Fr. Dante Venus, SVD
November 15, 2019
Portugal, Spain and France
This pilgrimage is already fully booked. You are invited to check out our other Pilgrimages.
Experience the Blessed Mother’s infinite love. Renew yourself spiritually in the beloved Marian Shrines of Fatima and Lourdes. Join a 10-Day Marian Pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain and France plus Paris with Fr. Dante Venus, SVD.
Your pilgrimage begins in Lisbon, Portugal. Celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Anthony de Padua which is the site of the saint’s birthplace. Spend the rest of the day touring Lisbon then head to Fatima in the evening where you will join other pilgrims from around the world for a candlelight, rosary procession.
Tour the Basilica at Fatima where the tombs of the three seers (Sister Lucia, cousins Francisco and Jacinta) who Our Lady appeared to can be found. See the new Church of the Holy Trinity which was sanctified on the 90th anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima. Then, make your way to the old part of Fatima to Valinhos where Our Lady’s 4th apparition took place and Loca do Anjo where the children was first visited by the “Angel of Peace”.
Spend a whole day at leisure in Burgos, Spain the next day then attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Mary which has been around since 1567. It is the third largest cathedral of Spain and a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic architecture.
Proceed then to Lourdes, France, one of the most famous healing shrines in the world, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the birth of Bernadette Soubirous and her 140th death anniversary. Continue to explore the churches, namely the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Upper Basilica), the Crypt and the Rosary Basilica. Meditate in prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle where the transformative moment of Our Lady identifying herself as the Immaculate Conception took place. Head towards the spring where Bernadette was directed to in Our Lady’s 9th apparition which has been said to have miraculously healed a number of pilgrims.
The pilgrimage ends with a stop in the beautiful city of Paris, France. Visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal where Our Lady appeared before St. Catherine of Laboure and instructed her to have a medal made and that all who wear it will receive great graces. Then, go sightseeing as Paris Discovery Tour takes you around the city’s landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe.
Be blessed as you join the 10-Day Marian Shrines of Fatima and Lourdes plus Paris pilgrimage to commemorate Bernadette Soubirous’ 175th birth anniversary and 140th death anniversary on November 15, 2019 with Fr. Dante Venus, SVD.
Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. She revealed herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, and Mary asked the children to pray the rosary...
Our Lady of FatimaOur Lady of Fatima appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. She revealed herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, and Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia.
On the 13th of each month from May to October 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children – Lucia dos Santos (age 10) and her cousins Jacinta (age 7) and Francisco Marto (age 9) – in the fields outside the village of Aljustrel near Fatima. The children later said that her coming had been preceded by an “angel of peace” who appeared in 1916. Lucia described her vision of Mary as “more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun.”
The Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal is one of the most famous Marian shrines in the world. Some four million people visit Fatima each year.
Our Lady of Lourdes appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858 and revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception. Bernadette was led by Our Lady to a sacred spring of...
Our Lady of LourdesOur Lady of Lourdes appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858 and revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception. Bernadette was led by Our Lady to a sacred spring of water, which still flows into this day. The Sanctuary of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes remains to be one of the most popular Marian Shrines in the world.
In 1858, Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year old simple, peasant girl, saw a vision of “lady in white” who spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle, while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. There were 18 apparitions in all. The “Lady” identified herself as “I am the Immaculate Conception” and asked that the local priests build a chapel at the site of the vision. During the 9th apparition, “the Lady” asked Bernadette to scrape the ground, saying to her: “Go to the spring, drink of it and wash yourself there.” This previously undiscovered spring of water from the grotto is believed to possess healing properties because many people have claimed to have been cured by drinking or bathing in it.
The grandiose Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes nestled in the Pyrenees mountains in southwest France, is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.
Later on, Bernadette Soubirous was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1933.
“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.” The Miraculous Medal was created in response to a request from the Blessed Virgin Mary, who entrusted...
Our Lady Miraculous Medal“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”
The Miraculous Medal was created in response to a request from the Blessed Virgin Mary, who entrusted us with our mission. It was given by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself! No wonder, then, that it gives such extraordinary graces to those who wear it and pray for Mary’s intercession and help. Our Lady manifested the Medal to St. Catherine Labouré on November 27, 1830, in the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, in Paris.
Catherine saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with dazzling rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. Framing the figure was an inscription: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Then Mary spoke to Catherine: “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.”
The vision then seemed to turn to show the reverse of the Medal: the letter M surmounted by a cross with a bar at its base; below this monogram, the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.
See the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos, the third largest cathedral of Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Visit the spring at the Grotto of Apparition which is said to have miraculously healed a number of Roman Catholics.
Reflect on the message of Fatima on your visit to this holy place. Fatima’s message is an exhortation to prayer as the pathway to salvation and the summons to penance and conversion.
Shop for rosaries, medals and other religious souvenir items while on pilgrimage and then let your pilgrimage chaplain bless them before going home.
Ask your friends to write their prayer petitions on a piece of paper which you can drop in a box at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France.
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
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