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Pilgrimages
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April 17 - April 22, 2024
with Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR 89
5 Day Pilgrimage
The Shrine at Guadalupe is considered the holiest place in the Western Hemisphere. St. John Paul II preached to millions of the faithful from this holy Shrine during his 1979 visit to Mexico. The Basilica commemorates the Virgin Mary’s appearance to a humble Indian and honors her request that a Shrine be built in Her honor. In December of 1531, Juan Diego informed a skeptical bishop of his encounter with Mary. A few days later, Juan returned to the site of the vision and once again Our Mother appeared. The humble man relayed the bishop’s request for proof of Her visitation, whereupon the Virgin instructed Juan to gather roses from the frozen, rocky terrain and present them to the bishop. Remarkably for the cool season, he found a great number of roses strewn all around. Gathering the roses in sackcloth, he hurriedly took them to the bishop. When he opened the cloak to present the roses to the cleric, it was not Only *the blooms that amazed the bishop. Stamped on the humble cloth was an image of the Virgin! The same miraculous image exists for you to see, hanging in splendor above the main altar.
Experience the holy sites of:
Mexico City • Blessed Miguel Pro • Santo Domingo Church • Blessed Conchita Cabrera • Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe • Teotihuacan
April 17 - April 22, 2024
Guadalupe Pilgrimage
Estimated Package Price
(excluding air fare)
$2,249
$400 deposit due at time of registration
Enrollment Deadline: LIMITED CAPACITY - RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
Subject to change
Wednesday, April 17
Arrive in Mexico
Thursday, April 18
Mexico City
Friday, April 19
Teotihuacan
Saturday, April 20
Excursion to Puebla
Sunday, April 21
Church of Tulpetlac
Monday, April 22
Return Home
Franciscan Univeristy has partnered with 206 Tours to journey with you on this pilgrimage.
Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR 89
Spiritual Leader
A solemnly professed member of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, Father Dave Pivonka, TOR ’89, was ordained to the priesthood in 1996, and in May 2019, was elected president of Franciscan University of Steubenville. The first Franciscan University alumnus to assume the school’s top pastoral leadership role, Father Pivonka has also served for more than thirty years as a spiritual director, retreat leader, and formation director. As director of Franciscan Pathways, an evangelistic outreach of his Franciscan, TOR, community, and in association with 4PM Media, he hosted and produced The Wild Goose video series on developing a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, a documentary on St. Francis of Assisi titled Sign of Contradiction, and Metanoia, a 2019 video series on conversion.
Mexico City was originally built around 1325 on a group of islands in Lake Texcoco, and it is now the most populous city in North America. The city has a subtropical highland climate but experiences a diverse climate due to its location in the Valley of Mexico and is surrounded by many peaks. The Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe sits at the foot of the Hill of Tepeyac in the northern part of the city. Each year, approximately 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica.
Projected weather for
April 17 - April 22, 2024
80°/ 55° F
• 8 days in April are expected to have some rainfall• almost 12 hours of daylight per dayWhy should you go on a Catholic pilgrimage?
Our lives can become very busy. That busyness can overwhelm us, and often times, we need to intentionally set aside time to quiet our hearts and turn our attention to God.
On a Catholic pilgrimage, you will not only experience a silence and atmosphere helpful for prayer, but you will travel in community, guided by spiritual leaders and supported by fellow pilgrims.
We invite you to join the Franciscan University community as we embark on a pilgrimage of faith!
Questions? Contact us!