Wait List: registration is now full, however please sign up on this wait list in case one of our pilgrims backs out. April 28th will be their deadline for final commitment, and will email those on the wait list if a vacancy becomes available or not.  CLICK HERE

This summer, we’re embarking on a powerful journey to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth and the canonization of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati!
Walk in the footsteps of the saints, pray with thousands of young Catholics, and experience the beauty of the Church in Florence, Siena, and the Eternal City.

Since we are from a Dominican parish—and Bl. Frassati was a lay Dominican—there will be a special focus on Dominican sites, among others. Mornings will include group prayer and travel to our group Mass locations, typically in significant churches such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the catacomb crypts, or the Basilica of St. Catherine of Siena. Some afternoons will be pre-planned (for example, visits to the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze and Michelangelo’s David). Other afternoons and most evenings will be considered “free time,” allowing you to explore as you wish in break out groups. However, Fr. Chrysostom will have optional itineraries those times as well. On our final day, Friday—the feast of St. Dominic—we will celebrate at the cell of St. Dominic.

We are also planning one day trip not directly related to the pilgrimage theme but well worth it: a tour bus outing to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast—an ancient city preserved under volcanic ash and uncovered by archeologists. You will be literally walking down ancient Roman streets, going to ancient Roman fast-food stores, and into ancient Roman houses!

Destinations: Florence, Bologna, Siena, Rome, and Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast
Accommodation: A mix of monasteries and a home in Rome
Expenses & Scholarships: Five tier options available (click the registration link to see. Scholarships are available, but see below for details.)

Purpose and Mindset:

This is a pilgrimage with a mix of tourism. It’s an opportunity to embrace some discomfort—like sharing rooms or sleeping outdoors under the stars. We will be praying and traveling together, and you are expected to travel light: summer in Italy will be hot, and backpacks (not roller bags) are required.

We will pray and chant daily, entering churches not merely as tourists, but as pilgrims—ready to be transformed, not just to consume.

What Tuition Includes (everything except flights, some lunches & dinners):

  • Accommodation

  • Transportation within Italy (train to Bologna, Siena, and Rome; public transit in Rome)

  • Day trip to Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast

  • Daily breakfast & snacks

  • Jubilee Pilgrimage registration (includes dinner on Aug 2 and breakfast/lunch on Aug 3)

  • Entrance to all museums and churches listed on the itinerary

  • Jubilee swag

Not Included:

  • Flights and transportation to/from Italy (~$1000) – email us to find out what flights others are taking

  • Most lunches and dinners (plan for 30 euros a day)

  • Souvenirs

  • Travel insurance

Scholarships:

Thanks to a grant from the Western Dominican Province, we are offering scholarships for those in financial need. Email us to request: frassati@uwnewman.org

You are encouraged to apply if:

  • The pilgrimage would be a financial hardship for you

  • You are active in the Frassati community

  • You are a student or recent graduate with limited income

  • You believe this pilgrimage would greatly benefit your spiritual life and service to others

Please consider not applying if:

  • You can afford the full cost without compromising your basic needs

  • You have other financial resources (e.g., family support, fundraising, or travel savings)

Tentative Schedule

July 27: Overnight flight to Italy

July 28–31: Florence

  • Accommodation: Monastery of the Suore Oblate dello Spirito Santo

  • Visits include Dominican sites, Florence Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo's David

July 31 – Aug 2: Day Trip to Bologna & Siena

  • Accommodation: Monastery of Albergo Alma Domus (Siena)

  • Mass at the Basilica di San Domenico (Bologna, where St. Dominic is buried)

  • Mass at the Basilica of St. Catherine (Siena, where her skull is preserved)

August 2–3: Rome Pilgrimage Begins

SATURDAY

  • Morning train to Rome

  • Mass around noon at Mass at Santa Sabina, the historic mother church of the Dominican Order in Rome.

  • Following Mass, we will begin our pilgrimage walk to the Vigil site at Tor Vergata (10 Miles of walking), joining thousands of young Catholics from around the world.

  • 3:00–8:00 PM: Enjoy music, testimonies, and cultural events as pilgrims gather at Tor Vergata.

  • 8:30–9:30 PM: Evening Vigil with the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

  • Overnight: We will sleep outdoors at the vigil site, under the stars, in community with fellow pilgrims.

  • Dinner will be provided by jubilee organizers

    SUNDAY

  • Breakfast provided by Jubilee organizers

  • 9:30 AM: Holy Mass presided over by the Pope at Tor Vergata, concluding the Jubilee of Youth.

  • Lunch: Provided by Jubilee organizers

  • Afternoon: Begin the return pilgrimage walk back to Rome. Check into our Rome accommodation

August 4–9: Rome

  • Accommodation: Vrbo house

  • August 4 (Mon): Explore Ancient Rome – Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, San Clemente

  • August 5 (Tue): Mass in the catacombs; visit St. Paul Outside the Walls

  • August 6 (Wed): Mass St. Peter's Basilica, Pope’s Wednesday Audience, Vatican Museums

  • August 7 (Thurs): Day trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

  • August 8 (Fri): Mass at Santa Sabina (Dominican headquarters) and free day.

Sites and Museums in Rome (tentative):
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Santa Maria Maggiore, Church of the Gesù, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, Borghese Gallery, Angelicum