CATHOLIC SHRINES AND SAINTS OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND

ITINERARY

Day 1. Monday, May 31: Transatlantic flight to Glasgow, Scotland

Day 2. Tuesday, June 1: Glasgow - Stirling - Edinburgh

Welcome to Scotland! Upon arrival in Glasgow, travel to the historic city of Stirling, whose rich Christian and royal heritage has shaped the history of Scotland for centuries. Visit the majestic Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most significant fortresses. Within its ancient walls, several Scottish monarchs were crowned, including Mary, Queen of Scots, whose reign unfolded during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Christendom. Following time to explore the castle, continue to nearby Abbey Craig. Here stands the iconic Wallace Monument, honoring Sir William Wallace, whose courage and steadfast devotion to the freedom of his homeland have made him an enduring symbol of Scottish fidelity and sacrifice.  Continue to the beautiful capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, for a welcome dinner and overnight. (D)

Day 3. Wednesday, June 2: Edinburgh

Today is dedicated to exploring the beauty and rich Catholic heritage of Edinburgh, Scotland’s historic capital. A guided walking tour follows the Royal Mile, passing the historic Church of St. Giles, the city’s principal Catholic church for centuries before the Reformation and a center of preaching, worship, and civic life. The visit continues to Edinburgh Castle, an assemblage of buildings dating from the 12th to the 20th century, reflecting its changing role as a fortress, royal palace, military garrison, and state prison. Within its walls stands St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in the city, dedicated to St. Margaret of Scotland, whose holiness and charity helped shape the Catholic faith in medieval Scotland. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Edinburgh. (B, D)

Day 4. Thursday, June 3: Edinburgh - Holy Island - Durham - York

This morning, travel to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the cradle of Christianity in northern England and one of the most revered centers of early monastic life. Visit the remains of Lindisfarne Priory and its museum, where the story of the Viking raids, the devotion to St. Cuthbert, and the magnificent Lindisfarne Gospels—one of the finest surviving illuminated manuscripts of the medieval Church—come to life. Transfer to Durham to visit its magnificent cathedral and museum. Dating from the Norman period, the cathedral is one of Europe’s greatest examples of Romanesque architecture and is home to the tombs of St. Cuthbert and the Venerable St. Bede. Continue to York for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Day 5. Friday, June 4: York

Begin today with a visit to York Minster, the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in England and north of the Alps, renowned for its 128 magnificent stained-glass windows composed of nearly two million individual pieces of glass. The pilgrimage continues to the house and shrine of St. Margaret Clitherow, the “Pearl of York,” who was martyred for her steadfast Catholic faith and for sheltering priests during the persecution under Queen Elizabeth I. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to explore York on your own. Dinner and overnight in York. (B, D)

Day 6. Saturday, June 5: York - Stratford-upon-Avon

Today journey through the picturesque English countryside to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, whose works have profoundly influenced Christian literature and Western civilization. Visit the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptized and laid to rest, his birthplace, and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, offering insight into the life and legacy of England’s greatest playwright. The remainder of the day is at leisure, with the opportunity to attend a performance by the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. Tickets can be purchased directly in Stratford. Dinner is on your own. Overnight in Stratford. (B)

Day 7. Sunday, June 6: Stratford-upon-Avon - Oxford - London

Travel this morning to the historic university city of Oxford, long associated with some of England’s greatest Christian thinkers and writers. Take a guided walking tour of the city including the grave of J.R.R. Tolkien. Following free time for lunch, stop to take photos of the grave of C.S. Lewis and his home, The Kilns. Then visit Stonor Park, one of England’s oldest continuously inhabited Catholic estates and a stronghold of recusant Catholicism during the Protestant Reformation, where the Stonor family preserved the faith and sheltered priests in times of persecution. It was here that St. Edmund Campion, the Jesuit priest and Oxford scholar, carried out part of his secret mission to minister to Catholics in Elizabethan England before being betrayed and captured in 1581. Continue to London for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Day 8. Monday, June 7: London

Begin your time in London with a visit to Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, renowned for its striking Neo-Byzantine architecture and magnificent treasury. Continue to St. Etheldreda’s Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in England and among the few surviving buildings in London dating to the reign of King Edward I (d. 1307). Dedicated to the 7th-century Anglo-Saxon saint, the church houses the incorrupt hand of St. Etheldreda, a treasured relic honoring her life of holiness and devotion. Following free time for lunch on your own, the remainder of the day is at leisure to explore London. Dinner is on your own. Overnight in London. (B)

Day 9. Tuesday, June 8: London

Start today by visiting Tyburn, the site of the infamous Tyburn Tree where more than 350 Catholics, including St. Edmund Campion, St. Margaret Clitherow, and many of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, gave their lives for the Faith. Continue to the Tyburn Convent, a shrine dedicated to preserving the memory of these heroic martyrs. The tour then proceeds to Westminster Abbey to visit Poets’ Corner and the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, England’s last canonized king, whose tomb has drawn pilgrims for nearly a millennium. In the afternoon, visit the Tower of London, long associated with the imprisonment of saints, bishops, and recusant Catholics during the Protestant Reformation, including St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, before stopping at nearby Tower Hill, where many were executed for their fidelity to Christ and His Church. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Dinner and overnight in London. (B, D)

Day 10. Wednesday, June 9: London: Excursion to Canterbury

Spend the final day of your pilgrimage on an excursion to Canterbury, one of the great pilgrimage destinations of medieval Christendom. Begin with a visit to Canterbury Cathedral, where the Archbishop St. Thomas Becket was martyred in 1170. Here unite your prayers with the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims that journeyed to the cathedral seeking his intercession. Later, visit the site of St. Augustine’s first monastery, established after his mission to bring the Christian faith to England, as well as the Catholic Church of St. Thomas Becket. The excursion concludes with a visit to St. Dunstan’s Church, home to the Roper family tomb, traditionally recognized as the resting place of the head of St. Thomas More. Rescued from London Bridge by his devoted daughter, Margaret Roper, the relic is a powerful witness to filial devotion and fidelity to the Catholic faith. Return to London for a farewell dinner and overnight. (B, FD)

Day 11. Thursday, June 10: Homebound flight

Transfer to London airport for your flight home. (B)