Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Pope Benedict has proclaimed June 2008 to June 2009 as the Year of St. Paul, in honour of the 2000^th anniversary of the saint's birth. Please join me on a summer holiday pilgrimage in the footsteps of Sts. Peter and Paul. After two successful pilgrimages to the Holy Land, it is time to deepen our faith by experiencing the land of the early Church. We will begin in Rome where we will visit the four major basilicas and celebrate Masses at the tombs of both St. Peter and St. Paul. While there, we will be lodged in a small first class hotel, with air conditioning, only a five minute walk from St. Peter's. A visit to the Vatican Museums and the famous Sistine Chapel is included. After four days in Rome, we will embark on a ten night Mediterranean cruise aboard the deluxe Holland America ship, the ms Noordam, stopping in places like Ephesus, where St. Mary lived with St. John and where the Church held the Ecumenical Council declaring Mary to be the Mother of God and the community to which St. Paul addressed one of his most important letters. We will experience the fascinating Catholic island of Malta where St. Paul was once ship-wrecked. There will also be time for relaxation on the Greek island of Santorini, famous for its white buildings with blue roofs and wonderful sea views. Other ports include Dubrovnik in Croatia, a beautiful city with many interesting sights as well as Messina, Sicily, the home of the famous painter Caravaggio, some of whose masterpieces are on display in the local museum. Please join me on this summer trek of prayer and relaxation, of pilgrimage and fellowship, exploring two of the greatest saints of our faith. 

Fr. Stuart MacDonald

Exclusive Pilgrimage Tour Cruise Itinerary

Day 1, Sunday August 10              Toronto – Rome
We check in with Skyservice at 20:00 at Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson Airport for a 23:10 departure to Rome. In-flight meals will be served.

Day 2, Monday August 11             Rome
Scheduled arrival in Rome is at 13:30. Upon arrival we will meet coach and driver who will take us on an orientation tour of Rome before checking into our hotel nearby the Vatican, our home for four nights. Dinner in the hotel followed by an evening stroll to St. Peter's Square for the adventurous, or sleep for the tired. (D)

Day 3, Tuesday August 12            Rome: In and Around the Vatican
After breakfast we will go for Mass to St. Peter's followed by a tour of the Basilica.  You may wish to buy a panini for lunch at one of the many cafes before we enter the Vatican Museums for a highlights tour including the Sistine Chapel.  Return to the hotel late afternoon for dinner and overnight. (BD)

Day 4, Wednesday August 13      Audience of the Holy Father and
                                                           Monuments of Rome
This morning we will attend the Holy Father's Wednesday audience in the Vatican (subject to his schedule). Alternatively the morning is at leisure. After lunch we have scheduled a coach tour to see the Monuments of ancient and present day Rome including the Capitol, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Dinner and overnight in hotel. (BD)

Day 5, Thursday August 14           Christian Rome
This morning we will tour the three major basilicas of St. Paul Outside the Walls (where we will celebrate Mass), St. John in Lateran (the cathedral of Rome and of the world) and St. Mary Major. We will take time for lunch, and as a finale for the day visit the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. Shops are open until 7:00 pm, so there is free time for shopping on the Borgo Pio, near the hotel, where there are many fine and reasonably priced restaurants for supper on your own. (B)

Day 6, Friday August 15                Rome – Sail Away
Early morning mass at the Tomb of St. Peter after which we will return to the hotel for breakfast before checking out and transferring to Civitavecchia to board our luxurious ship the m/s Noordam with a 17:00 departure. (BD)

Day 7,   Saturday August 16         At Sea

Day 8,   Sunday August 17            Dubrovnik, Croatia 08:00 –  18:00

Day 9,   Monday August 18           Corfu, Greece  08:00 – 18:00

Day 10, Tuesday August 19          Katakolon, Greece 07:00 – 14:00

Day 11, Wednesday August 20    Santorini, Greece 08:00 – 20:30

Day 13, Friday August 22              At Sea

Day 14, Saturday August 23         Valletta, Malta 08:00 – 18:00

Day 15, Sunday August 24            Messina, Sicily  07:00 – 14:00

Day 16, Monday August 25           Civitavecchia (Rome)
We arrive in port at 07:00. After disembarkation, we transfer to the Rome airport to catch the 15:30 flight to Toronto with an expected arrival time of 19:20.

Arrivederci Roma!

