led by Bro. Bo Sanchez on March 14-28, 2025. Visit wonderful places and shrines related to the life and work of the Great Apostle Paul in Malta and avail of the Jubilee indulgence in Rome, a rare opportunity that happens only every 25 years.
Begin your pilgrimage in the old historic town of Valletta, the capital city of Malta, officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Visit the Collegiate Parish of St. Paul’s Shipwreck, also known as the Church of St. Paul’s Shipwreck, which contains the precious relic of the wristbone of St. Paul and part of the column where the saint was beheaded in Rome. Admire breathtaking views of the Grand Harbor at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, the highest point of the city walls. Not to be missed is a visit to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, home to the famous and priceless painting “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
On to Floriana to visit St. Publius Parish Church dedicated to St. Publius, one of the main patron saints of Malta and the first bishop of Malta. Proceed to the town of Vittoriosa to visit the Church of St. Lawrence. Head for Senglea Point to visit the Parish Church of Our Lady of Victories with the statue of Maria Bambina and the miraculous statue of Jesus the Redeemer.
Journey on to St. Paul’s Bay, where the apostle came ashore after being shipwrecked. View St. Paul’s Island with the statue of St. Paul and the tower ruins. Drive to the town of Mosta for a guided visit to the Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, Malta’s largest and most famous church. In Rabat, visit St. Paul’s Church built on top of the grotto; St. Paul’s Grotto, where St. Paul is said to have lived for three months, preached, and healed the sick; and St. Paul’s Catacombs. Next stop is Mdina. Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, or the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Malta, which it shares with St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valleta. St. Paul’s Cathedral was built on the site where St. Paul converted the governor and future saint Publius to Christianity.
Next stop is Mellieha to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha and the church carved into the rock. Take the ferry to Gozo, Malta’s sister island. Visit the city’s important sights, including the awe-inspiring Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu, a national shrine of miracles.
Continue with your pilgrimage in Syracuse, Italy. Visit the city’s important sights, including a visit to St. John’s Catacombs, where St. Paul preached. Head for Mount Etna and then proceed to Taormina, a chic resort town popular for those wanting a taste of the Sicilian Dolce vita.
En route to Sorrento, visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Messina and board the ferry to Villa San Giovanni. Travel onwards to Sorrento, where you will board a fast jetfoil to Capri, a world- famous island well known for its jaw-dropping natural beauty. Not to be missed is a visit to the Blue Grotto, a beautiful cave that has been used as a bath since the Roman times. Next stop is Pompeii, an ancient Roman city buried during the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, then travel onwards to Naples and San Giovanni Rotondo to visit the Shrine of St. Padre Pio.
Wind down your pilgrimage with a two-night stay in Rome. Not to be missed is the opportunity to gain plenary indulgence as you pass through the holy doors of St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, and St. Mary Major.
St. Paul the Apostle is considered the spiritual father of the Maltese. His shipwreck in Malta, as described in the book of the Acts of the Apostle (Acts 27 & 28), changed the course of the nation’s history. Visit places where St. Paul, the Great Apostle, left his footprints and inspired a nation. Celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year on your visit to Rome and become a “Pilgrim of Hope.” Join a Pilgrimage to Malta with the Shrines of Italy with a Pilgrimage Chaplain led by Bro. Bo Sanchez on March 14-28, 2025. Be prepared to encounter God and be filled with His abundant grace and blessings.
Enjoy a leisurely walk around the city of Mdina. Sitting on top of a hill, Mdina is a beautiful, walled city of small, narrow streets dotted with baroque churches, elegant palaces, and imposing monasteries.
Ascend 2,500 meters to the top of Mount Etna by cable car and explore the Silvestri Craters.
Offer your petitions before the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu on your visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu in Gozo.
Catch a glimpse of history on your visit to Pompeii, an ancient Roman city engulfed by a wall of volcanic mud in 79 AD that is extremely well preserved.
Pray before the incorrupt body of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, considered by many to be the most “prayed to” saint because of thousands of miraculous healings through his intercession.
