Pilgrimage to Italy – July 24 – August 2, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
With the blessing of Archbishop Andronik of New York and North America, The ROCA Assistance Fund invites all on the pilgrimage:
“Italy – a country of Martyrs, Hierarchs, Saints”.
Venice – Rome – Bari – Lanciano – Amalfi.
The trip will take place from July 24 to August 2, 2023. Below is the tentative schedule.
If you are interested in spending time in joint prayer, touching the thousand-year-old history of Orthodoxy and relics of Italy, please inform us.
The pilgrimage welcomes adults as well as children of at least the age of 3. Children from 3-12 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. For all questions about the preliminary schedule, as well as transportation, accommodation, cost, etc., please contact us either by telephone 845-825-9949 or email RocaAF@gmail.com.
Preliminary schedule of the pilgrimage:
ITALY!
Modern Italy encompasses many relics, each of which is dear to the heart of an Orthodox Christian. Ancient churches that were built before the time when Western Christianity fell away from the Apostolic Orthodox Church, the relics that the crusaders captured and took to the West from the Holy Land. There are many early Christian catacombs here. Italy has given the world many saints.
In Italy, a very rich program awaits us. We will start our journey from Venice. Venice is the second city in Italy after Rome in terms of the number of Christian relics. This city is closely associated with the apostle and evangelist Mark. This city is rich not only in unique architecture and will not leave any Christian heart indifferent: the square and the Cathedral of St. Mark, the relics of the holy apostle, the prophet Zechariah, the martyr Theodore Tyron…
We continue our journey to south Italy. We will visit Bari, where the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept. In the chapel of relics you can bow to a piece of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and the Holy Apostle James.
The Church of the Eucharistic Miracle is located in Lanciano. This miracle is worth a separate story altogether. At the end we attach a separate story about the Lanchan Miracle. We will visit the Catholic church of St. Francisco di Assisi where the relic is kept.
Monte Sant’Angelo. The Cathedral of the town is included in the UNESCO lists, but for all believers this Church is Heavenly because the Holy Archangel Michael Himself repeatedly appeared at this place. The Temple was built in the 5th century.
Further south, we will continue our immersion into history and come into contact with many relics. The eternal City! The significance of the Christian heritage of Rome cannot be overestimated: it is here, in Rome, that the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul are located, a part of the Life-Giving Cross, the Nail of the Crucifixion of Christ, thorns from the Crown of Thorns, the Holy Staircase, along which Christ climbed in Pilate’s palace before the future crucifixion, the miraculous Face of the Savior, the relics of the Last Supper, the infant manger of Jesus, the altar and chains of the Apostle Peter. We will visit the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem and hear about the first Christians. We will be able to see numerous relics associated with the life and torment of Christ.
We will not forget about the beautiful nature of Italy! We will spend time in Amalfi, enjoy swimming in the warm sea and contemplating the beauties of this famous place.
Dear friends, we invite everyone to join the pilgrimage. God bless you.
