PILGRIMAGE TO HUNGARY - AUSTRIA - CZECH REPUBLIC AND POLAND

Under spiritual leadership of Father Michal Jurkowski

Associate Pastor St Joseph's Church - Scarborough

May 23 – June 03, 2010 - 13 days

Cost: $2,990 CAD

May 23

Depart Toronto by air for Vienna Austria.

May 24

Morning arrival in Vienna. After we collect the luggage we are transferred to our hotel, time for rest , dinner and overnight.

May 25

Full day excursion to Budapest where we visit 13th century cathedral of St Matthias, the Citadel on Mount Gallert, the Royal Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, the Parliament, Hero’s Square and the Church of St Stephen. We return to Vienna for dinner and overnight.

May 26

Morning sightseeing tour of Vienna takes us to St Stephen’s Cathedral an imposing structure dating to the 13th century. We see the Opera House home to the Vienna Boy’s Choir and the Schonbrunn Palace. This sprawling royal summer house has 1441 rooms including a Hall of Mirrors. It is here that young Mozart performed at the age of six in front of young Marie Antoinette. Some free time in the afternoon for rest or shopping. In the evening a typical Viennese dinner with music.

May 27

From Vienna we travel to Prague - the capital of Czech Republic. En route visit the beautiful monastery of Melk. Dinner and overnight in Prague.

May 28

Full day in beautiful Prague. We celebrate Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Victory and see the renowned statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. We visit the Old Town by way of Golden Lane and then go to the Lesser Town to see the medieval Charles Bridge. We also see St Nicolas Church the Astronomic Clock, and the Prague Castle district where we tour St Vitus Cathedral, St George Basilica and Wenceslas Square. Some free time in the afternoon for shopping, dinner and overnight.

May 29

From Prague we travel to Krakow - the ancient capital of Poland. En route we visit Wadowice – the birth please of Pope Paul II. Dinner and overnight in Krakow.

May 30

This morning we visit Lagiewniki – world known as “Divine Mercy Shrine” It is here that the message of the Divine Mercy originated, which Christ himself wished to pass to our generation, through the intersetion of Sister Faustina. Here we celebrate Mass and visit the convent of St Faustyna, her tomb and relics. In the afternoon we travel to Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp. We will see the cell in which St Maximilian Kolbe died and the Martyrdom Museum recalling the horrors of the Holocaust. Return to Krakow for dinner and overnight.

May 31

Today we explore Krakow. This was the ancient capital of Poland. We visit the Market Square where we hear the silver trumpet of the bugler from St Mary’s Church. Within the cathedral you may pray before the extraordinary Wit Stwosz altar. The surroundings of the square remained unchanged for almost 700 years and contain buildings of historic value such as the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth hall and the Wawel Castle. In the afternoon excursion to the famous salt mines of Wieliczka.

June 01

This morning we travel to Warsaw – the capital of Poland. En route visit Czestochowa – the site of Poland’s greatest pilgrimage shrine – “ Our Lady of Czestochowa” also known as the “Black Madonna”, one of the most important places of religious worship in the Catholic world, with tradition of pilgrimages that goes back to the 14th century. We celebrate Mass and venerate the priceless and Miraculous Icon. Continue to Warsaw for dinner and overnight.

June 02

Morning sightseeing tour of Warsaw includes the Royal Palace the Old Town, the Barbican. We will celebrate Mass in one of the many churches of Warsaw. In the afternoon there is some free time for last minute shopping. Dinner and overnight.

June 03

This morning we are transferred to the airport for our flight back to Toronto