VIVA CRISTO REY! Join us on an unprecedented pilgrimage honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe and commemorating the martyrs of the Cristero War (1926-1929). Lay your petitions before Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Our Lady of Zapopan in Guadalajara, and Our Lady of San Juan de loa Lagos. Render homage to many Cristero Martyrs: Fr. Miguel Pro, St. José Sánchez del Río, St. Toribio Romo, Fr. José Trinidad Rangel, Fr. Andrés Solá y Molist, Leonardo Pérez Larios, and more! Also marvel at the incredible pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon in Teotihuacán, and experience Mexico’s beautiful culture as you visit San Pedro Tlaquepaque, a cradle of folk artists and renowned potters, and colonial Puebla, known for its delicious mole poblano and Talavera ceramics. This and so much more as you attend daily Mass, and enjoy the safety and comfort of group travel with fellow traditional Catholics!

HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Mexico City: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Father Miguel Pro, Church of Santo Domingo, the Cathedral and the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, ruins of the main Aztec Temple, Church of San Francisco (home to the first twelve Franciscan monks who came to Mexico)
Guadalajara: Our Lady of Zapopan, Sanctuary of the Martyrs of Christ the King, Cathedral enshrining the bones of 23 Cristero martyrs
Sahuayo: the birthplace of St. José Sánchez del Río, church where he was imprisoned and which houses his relics, cemetery where he was tortured and killed
San Juan de los Lagos: miraculous image of Our Lady and the second most visited Catholic site in Mexico
Santa Ana de Guadalupe: St. Toribio Romo, priest and Cristero martyr
Guanajuato: Cerro del Cubilete, Sanctuary of St. Mary of the Martyrs (Cristeros: Fr. José Trinidad Rangel, Fr. Andrés Solá y Molist, and Leonardo Pérez Larios), Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato
Querétaro: Church and former Convent of the Cross
Teotihuacán: pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon, Temple of Quetzalcoatl
Puebla: Church of St. Francis, Church of St. Dominic, Rosary Chapel, Kitchen of the Convent of Santa Rosa de Lima where the famous mole poblano originated

CONTACT US TO REGISTER

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL TERMS/CONDITIONS

TRAVEL INSURANCE

ITINERARY

Day 1. Monday, November 27, 2023: 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 28, 2023: 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 29, 2023: 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 30, 2023: 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, December 1, 2023 : 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, December 2, 2023: Homebound Flight

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

Buffet Breakfast (BB); Lunch (L); Dinner (D)

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

CHAPLAIN

Father David Thomas hails from Post Falls, Idaho but at a young age moved to Saint Mary's, Kansas, where he attended all twelve years of school at St. Mary's Academy. After his high school graduation in 1998, he entered St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and was ordained on June 19, 2004. Since then, he has been stationed in Sanford, Florida; Ridgefield, Connecticut; Ireland; and at the SSPX Priory in South Africa. Fr. Thomas has traveled to Mexico and is looking forward to accompanying this pilgrimage to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe!

FEATURED HISTORIAN

Alexander Gutierrez Becker is a historian from the Mora Institute in Mexico City, and he specializes in Church History in Mexico during the 19th century. He is currently a contributor to the Monarchic Catholic Newspaper, La Esperanza, and is also a writer of children's stories in Pelayos magazine. Mr. Becker attends Mass at the Society of St. Pius X chapel in Mexico City and has a great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. His historical knowledge and input will be an invaluable asset to the pilgrimage.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

At the present time, there are no travel restrictions for US tourists arriving into Mexico.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations for this pilgrimage are in this 4-star hotel or similar:

Mexico City: 5 nights in the Galería Plaza Hotel https://www.galeriaplazahotels.com.mx

Rooms in double occupancy are for two people to share; they have two twin beds or one double bed. Rooms in single occupancy have a single bed and are for one person to occupy; a “single supplement fee” is added for single occupancy rooms. For this trip, the single supplement fee is $480.

Trip Booklet

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

There is no group airfare for this trip. All passengers must purchase their own airfare with the following guidelines:

* Arrival into Mexico City (MEX) airport on Monday November, 27 by 3:00 PM. The group will travel together by private motor-coach to the hotel. (Hotel check in no earlier than 3:00PM)
* Departure from Mexico City (MEX) airport on Saturday December, 2. The group will depart the hotel by motor-coach at a time that will accommodate the most flight times. TBD (Hotel check out by 12:00 PM.)

We ask passengers not to purchase plane tickets until they receive confirmation from Regina Pilgrimages that the trip is fully formed. Trip is fully formed after at least 20 people register for the trip. An official email informing you of this will be sent out as soon as at least 20 people register.

Passengers must be at the designated rendez-vous place and time at Mexico City airport to be included in the scheduled airport transfers. Otherwise, passengers must take independent transfer to/from the group’s hotel.

TRIP PACE

The pace for this pilgrimage is “on the go”.. There is daily walking and standing. Pilgrims must be in active enough condition to walk 3-4 hours and stand for 2-3 hours per day. We strongly recommend preparing oneself by walking before the trip, building up to at least 2-3 miles per day.

Sometimes walking is up or down slopes, and at times sidewalks and terrain will be uneven. Pilgrims must have full mobility and be able to climb several stairs, since many of the visited places have no other access. A certain pace must be kept by all pilgrims in order to cover the scheduled sightseeing. Some days may have several hours on the motor-coach.

Also see the “PHYSICAL HEALTH & FITNESS” section in the General Terms & Conditions.

PRICING INFORMATION

Land-only pilgrimage price per person (pp) in double occupancy: $1,970 pp.
Single supplement: $480
Non-refundable deposit of $250 pp is due at the time of registration. Registrations will be accepted until October 25, 2023.
Final payment balance due by: October 27, 2023.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Accommodations in a 4-star hotel
Daily Holy Mass
Deluxe motor-coach for scheduled transfers and sightseeing
Daily breakfasts, lunches, and dinners during the trip
Services of a professional English-speaking tour escort and Mexican historian
Admission fees for all included sightseeing
Porterage for one suitcase per person at the hotels
Service charges, government fees
What’s not included:

Airfare
Travel insurance
Gratuities to tour escort, historian, local guides, driver, and church stipends

Also see the “NOT INCLUDED” section in the General Terms & Conditions.