Pilgrimage to the Holy Saints and Shrines of France
October 12-23, 2026
$3,999 - includes ground travel
and airfare
Fr. Scott Woods Fr. Bob Kilner
Join Fr. Scott Woods and Fr. Bob Kilner on a pilgrimage
to visit some of the most amazing holy saints and shrines of France!
Explore the breathtaking Catholic shrines, celebrated saints, and historic locations across France on this cross-country pilgrimage, from picturesque villages in the South to the vibrant city of Paris, immersing yourself in the Church's spiritual life. This pilgrimage offers a chance to admire magnificent shrines and churches while learning about the lives of influential Catholic saints. Join us for this extraordinary experience that celebrates and honors France's deep Catholic tradition.
Visit: Notre Dame Cathedral, Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, St. Vincent de Paul, St Catherine Labouré, St Louise de Marillac, Carmel Chapel, Buissonnets House, Basilica of Lisieux, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Louis Martin, St. Zélie Martin, Landing Beaches at Normandy, American Cemetery at Normandy, Mont Saint-Michel, Basilica of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Louis de Montfort, Bl. Marie Louise Trichet, Lourdes, St. Faith, St. Gildard Convent & Museum, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Basilica of Paray-le-Monial, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Basilica of St. John Vianney, St. John Vianney, Basilica of the Visitation, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Jane de Chantal
The Spiritual Impact of Pilgrimage on St. Thérèse of Lisieux
“Before my journey to Rome I had not felt any special devotion to this Saint, but on visiting the house where she was martyred, and on hearing her proclaimed ‘Queen of Harmony’, I felt more than devotion to her; I felt real love as for a friend. She became my chosen patroness as well as the keeper of my most intimate thoughts....”
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux, describing the grace she received at age 14 during her pilgrimage to Rome and her visit to St. Cecilia’s home (The Story of a Soul).
"... I saw splendid monuments; I studied the countless wonders of art and religion; and better than all, I stood on the very soil trodden by the Apostles and bedewed with the blood of Martyrs, and my soul grew strong by contact with those holy things.”
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux, recalling her 1887 pilgrimage to Rome with her father Louis, her sister Céline, and a diocesan group (The Story of a Soul)
Your trip includes
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Round-trip airfare from Dulles International Airport
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Non-stop flight to Paris
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Coach transportation from Sacred Heart Church to Dulles and back.
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All airport taxes and fuel surcharges
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Hotel accomodations:
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1 night: Oct 13 Grand Hôtel de l’Espérance, Lisieux, FR
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1 night: Oct 14 Hotel Auberge de la Baie, Mont Saint Michel, FR
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1 night: Oct 15 Mercure Hotel – Cholet, FR
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3 nights: Oct 16-18 Hotel Eliseo. Lourdes, FR
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1 night: Oct 19 Hotel La Pariou – Issoire, FR
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1 night: Oct 20 Hotel le Prieure – Paray-le-Monial, FR
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2 nights: Oct 21-22 Hotel Ibis Annecy Centre Vieille Ville, Annecy, FR
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Single supplement, while available, for and additional $810
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Transfers as per itinerary
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Breakfast and dinner daily
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Wine and mineral water with dinners
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Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach
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Tour escort throughout
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Assistance of professional local Catholic guide(s)
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Sightseeing and admission fees as per Itinerary
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Mass daily and spiritual activities
Not included:
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Lunches and beverages not mentioned
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Travel Insurance
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Tips to your guide & driver. (est. $100 total)
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Church donations (budget $2.00-$5.00 per Mass)
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Passports, visas, and any required travel documentation
NOTE: Participation in this active pilgrimage requires the ability to walk 10,000–12,000 steps per day, unassisted, at an average pace across uneven surfaces, including steps and cobblestones.
Please note our flight schedule below
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
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A 50% deposit is due at time of registration
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Final payment/balance is due on or before May 1, 2026
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Registration after May 1, 2026 requires payment in full at time of bookng
PAYMENT METHODS:
We accept major credit cards, checks, money orders, and ACH transactions. There is an additional 3% fee for each credit card transaction.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
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All payments are 100% refundable if a cancellation request is received in writing before May 31, 2026
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All payments are 50% refundable from May 31, 2026 to 30 days prior to departure
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There are no refunds for cancellation requests received after 30 days prior to departure
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Processing fees will be deducted from refunds of payments made by credit card
Travel Insurance
Although travel insurance is optional, it is strongly recommended. We encourage you to purchase it at the time of registration in order to qualify for Cancel for Any Reason coverage.