Spiritually-focused journeys
Insightful pilgrimage chaplains
Quality accommodations
Expertly-crafted itineraries
Friendly and bonded groups
Senior citizen friendly
The whole pilgrimage is a new and fulfilling moment in my life. It’s a nice feeling being with the Lord in His important day. And also, gaining new friends and becoming my new extended family is something I will treasure. I hope that this is just the beginning and we’ll continue to get in touch with one another despite the distance.
Brenda
Hello Co-Pilgrims,
It was indeed a wonderful Pilgrimage: very rich in history, a thanksgiving of blessings, a spiritual renewal and nourishment, and finally ending in a test of Faith.
Thank you so much Pilgrim Leader, Ging Igual, for standing beside us up to the last stretch of our 13-day journey - more particularly in the handling of an unexpected situation (cancelled flight in Mexico and re-direction of flights to make sure the 38 Pilgrims reach LA for their respective flight bookings). Ging, you were an angel to us so blessed with energy, passion, love and Milagrosa. We really felt the presence of Our Lady of Guadalupe fielding angels every step of the way.
The Pilgrimage to California Mission Churches and Our Lady of Guadalupe gives me personal inspiration for the work and activities of the next chapter of my lifetime: farming with promotion of agriculture for millennials (inspired by the scenic view of farms in California), tourism (which is a major industry in all places we visited), and support for a favourite major seminary in Tagaytay and a scholarship fund for deserving individuals (thru a non stock non profit institution).
Thank you to my Co-Pilgrims and prayer partners for the prayer support, sharing of life experiences and friendships; Fr. Tony, thank you for your spiritual reflections and service; Fr. Jerry Orbos for an overflowing spiritual reflections and enabling us to have the needed personal encounter with Jesus and Mama Mary (it was like a 12-day Holy Retreat); and the Executive Resources for making a very nice pilgrimage package a part of our lifetime.
Ms. Emma
Lord, we cannot find words enough to say how grateful we are to You. Our pilgrimage made us realize that Your love for us is more than what we deserve.
To all our co-pilgrims, thank you for making us feel we belong to this new family. To Fr. Dante, thanks for your prayers and pieces of advice for our spiritual nourishment. To Sis Lea, for taking care of each one of us. To Sis Joy, thanks for the contagious joys and laughters.
To our prayer partners, Sis Maribel, Melvy and Didick and Bro Mon and Sis Jot, thank you for your prayers. We will pray for you, too!
To The Pilgrim’s Center - Executive Resources, thank you for accommodating us in this Eastern Europe Pilgrimage.
God bless us all always!
Albert and Adee
Dear Pilgrims' Center:
My husband Aldo & I would like to praise & commend our Pilgrim Chaplain Fr. Dante Venus & our Tour Leader Bro. Monty for the very successful & memorable pilgrimage to Italy & the Holy Land we were very fortunate to join on March 26-April 8, 2018.
It was very hectic to be sure, but still they managed our time very well that we were able to visit more places than was promised in the itinerary, and we are very appreciative of that. Likewise, the solemnity of the whole pilgrimage experience was still observed despite many of us in the group, myself included, often forgetting that we were pilgrims & not tourists 😉😉, taking photos, selfies, etc. instead of, or before focusing on what the local guide was explaining or on the scripture readings. I cannot fault us pilgrims on this because for many of us seniors, and I speak for my husband & I, that trip might be our first & last time to visit those places, so we made sure they were properly documented. Nonetheless, it was a truly spiritually uplifting & life-changing experience for us. We continue to thank our Lord for making that experience of a lifetime possible. Indeed, nothing is impossible for God! Thank you very much to Fr. Dante, Bro. Monty & to each of us pilgrims in the group for the prayers, love, care & concern shown to each other. Let us continue to pray for and with each other. It is my hope that we meet each other again soon, to strengthen our bonds of friendships.
Most sincerely, Leclec Cabusora
Leclec Cabusora
My husband and I just came back from a wonderful trip to Israel - with Franciscan Fr Reu Galoy. Thank you Pilgrim Center for the arrangements. We are so happy and satisfied with all that you have done for us. Kudos to Yanyan and Monty from Pilgrim Center, and Fr Reu and Ronin for your caring services. It was a spiritual journey and we felt the abiding presence of the Lord all throughout.