Price $ 4495 (US or CA) per person, based on double occupancy plus airport taxes (currently $ 258 per person)

Sixteen Day Holiday Inclusions:

• Roundtrip airfare Toronto to Rome via Skyservice

• All transfers

• Four nights fine accommodation in Rome

• Seven meals in Rome as per designation: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner

• All transportation, sightseeing and entrance fees in Rome as per itinerary

• Ten nights aboard the ms Noordam based on best available upon your registration (verandahs excluded)

• All meals on board ship and full entertainment and activities program

• Port taxes

• Daily Mass and other religious services by Fr. Stuart MacDonald

• Services of your hostess Ineke Brinkman

Special bonuses:

• Best available outside stateroom between the categories H and C upon reservation

• Free shore excursion in Ephesus, Turkey

• Free shore excursion in Malta

• Prepaid gratuities to all Holland America Line staff (value US$120 per person)

In addition you will receive pre tour seminars including a film night and a complete information package during our social and final payment night: Tuesday May 27, 2008 at 19:00 in St. Thomas More Church's hospitality hall, Niagara Falls

Not included:

For further information contact Ineke at Brinkman Travel Inc, St. Catharines 905.988.9100 or email ineke@brinkmantravel.com

To register, please complete the Registration Form and return to Brinkman Travel Inc, 3 Mountainview Drive, St. Catharines, ON  L2T 3H3 to be eligible for special bonuses.

*** Seniors (60+ years): you may wish to extend your stay in Italy and return from Rome, Venice, Pescara or Lamezia. This is possible without penalty (subject to availability). Must pay difference in fare, if applicable. ***

Important to know

Reservations and payments Please complete the registration form and submit with your $750 per person non refundable deposit and insurance premium to Brinkman Travel. Final payment is due by May 27, 2008.

Price Guarantee Brinkman Travel reserves the right to adjust prices if there is a change in fuel surcharges or taxes. The quoted tour price is not subject to GST.

Cancellation Fees Cancellations are subject to the following maximum cancellation charges:

Up to May 27, 2008            $750 per person
Later cancellation               100%

If you need to cancel, you must notify Brinkman Travel in writing. Brinkman Travel Inc will refund all money paid towards the tour less the applicable cancellation fee. These charges apply to the cruise tour only, and do not include cancellation charges for any extra arrangements.

Insurance Brinkman Travel highly recommends you purchase its deluxe RBC Voyageur package insurance protecting you against cancellation charges based on canceling or interrupting your tour for medical reasons only occurring to yourself or someone in the immediate family preventing you from traveling and when accompanied by the doctor's official written declaration, as well as providing you with unlimited medical insurance, air accident, baggage etc. Premium is pending upon age, duration and cost of tour. Insurance premium is due at the time of booking and is non refundable.

Shared and Single Accommodation Passengers must indicate at the time of booking whether they want to share a room of if they prefer a single room; there are a limited number of single rooms/cabins available. Your roommate, if known, should also be indicated. Triple rooms/cabins can usually be arranged.

If a compatible roommate cannot be found, those opting for sharing, must be prepared to pay the single supplement no later than two weeks prior to departure.

Physical Disabilities Any physical disability requiring special attention or treatment must be reported when reservations are made. Brinkman Travel and/or their agents reserve the right to accept or retain anyone who may, in their sole judgment, require care and attention beyond that which can be provided.

Minimum Number of Participants This exclusive BT Pilgrimage Cruise Tour requires a minimum of 34 passengers to guarantee the special group prices and bonuses

Baggage Allowance Tour members are allowed a maximum of two pieces of checked luggage, the combined weight of both pieces not to exceed 20 kg (44 lbs). Overweight luggage will be charged at $10.00 US per kg.

Each passenger is permitted only one piece in the aircraft cabin and this may be no larger than 9"x16"x20" and weigh no more than 5 kg (11 lbs). Tour members are responsible for their carry-on luggage at all times.

Itinerary Variations Unforeseen circumstances beyond our control may make changes necessary; we reserve the right to vary the itinerary and to substitute hotels, cruise.

Passport and visa A passport valid until at least February 25, 2009 is required for all tour participants; we will obtain a group visa to enter Turkey on board ship.

Travel Documentation Tour documents (hotel, cruise list, flight itinerary, passenger list, packing list, luggage tags, etc.) will be handed out/mailed on Tuesday evening July 22, 2008 at 19:00 in St. Thomas More Church hospitality hall, Niagara Falls, ON.