OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PILGRIMAGE
A 6-DAY GUIDED TOUR OF MEXICO CITY
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PILGRIMAGE
A 6-Day Guided Tour for SSPX Faithful
Dates: May 13 - May 18, 2024
Starting at $2,255
TRIP SYNOPSIS
Join Fr. Héctor Guiscafré, SSPX on this beautiful six-day guided pilgrimage through Mexico City and the surrounding area. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and learn about the Catholic history of Mexico while visiting the historic city center and many other sites along the way. Take excursions to see the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan and honor the Cristeros by visiting the relics of Blessed Father Miguel Pro and Maria de la Luz Camacho. Shop for artisanal souvenirs near the shrine and on renowned Londres street. Take in a Folkloric Ballet performance at the magnificent Palace of Fine Arts and much, much more. Benefit from daily Mass , and enjoy the safety and ease of group travel with fellow Catholics in beautiful, historic Mexico!
HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Metropolitan Cathedral
Old downtown, Main Plaza, view of the Aztec Templo Mayor
Teotihuacan Pyramids
Church of the Holy Family with the relics of Blessed Father Miguel Pro
Colonial Municipality of Coyoacan
ITINERARY
Day 1. Monday, May 13, 2024: 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, May 14, 2024: 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, May 15, 2024: 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, May 16, 2024: 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, May 17, 2024 : 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, May 18, 2024: 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
Fr. Héctor Guiscafré was born and raised in Mexico City, the oldest of seven children in a traditional Catholic home. His father, Dr. Héctor Guiscafré Gallardo, was the founder of La Guardia de Cristo Dios, a Catholic Action movement in Mexico City. Father Guiscafré studied Pedagogy at the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City and then completed a Masters in Technology Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Father then began his seminary studies at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, and completed them at Seminario Nuestra Señora Corredentora in La Reja, Argentina. He was ordained on December 18, 2010 by Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais at the SSPX seminary in La Reja, Argentina.
After his ordination, he was stationed in Argentina for a few years before being assigned to Guadalajara, Mexico, where he is currently the SSPX prior. Father is fluent in both English and Spanish. His knowledge of Mexico City and Catholic Mexico will be an invaluable asset to this 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 $505.
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 May, 13 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 May, 18. 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: $2,255 pp.
Single supplement: $505 (add to land only price)
Non-refundable deposit of $250 pp is due at the time of registration. Registrations will be accepted until March 29, 2024.
Final payment balance due by: March 29, 2024.
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, local guides, driver, and church stipends
Also see the “NOT INCLUDED” section in the General Terms & Conditions.