Saint Gemma’s
Catholic Pilgrimages
www.TakeaPilgrimage.com
855-710-7663 716-652-0515
Rome@TakeaPilgrimage.com
Join us for the
experience of a lifetime. Immerse yourself in the beauty, culture and Catholicity of the
-Mike & Sue Denz,
Owners & Founders
The Basics:
Our pilgrimages are designed to immerse you in
We stay at the guesthouse of religious sisters in
They are primarily about soaking in the beauty,
culture and most importantly the Catholicity of the City of
This is a walking pilgrimage. Short rides on
On most days we will have morning Mass at St.
Peter’s Basilica and then return for breakfast at the guesthouse, after which
we will set off for our morning activities. We’ll have lunch and enjoy some
afternoon sites until around 4 pm, giving you time to rest up before
dinner.
Eating in
There are also several free days to take additional
day trips, revisit your favorite sites in
What you'll see with us in
There are over 900 churches in
Major Basilicas:
Incredible
Historical Wonders:
Breathtaking Churches sometimes
missed by others:
Choose between Saint Gemma's two pilgrimage packages:
Novena
Pilgrimages in 2014 – 9 Days for $2695 per person, double occupancy
Apostle Pilgrimages
2014 – 12 Days for $2995 per person, double occupancy
Special Pilgrimage for the Canonization of Pope John Paul
II & John XXIII
All pilgrimage fees include:
You are responsible for:
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a Pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place made to
honor God and grow closer to Him through the experience. It is different from a guided tour or a
vacation. The journey and hardships that may occur are just as important as the
destination. A pilgrimage is a prayerful
experience that is offered to God for the pilgrim's benefit.
How much physical ability is required to make
one of your pilgrimages?
These are walking pilgrimages. You do not have to be in excellent physical
condition. You do have to be able to
walk on your own, sometimes 700 or 800 yards at a time.
Do you offer travel insurance?
We do not offer any kind of insurance.
Is my deposit or fee refundable?
Your $300 deposit is refundable if another pilgrim
takes your place. Fifty percent of your
fee is refundable up to 60 Days before the first day of the pilgrimage.
Miscellaneous Information:
If you don't have a valid passport, go to your local
post office and get one right after you send in your deposit. Passports can take 60 to 90 days. Check with your post office about expedited
passports if needed.
Full payment is due 90 days before departure. A late fee of 5% of the total fee is charged
for any payments made less than 90 days before departure. A reservation is canceled and deposit
forfeited if payment is not received 80 days before departure.
Once you reserve your spot and we receive your
deposit, you will receive a pilgrim packet with more details on the trip
including what to bring, what not to bring and what to expect.
To keep our prices low all our fees are based on
cash payments. If you wish to pay by
credit card an invoice can be sent to you and a 3% service charge will apply.
The Holy Father holds audience on Wednesdays with
several thousand pilgrims visiting
The pope also prays the Angelus on Sundays from the
papal apartment window and gives a short address.
The rooms are modest, very clean and comfortable.
Every room has two twin beds and its own bathroom. If you are not traveling
with someone we will assign you a roommate.
You don't need to know Italian. A phrase book is helpful, but Italians in
In the spring we schedule our pilgrimages from
February to April, where the daytime highs are 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and
the lows are in the low 40's. In the
fall we go in October, when the highs are in the low 70's and the lows near
50.
All our activities are geared toward those over 16
years of age. Anyone under the age of 18
must be accompanied by an adult.
The currency used in
Most people average 25 to 40 euros
a day on food.
Top 12 Reasons to Choose Saint Gemma's Catholic Pilgrimages
I
Mike & Sue Denz, the owners of the company, go on every pilgrimage and take you to each site. We are there make sure your experience is everything it can be.
II
We do one thing - Rome Pilgrimages. We only do six a year and we focus on making them the best.
III
You are not a slave to a schedule. You are free to participate in as many of our activities as you wish. We have designated free days, but you can take more if you want to explore on your own or take a day to rest and recoup.
IV
You do not have to lug you bags from one hotel to the next. We stay in the same guesthouse the entire pilgrimage.
V
We
walk the streets of
VI
You don’t spend a lot of money on an expensive room in which
you're not going to spend much time. You want clean, comfortable simplicity. We stay at a guesthouse run by nuns who strive to
supply just that.
VII
It is appropriate for those on pilgrimage to stay with religious sisters.
The guesthouse is a holy place. There is a chapel right there with the Eucharist present. The sisters pray for us and by staying with them we are supporting their needs and their apostolic work.
VIII
Location, location, location. Our guesthouse is located a 7 -minute walk
from the
IX
We
go when the weather is perfect for walking through
X
With
us you eat what, when and where you want. You are not asked to pay for
scheduled meals. With us, breakfast is conveniently provided after Mass, but
lunch and dinner are up to you. Exploring the many incredible places to
eat is an experience every visitor to
XI
A
pilgrimage is a spiritual experience. As such, having a
spiritual guide is even more important than a guide to the city itself.
All our pilgrimages have a priest chaplain who is there to pray with
us, celebrate Mass every day, hear our confessions and help our pilgrimage to
XII
Ours
is small company that that has designed