Every 25 years the church holds a Jubilee year, traditionally associated with pilgrimage to Rome, the city of the apostles Peter and Paul.
We are planning to take a parish group to Rome and Assisi in October 2025 during the school half-term break. We will depart on Sunday 26th October for 5 nights, for a cost £1299 per person
The brochure and booking form can now be downloaded from our travel agent
You can also access this from Tailored Travel’s website using the reference sjcc251. Printed copies of the brochure and booking form are available in the church porch.
Please print and complete the booking form and return to the parish office as soon as possible with your deposit to secure your place. Please note cheques are made payable to the agent not the parish.
Of course, it will not be possible for everyone to be part of this pilgrimage, but there will be other opportunities for wider participation in the Jubilee year.
FAQs…
Where are we staying?
For the days in Rome we have decided to stay in the Villa Palazzola, overlooking Lake Albano a little way out from Rome. Palazzola faces the town of Castel Gondolfo across the lake, the location of the papal summer retreat. Palazzola is owned by the Venerable English College, our seminary in Rome, and used as a summer retreat for the seminarians. It is set in beautiful grounds including its own swimming pool and tennis court (the pool may not be available at this time of year however) and the rooms are best described as rustic but decent. Meals at Palazzola are eaten at a communal table and consist of good Italian home cooking. Find out more at palazzola.net
What will we be doing?
It is a pilgrimage, not a holiday. This is not to say it won’t be enjoyable and relaxing – of course we hope it will! But we will be making the most of our days in Rome and the emphasis will be on churches and other places associated with the martyrs of Rome, rather than the other things Rome has to offer. There will be Mass every day, either in the chapel at Palazzola or in a church or chapel in the city. It is of course impossible to ‘do’ all of Rome in a few days and there is always going to be more to come back for. Subject to the Pope’s schedule we will aim to go to the Wednesday audience, though this does take up a whole morning.
Who is this for?
Anyone is welcome to book a place. It is a parish pilgrimage, but we are likely to need to advertise in other local parishes to make a viable group, and you are welcome to bring other friends and relatives. You don’t need to be Catholic, but (see above) the programme will likely be of greater interest to those who are at least sympathetic to Catholicism. No one will be forced to stay with the group every day, of course, but since we are travelling together as a parish group on pilgrimage, our fellowship during the day and in the evening are an important part and hopefully we will enjoy getting to know one another better, including those who aren’t current St Joseph’s parishioners.
Why can’t we stay in central Rome?
Due to the Jubilee year Rome will be even busier than usual and accommodation in the city is already pretty well booked up. No doubt there are some spaces available but it is harder accommodating a large group and we don’t want to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel in terms of accommodation. We have decided to go for somewhere reliable in a beautiful setting, and accept this will mean travelling by coach into Rome. The journey time is under an hour on a good day.
What does the cost include and not include?
Included: Flights, half-board accommodation (with wine usually on the table at supper in Palazzola), coach transport in Italy and admission to anywhere we go as a group that charges an admission fee.
Not included: Personal shopping, lunches and snacks, donations in churches, drinks at the bar, travel insurance (a policy will be offered by the agent, and some form of insurance strongly advised), transport to and from our departure airport in the UK (though we will organise a coach), potentially a single room supplement.
Is this suitable for families and children?
All ages are welcome. There won’t be child-specific activities planned, but we would hope children would get something out of the visits and enjoy the overall experience. In terms of cost, the price is already based on sharing rooms and the transport costs are per person, so it is unlikely that we would be able to offer a significant reduction for children or families. Obviously until we know who has booked we can’t say if there will be other children or teenagers of a similar age to your own. We have chosen to go in half term to make it easier for families with children at school, as well as school staff.
We are also aware that there is traditionally a trip from Campion School to Rome over the first weekend of the October half term, also based in Palazzola. As things stand, we will arrive at Palazzola on the day they leave.
Is this suitable for people with limited mobility / high personal care needs?
Generally the places we visit will not involve a lot of steps, but older buildings may not be quite up to full modern accessibility standards. There will be a fair amount of walking: if you can manage a full day of sightseeing in London you will probably be fine in Rome. If you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter then it should be possible to transport it, and we can arrange assistance at the airport, but if you need assistance more generally then you would need to book a place for a travelling companion. It is not safe to assume someone from the group will be able to provide that assistance for the whole trip. As this is not a pilgrimage specifically intended for the sick (as for example Lourdes is), we will not be accompanied by a medical support team and would need to use local services where necessary, with assistance from the tour operator and staff at Palazzola.
Are single rooms available?
Palazzola has a mix of single, shared and family rooms, some en-suite and some with shared facilities close by. Palazzola would endeavour to accommodate individual preferences, and there may be a supplement or discount depending on the specific room provided.
Why is it so expensive?
Unfortunately travel is increasingly expensive and whilst individuals could probably organise a few days in Rome for considerably less, using a group travel agency (providing greater confidence and reassurance) and providing local transport for a group as well as a guide/fixer all adds to the cost but makes for a better pilgrimage for all. Hopefully having more than a year’s notice will aid budgeting, but we recognise this will not be for everyone.
Please note the information from the travel agent takes precedence over anything stated above, and bookings are subject to their Terms and Conditions. After the initial booking, which the parish office will forward to Tailored Travel, you will receive a confirmation letter from them.