You have two options for purchasing travel insurance:
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Purchase directly from Faye through our website after submitting your application
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Purchase a policy from your own insurance provider
Follow this LINK to view our Travel Protection Plan details.
You don’t want to think about things going wrong when you’re preparing for a long-awaited trip. But life is unpredictable—plans change, illnesses and injuries happen, luggage gets lost, and even severe weather can disrupt your plans. Having the right travel protection ensures you can travel with confidence, knowing you’re covered no matter what comes your way.
We’ve partnered with Faye to provide reliable travel insurance coverage for your pilgrimage. Please use the link below to receive a fast and easy quote.
For more information on why Faye, click HERE.
Itinerary
Dulles International Airport
Day 1
After a pilgrims' Mass at Sacred Heart parish in La Plata, transfer by Keller coach bus to Dulles International Airport to catch a 6:25pm United Airlines nonstop flight to Paris for a 7:45am arrival at Charles De Gaulle Airport.
Day 2
Upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, you will be transferred to the heart of Paris to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, where the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labouré rests. We will then continue on foot to the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul to pray before the mortal remains of this great saint, founder of several congregations devoted to serving the poor. Afterward, enjoy free time for lunch on your own in the charming Latin Quarter before visiting the iconic Cathedral of Notre Dame. Following our visit and a moment of prayer, we will depart for Lisieux, where dinner and an overnight stay await you at your hotel.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Normandy American Cemetery
Day 3
After waking up in Lisieux and enjoying breakfast, you will begin your day in prayer and reflection on the life of the beloved Saint Thérèse. Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of St. Thérèse, where the remains of her parents, Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, are enshrined in the crypt. Following Mass, you will have the opportunity to visit Les Buissonets, the family home of St. Thérèse, where her relics, clothing, and personal belongings are displayed. You will also visit the Carmelite Convent, where she entered in 1888 and where her body now rests.
In the afternoon, you will travel to the Normandy Landing Beaches and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial—sacred grounds honoring the American soldiers who gave their lives in World War II. Take a moment to pray in gratitude for their courage and sacrifice.
After this moving visit, you will continue on to Mont Saint-Michel. With the magnificent view of the monastery dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 4
After an early breakfast, you will visit Mont Saint-Michel, home to the magnificent Monastery of Le Mont Saint-Michel, often called “The Wonder of the Western World.” The monastery is surrounded by a vast bay with one of the greatest tidal ranges in Europe, offering breathtaking views. In 709, the monastery was built and consecrated by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, at the request of Saint Michael the Archangel. Since the ninth century, the abbey has been home to a monastic community, preserving an unbroken spiritual presence on this sacred site. For centuries, it has drawn pilgrims seeking to deepen their faith and aspire toward eternal life with God.
Following your visit, you will continue on to Cholet, where dinner and an overnight stay await you at your hotel.
Mont Saint-Michel
French countryside
Day 5
After breakfast, you will take a short drive to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where you will learn about the life and remarkable works of Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie-Louise Trichet. Saint Louis’ deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his practice of praying the Rosary profoundly influenced many popes, including St. John Paul II. In his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, the Holy Father explained that his personal motto, Totus Tuus (“Totally Yours”), was inspired by St. Louis’ doctrine of total consecration to the Virgin Mary.
Following this inspiring visit, you will continue on to Lourdes, where you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 6
Today, you will remain in this peaceful town nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. During your time in Lourdes, you will have the opportunity to pray and reflect at the sacred site of Our Lady’s apparitions. It was here, in 1858, that the Blessed Virgin appeared to young Bernadette Soubirous and revealed herself as “The Immaculate Conception.”
During the first two apparitions, Bernadette prayed the Rosary with Our Lady in silence. In the subsequent visits, the Blessed Mother spoke of God’s great love for humanity and called for penance and conversion of heart.
While in Lourdes, you will be able to attend Mass at the Grotto where Our Lady appeared, drink from the miraculous spring whose waters have brought healing to many, and, if you wish, either perform the water gesture or bathe in the healing waters. Each evening, following dinner, you may join the beautiful candlelight Rosary procession—a moving expression of faith and devotion—before retiring for a restful night.
The Rosary Basilica, Lourdes
Lourdes
Day 7
Enjoy a second full day in Lourdes, beginning with a guided tour of the sites connected to the life of St. Bernadette, followed by the celebration of Mass. Afterward, enjoy lunch on your own and a free afternoon to further experience the grace and peace of Lourdes. You may participate in the Water Gesture or baths, pray the Rosary at the Grotto, spend quiet time in one of the beautiful churches, or meditate along the life-size Stations of the Cross overlooking the Grotto of Massabielle.
