Mar 13-23 | ACS Pilgrimage – Rome

Walk in G.K. Chesterton's footsteps on our
first-ever pilgrimage to Rome, Italy!

ACS Rome Lenten Pilgrimage and Conference

Join Dale Ahlquist for a pilgrimage to Rome, November 2012

March 13 – 23, 2013

Travel with Dale Ahlquist to Rome for a once-in-a-lifetime
tour of the Eternal City and one-day Chesterton conference
held in collaboration with the Italian Chesterton Society.

PLEASE CONTACT THE ACS TODAY
AT 952-831-3096 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

**Download the detailed trip overview**

$2,950 from Atlanta; $1,650 land-only option
To start the booking process, contact the ACS at 952-831-3096
Hurry! Seats are filling up fast!

Deadlines and Deposits
Deposit ($400) – Due November 1, 2012
Balance – Due January 7, 2013

Trip Highlights:

❧ Guided tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s

❧ Imperial Rome Guided Tour (Coliseum and Forum)

❧ Christian Rome Guided Tour (Catacombs of St. Callixtus, Holy Steps, Holy Cross of Jerusalem, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls)

❧ Papal Angelus and General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican (pending the Holy Father’s schedule)

❧ Day trip to Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare

❧ Daily Mass at the Lenten station churches, a tradition going back 15 centuries

❧ “All Roads / Tutte Le Strade” — one-day international Chesterton Conference led by Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and Marco Sermarini, Chairman, Italian Chesterton Society

❧ Short daily lectures by Dale Ahlquist on the connection between G.K. Chesterton and Rome. Talks will include:

    • The Resurrection of Rome
    • Lent
    • Art and Beauty
    • The Papacy
    • St. Francis of Assisi
    • Mysticism
    • Mary, the Queen of Seven Sorrows
    • Where All Roads Lead

Preliminary Itinerary

Wednesday, March 13 – Departure
We’ll meet in Atlanta for our late afternoon departure to Rome, a direct flight. Supper and breakfast will be served on the plane.

Thursday, March 14 – City Highlights
Welcome to Rome! After we collect our bags, we’ll take a leisurely walk through Rome to become acquainted with the city. We will attend afternoon Mass in thanksgiving for a safe journey.

Friday, March 15 – Vatican Museum Tour
Today we’ll enjoy a tour of the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel. We will also tour the largest church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica.

Saturday, March 16 -
International Chesterton Conference
Today we’ll gather at Aula Magna of the Provincia di Roma for the International Chesterton Conference, All Roads / Tutte Le Strade. Stay tuned for a fill list of speakers. The conference will end with a American Chesterton Society tradition – a joyous, closing banquet with jokes, toasts, songs, clerihews and other fun!

Sunday, March 17 – Papal Angelus
We’ll attend Mass at St. Peter’s this morning and then join pilgrims from all over the world in St. Peter’s Square for the Holy Father’s weekly Angelus.

Monday, March 18 – Imperial Rome
Today we’ll travel to the past to witness the splendor of Imperial Rome. Our tour will include a visit to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum.

Tuesday, March 19 – Christian Rome
After breakfast, we’ll embark on an unforgettable excursion of early Christian Rome. We’ll tour the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, a vast underground cemetery for the earliest Christians. We’ll also visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the four Patriarchal Basilicas.

Wednesday, March 20 – General Audience
Today we’ll join pilgrims from all over the world for a once in a lifetime experience, a general Audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican (pending the Holy Father’s schedule). This afternoon, we’ll travel to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside The Walls, built over the Saint’s tomb.

Thursday, March 21 – Day Trip to Assisi
After an early breakfast, we’ll travel by coach to Assisi to visit the home of St. Francis and St. Clare. Our day will include a walk to the Basilica of St. Francis, basilica of St. Clare, and the Baroque church which envelops St Francis’ original tiny chapel, the Porziuncula.

Friday, March 22 – Christian Rome Tour, Continued
We’ll begin our day with a tour of the Church and crypt of San Clemente. During our time there, we will reflect on Chesterton’s essay on the Apse mosaic at St. Clemente. Our day will continue with a visit to St. John Lateran (the Cathedral of Rome and another one of the Church’s four Patriarchal Basilicas), and the ‘Scala Sancta’ (Holy Stairs) where you may climb the same steps Jesus climbed on the way to see Pontius Pilate.

Saturday, March 23 – Travel Day
This morning, we’ll transfer to Fiumicino’s Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport for group check-in and security. As our airplane takes off, we’ll take one last look at the beautiful land that now holds a special place in our hearts, and say Arrivederci Italia!