OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PILGRIMAGE

ITINERARY

Day 1. Monday, November 4: flight to Mexico City

Upon arrival into Mexico City, greet your tour assistant, board your private vehicle and head to your hotel. Tonight, meet your travel companions at a welcome dinner. (WD)

Day 2. Tuesday, November 5: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Begin the day with a visit to Tlatelolco Plaza de las Tres Culturas, or Three Cultures Square. It is the main square within the Tlatelolco neighborhood of Mexico City. So named because this plaza displays the architectural legacy of three cultural facets: the Aztec pyramids of Tlatelolco, the 17th-century Spanish Templo de Santiago and the modern tower that houses the Centro Cultural Universitario. See the Colegio de Santa Cruz, the first and oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas and the first major school of interpreters and translators in the New World. Continue to the Villa de Guadalupe and pray before the famous Tilma of St. Juan Diego at one of the world’s most revered shrines – the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Visit the Indian Chapel, the Holy Water Well Chapel, the original Basilica, and the Tepeyac Hill where the apparitions took place. In Tulpetlac, visit the church built above the house of Our Lady’s 5th apparition to Juan Diego’s uncle. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (BB, L, D)

Day 3. Wednesday, November 6: Pre-Hispanic Cultures

Today visit Teotihuacan, one of the most impressive cities of the ancient world. A colossal urban center once housed up to 125,000 people and covered over 8 square miles, and was destroyed in 650 AD. Admire the imposing pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Return to Mexico City to visit the National Museum of Anthropology, which houses a world-renowned collection of finds from Mexico´s pre-Columbian cultures. Return to the hotel for an early dinner before transferring to the Palace of Fine Arts for a Mexican folkloric dance show. (BB, L, D)

Day 4. Thursday, November 7: Cristeros & Colonial Mexico

This morning, visit the Church of the Holy Family to pray before the tomb of Blessed Fr. Miguel Agustin Pro (1891-1927), the Jesuit martyr. Fr. Pro spent most of his priestly life in secret ministry due to Mexican government’s prohibition of public worship. He was arrested and assassinated without trial during the Cristero War. After lunch at a Mexican restaurant, visit colonial Mexico City. Visit the Museo del Carmen, Capilla de Santa Catalina (Coyoacan), and the Capilla de la Conchita (Coyoacan). The Church of St. John the Baptist (Coyoacan) houses a plaque which says, “In this parish, for Christ the King died Maria de la Luz Camacho Gonzalez, Servant of God, May 17, 1907 – December 30, 1934”. An urn contains her mortal remains. “Conchita” died a martyr in the atrium of St. John the Baptist Church when she was shot as she was defending the church from being set on fire by a violent communist group. The last words to be uttered by her lips were “Viva Cristo Rey!” Afterwards, enjoy some free time for shopping at Plaza Jardin Hidalgo. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (BB, L, D)

Day 5. Friday, November 8: Catholic Evangelization

Enjoy a walking tour of downtown Mexico City, visiting the Main Plaza and the Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Latin America and the resting place of Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, first Bishop of Mexico, also known as the Protector of Indians. See the excavations of the Aztec Templo Mayor, the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. Continue to La Profesa Church. Completed in 1720, its Baroque style proved to be so distinctive that it became a prototype for other Jesuit constructions. At the dawn of the 19th century, Agustín de Iturbide, the only “Emperor” to have governed Mexico, would attend Mass here. Then, visit the Palace of Agustin de Iturbide, a large palatial residence that gained the name “Palace of Iturbide” because Agustín de Iturbide lived there and accepted the crown of the First Mexican Empire at the palace after independence from Spain. Afterwards, visit St. Francis Church, This complex was the headquarters of the first twelve Franciscan friars headed by Martín de Valencia who came to Mexico after receiving the first authorization from the Pope to evangelize in New Spain. In the early colonial period, this was one of the largest and most influential monasteries in Mexico City. Return to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for a farewell visit. Take advantage of some free time for last-minute shopping at the Handcraft Market at Londres Street. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (BB, L, D)

Day 6. Saturday, November 9: Homebound Flight

After breakfast, transfer to Mexico City airport for your flight home. (BB)

 (BB) Buffet breakfast; (L) Lunch; (D) Dinner; (WD) Welcome Dinner

* In case of unforeseen events, this itinerary is subject to change.