During your stay, you will also have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette, visiting Boly Mill—her birthplace—and the “Cachot,” the former prison where her family once lived in poverty.
At 5:00 p.m., join the Blessed Sacrament Procession, followed by Adoration and the Blessing of the Sick in the St. Pius X Underground Basilica. The evening concludes with dinner and the moving candlelight Rosary procession before a peaceful final night in Lourdes.
Day 8
After breakfast, you will depart for the medieval village of Conques, one of the most beautiful and spiritually significant stops along the ancient Camino de Santiago. Upon arrival, visit the magnificent Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture that has inspired pilgrims for centuries. Here you will venerate Saint Foy (Saint Faith), a young Christian martyr of the fourth century whose courageous witness to Christ drew countless pilgrims to Conques throughout the Middle Ages. Her relics, enshrined in the golden reliquary statue that made the town famous, continue to inspire faith and devotion to this day.
You will celebrate Mass at the Abbey and then enjoy lunch in the charming village, surrounded by its cobblestone streets and beautifully preserved half-timbered houses. Afterward, continue your journey to Issoire, where you will check into your hotel and enjoy a delightful dinner and a restful evening.
Conques, France
Nevers, France
Day 9
After breakfast, you will depart for Nevers, where St. Bernadette Soubirous spent the final twelve years of her life as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. Despite her frail health—suffering from asthma, tuberculosis of the lungs, and a painful tubercular tumor in her right knee—St. Bernadette bore her suffering with profound faith and humility. She received the Last Sacraments three times before passing peacefully into eternal life in 1879 at the age of thirty-five.
Today, her incorrupt body rests in the Chapel of St. Gildard in Nevers, miraculously preserved since her death, a visible sign of her sanctity and total trust in God. You will have time for prayer and reflection on the convent grounds before departing for Paray-le-Monial, where you will check into your hotel and enjoy dinner and rest for the evening.
Day 10
After breakfast, you will visit the Sanctuary of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial, where Jesus revealed to her the devotion to His Sacred Heart. In one of His apparitions, Our Lord said: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to show them My love.”
Your visit will include the Chapel of the Apparitions, where St. Margaret Mary experienced these profound visions in the 17th century; the room containing her relics; the Diorama of St. Margaret Mary; and the Eucharistic Museum. You will also visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Chapel of St. Claude de la Colombière, her confessor and spiritual director, whose incorrupt body rests there.
Following your visit, you will depart for Ars, where you will enjoy lunch before visiting the Shrine dedicated to St. Jean-Marie Vianney, the beloved Curé of Ars and patron saint of parish priests. There you will see the saint’s presbytery and the Basilica where his incorrupt body is preserved for veneration. From Ars, you will continue on to Annecy, often referred to as the “Venice of the Alps”,, where you will enjoy a delicious dinner and a peaceful overnight stay.
Day 11
This morning, you will visit the Basilica of the Visitation in Annecy, where the bodies of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal are venerated. St. Francis, the gentle Bishop of Geneva, was renowned for his deep faith, pastoral wisdom, and his patient, loving approach to healing the religious divisions of the Reformation era.
In 1604, St. Jane Frances de Chantal met St. Francis de Sales and immediately recognized him as the man she had seen years earlier in a vision of her future spiritual director. Their deep spiritual friendship and correspondence gave rise, in 1610, to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, founded here in Annecy. Despite resistance and hardship, St. Jane went on to establish sixty-nine convents, creating a community that welcomed women often turned away by other orders due to age or poor health. Her legacy continues today through the enduring spirit of the Visitation Sisters.
After this inspiring visit, you will enjoy a pleasant dinner and a restful night at your hotel in Annecy.
Day 12
Depart hotel and transfer to Geneva Airport
10:30 nonstop flight home to IAD on United Airlines.
14:20 Arrive at IAD where you will be met by a Keller coach bus to transport you back to Sacred Heart parish.
AMDG Travel Disclaimer
From time to time, local religious or national holidays, weather, traffic conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances may require adjustments to the sequence of activities or result in the omission of certain sites or events. While every effort will be made to operate the itinerary as planned, the itinerary should be understood as an indication of the planned schedule rather than a binding guarantee of specific stops or events. Hotels listed on the itinerary have been carefully selected and contracted in advance for this pilgrimage. However, due to availability changes, operational requirements, or circumstances beyond our control, it may occasionally be necessary to substitute a hotel. In such cases, AMDG Travel will secure accommodations of equivalent or higher quality, consistent with the overall standard, location, and character of the pilgrimage.
