10-DAY ARGENTINA

Today: After breakfast, we will begin our Pilgrimage by following the life of Pope Francis, starting with the early years when he was known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Our first stop is Flores, a working-class neighborhood in the center of Buenos Aires and the birthplace of Pope Francis. He was born to a family of Italian Immigrants. Continue to Our Lady of Mercy Church, where he was baptized, and the adjoining school, St. Joseph’s, where he took his first communion and attended primary school. It was here as a teenager that he received his vocational calling. During the tour, we will learn about the childhood and adolescence of Pope Francis and see what factors and influences may have shaped his beliefs and stances as an inspirational world leader today. We will celebrate Mass at St. Joseph’s. In the afternoon, we will visit “Our Lady Undoer of Knots” in San Jose del Talar Church in Buenos Aires, a favorite church of Pope Francis.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: We board a luxury coach and travel to Rosario to visit San Nicolas, a famous Marian site. Here, an ordinary housewife, Gladys Quiroga, who had no formal education and no knowledge of the Bible or theology, was visited by the Blessed Mother daily for over six years. She also received 68 messages from Jesus Christ. Numerous healings, including the cure of a boy with a brain tumor, have been documented at this site. Announced by unusually radiant, glowing rosary beads and followed by several brief visions, Gladys subsequently received repeated interior locutions, beginning on October 13, the anniversary of apparitions at Fátima. Specific messages led to the discovery and restoration of the veneration of a long-neglected statue of a Madonna carrying the Christ Child. We will be given a guided tour and lecture on the site by Sister Veronica and participate in the mass celebration. Afterward, you will have plenty of time to appreciate this magnificent Basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: After breakfast, we will go to Maximo of San Miguel College, where Pope Francis studied and later taught philosophy and theology. He sheltered those “on the run” from the military dictatorship as a rector. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to take a lecture on Argentina’s political history from a local historian. These were complex and controversial years for Pope Francis. Following the course, you will go to the Seminary Chapel and the former living quarters of Pope Francis. During your time there, you will have the opportunity to speak with Mario, a Jesuit Brother and a close personal friend of Pope Francis. You will have the chance to gain a unique insight into the new Holy Father and his life while he was in Argentina. We will celebrate Mass at the Seminary Chapel, where Pope Francis celebrated Mass regularly at 7 a.m. each morning. 

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: Following breakfast, we will take a boat ride up north to Tigre and visit the Parana Delta and Waterway. Our first stop is the colonial town established by the Jesuits of San Isidro. We celebrate Mass in the spectacular cathedral of San Isidro, built in 1706 by French architects and opened by the city founder, Captain Domingo de Acassuso.  Heading to Tigre, a vast delta and waterway, you walk through the web of interconnecting rivers and streams; you will get to view the many English-style rowing clubs, marinas, and elegant mansions. 

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: We will cruise over the River Plate on a ferry that will bring us to the historic town of Colonia, located in the southwestern region of Uruguay and facing Buenos Aires. Founded in 1680, it is a World Heritage Site and UNESCO’s protected property. Unlike Buenos Aires, Colonia is a beach town. One of the early Portuguese settlements along the Rio de la Plata, it offers a glimpse of what buildings in Buenos Aires might have looked like back in colonial times. Along your tour, you will have a chance to view its most historical sites, Calle de los Suspiros, “Street of the sighs,” a beautiful cobblestone street lined with colorful houses and trademark yellow lamps, along with the historical city gate and walls. We visited two churches. The first is San Benito Church, which is dedicated to the black saint. We will also visit the ancient Church of the Sacred Saint, the oldest church in Uruguay, where we will celebrate Mass. Return to Buenos Aires.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: We will visit Lujan Cathedral, built in honor of the Virgin of Lujan, the patron saint of Argentina. It is here that more than six million pilgrims would travel each year, some over 40 miles, to be blessed by Pope Francis. The Virgin of Lujan is very important to Pope Francis; a replica can also be displayed at the Vatican. After celebrating Mass at the Cathedral, we will also visit and dine with the French Carmelite Nuns of L’eau Vive, who reside in a convent and run a successful restaurant on the outskirts of Lujan. In addition to running a restaurant, the nuns operate many critical social programs for the disadvantaged in Lujan. We will attend the award-winning Tango Dinner show, Los Angelitos.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: It is an exciting day, as we will visit the life of Cardinal Bergoglio before he embarked on his trip to the Conclave, where he would later be elevated to Pope Francis. We will visit the City Cathedral where he celebrated Mass and lived nearby in a modest 1-bedroom flat. Here, Pope Francis described his outreach: “Instead of being a Church that welcomes and receives, we try to be a Church that comes out of itself and goes to the men and women.” As well as celebrating Mass at the Cathedral, you will have the opportunity to visit the tomb of General San Martin, the great liberator of South America. From there, we will see the Casa Rosada (The Pink House), the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina. 

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel.

Today: We will transfer to the airport this morning to catch our return flight home.