Fr. Viel Bautista
March 18, 2025
Portugal, France, and Spain
A pilgrimage is always a life-changing experience. It is a time of spiritual nourishment, faith, fun and new friendships too. Deepen your devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Saints. Join a 12-day Pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines of Portugal, France, and Spain with Fr. Viel Bautista on March 18-29, 2025.
Your pilgrimage begins with a Mass at the Church of St. Anthony in Lisbon, Portugal. The Church of St. Anthony was built on the site where St. Anthony of Lisbon (also known as St. Anthony of Padua) was born in 1195. Across the church is the Lisbon Cathedral, where St. Anthony was baptized.
Your next destination is Fatima, where you will stay for two nights in one of the most well-known Marian shrines in the world, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima. The fame of this place is the result of the apparitions of Our Lady to three shepherd children — Lucia and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta – between May and October 1917.
Leave Portugal for Spain and head for the medieval city of Burgos. Celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos, also known as Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral of Santa Maria is Burgos’s historic jewel and one of Spain’s great Gothic churches. Proceed to Loyola in Spain, the birthplace of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit Order. Celebrate Mass at the Chapel of Conversion, where St. Ignatius was converted while convalescing after an injury in battle.
Onwards to Lourdes, France, to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the sanctuary is the site of an apparition of the Blessed Mother seen by Bernadette Soubirous, who was later on canonized. Pray the rosary and spend time in quiet reflection at the Grotto of Massabielle, the Blessed Mother’s apparition site. Not to be missed is the evening rosary procession, where “Ave Maria” is sung in unison and the rosary is recited in different languages.
Return to Spain for your visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Torreciudad in Aragon. The new shrine was built in 1975 under the guidance of the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria Escriva. Continue with your pilgrimage for a two-night stay in Zaragoza. Visit the Basilica of Nuestra Senora del Pilar, the first church dedicated to Mary in history, and it remains standing to this day, having survived invasions and wars. Our Lady of the Pillar (officially in Spanish, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza) is recognized as the first Marian apparition in the history of Christianity. It is the only one that happened while the Virgin Mary was still alive. Take a day trip to Monteagudo to see the Convent of the Way, home to St. Ezekiel’s incorrupt body. This was where St. Ezekiel Moreno spent his final days and died on August 19, 1906.
Make your way to Montserrat for a visit to the Basilica. The Basilica, next to the Monastery of Montserrat, is home to the revered Our Lady of Montserrat, or La Moreneta, one of Spain’s most revered icons.
Wind down your pilgrimage with a two-night stay in Barcelona. Visit the Sagrada Familia, a one-of-a-kind temple. Fruit of the work of genius architect Antoni Gaudi, the construction of the church continues 140 years after the laying of the cornerstone. Pass by Paseo de Gracia to see Gaudi’s other famous buildings, including Casa Batllo and La Pedrera.
Learn more about the people and places that helped shape our faith, and the devotions they inspired. Join a 15-day Pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines of Portugal, France, and Spain with Fr. Viel Bautista on March 18-29, 2025. May this pilgrimage allow the Blessed Mother to walk with you on your life’s journey.
While in Burgos, Spain, you may opt to join the evening Semana Santa activities with the locals via crucis penitentia, followed by the procession of Our Lady of the Beautiful Love and the Mystery of the Crowning with Thorns.
Marvel at the Gothic-style architecture, unique collection of works of art, and awesome stained-glass windows at the Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Find time to immerse yourself in the BATHS in Lourdes, where water from a spring at the Grotto of Massabielle flows.
Offer your prayer petitions before the miraculous image of Our Lady of Montserrat.
Ask for the intercession of St. Ezequiel Moreno, patron of cancer patients, for your loved ones with cancer on your visit to Monteagudo.
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
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