Ann Arguelles Cortes
Our pilgrimage was worth all the hardships (I was having leg pains). We had an excellent leader in the person of Adrian, two priests Fathers Val and Ron, who gave us very nice pieces of advice and homilies, and of course the members of the group who were all very nice. Looking forward to join another pilgrimage.
Emily Bautista
It was the most profound experience I had in my whole life....Walking with the Footsteps where Jesus walked made my life more grateful and humble....My faith become stronger as I express it...A growing faith is a sharing faith....TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! SHALOM!
Carmen Nierra
Vir & I would like to express our gratitude for a wonderful pilgrimage we had from Sept 5-18. From checking-in last Sept 5 & all during the tour, we felt the care from a family. No words can ever describe how thankful we are.
I almost cried last Sept 8, (my birthday) when we (2 of us have the same birthday) were given a surprise mini celebration when after our dinner, we were given a cake. I really felt the love of a family then.
All these things made possible because of your capable coordinator Ms. Ging Igual. She's such a wonderful leader. Kudos to her.
Rest assured that i will refer your company to all my friends who are planning to go on pilgrimage .
Good day & may God always guide & protect all of you in the Pilgrims' Center/ Executive Resources, Inc.
Cora and Vir Franca
I am honored to be included in this pilgrimage. The Pilgrims' Center has very good itineraries worth remembering. No hours wasted. They took very good care of us in spite of our big number of 47 people. The daily mass and homilies of Fr. Manny Cruz held in different shrines and churches were very inspirational and transforming. Accommodations were nice most especially the one on top of the Mountain with an awesome view built in 1909. It's like travelling back in time. I definitely would want to do it again with Pilgrim Center.
Peter Joseph Mapua
The Pilgrims' Center always gives you the best. They let you feel like an Executive in terms of personal service & attention especially during pilgrimage. Their choices of pilgrimages and pilgrim chaplains are outstanding. You go back home very fulfilled and immersed...
Marlene Silvestre
• Passport with six (6) months validity from the date of departure
• One (1) Visa Application Form
• Two (2) pcs. passport-size pictures
• Original Bank Certificate (both Pesos and/or US Dollars) – must include account type, current balance, account opening, and six (6) months average
• Original or certified true copy of Bank Statement for the last (3) months
• Affidavit of Support and Consent (signed and notarized by the sponsor if financially incapable)
• If married, copy of Authenticated Marriage Contract
• Copy of hotel voucher (to be supplied by ERI)
• Photocopy of International Credit Cards (if available)
• Travel Insurance with a minimum coverage of Php2.5 Million (valid for 30 days)
If employed:
• Employment Certificate – must be in company’s letterhead and must include the applicant’s position, date hired, compensation, and company’s address, telephone number, and email address
• Certificate of Compensation 2316
If in business:
• Original and Photocopy of Business Registration, DTI or SEC
• Original and Photocopy of Latest Income Tax Return
• Personal appearance by the applicant
• Processing Time: 15 – 30 days
VISA FEE: Php 9,500.00*
* Subject to change without prior notice!
1) A US$ 500.00 deposit (for economy) / US$1,000.00 deposit (for business class) is required upon reservation together with a photocopy of a passport (valid for 6 months from date of departure), Pilgrim’s Profile with a passport-size photo, copy of latest arrival stamp in Manila, visa fee (if applicable), and travel insurance payment.
2) Final payment in USD is due on or before June 1, 2020.
3) The following cancellation charges will apply:
> 45 days before departure date – US$ 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$ 300.00 Admin Fee for any visa denial.
BASIC TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: Philippine Travel Tax (Php1,620 or $32.00), visa fees and documentation expenses, insurance, hospitalization and other medical expenses, tours and transportation during free periods, porterage of extra pieces of luggage in excess of maximum allocation, 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.
EXECUTIVE RESOURCES, INC. has arranged for the various tour services to be performed under the responsibility of various contractors. Executive Resources, Inc., its employees or its sub-agents 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. When making a tour booking, the passenger acknowledges and accepts the foregoing conditions.
*** RATES AND ITINERARY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE! ***
