Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Simply Bavaria: The Conventual Franciscan Friars invite you to join them on a very special pilgrimage to Bavaria in southern Germany. We will be lodged in the intimate setting of our Franciscan Friary in the Alps. Our pilgrimage will begin with a visit to the oldest Marian shrine of Altötting and follow with visits that commemorate the earliest martyrs of the Nazi period. We will enjoy a Mozart evening in nearby Salzburg and visits the quaint towns nestled in the beauty of the Bavarian Alps. There will be ample time for rest and prayer, including group preparation and reflection on the sites we visit. We will keep this to a small group of 30, including our guides, ensuring a more intimate and personal experience.
Package Price from the Gateway City of Chicago, O’Hare (ORD):
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot.
Full Package payment must be made in full 90 days before we leave (January 15th, 2025)
Complete Package with flight: $4,949 ($5,147 when you pay online – processing fees applied)
Land Only Package (flight not included): $3,449 ($3,587 when you pay online – processing fees applied)
Package Price Inclusions:
Airfare: Roundtrip on non-refundable, economy class group airline ticket from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Airport. We also offer a “Land Only Package” for those wishing to make their flight reservations.
Accommodations: Religious housing at the Franciscan Friary, Maria Eck, with private bathroom facilities. Rooms are double occupancy so will be shared with one other guest. We do have a limited number of private rooms that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at an additional cost.
Meals: Per itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner).
Transportation & Sightseeing: By private motor coach per the itinerary with an English-speaking pilgrimage manager during the land portion of the program; entrance fees and local guides as shown in the itinerary.
Tips to hotels, restaurants, guides, and drivers: These are included in the price. CTC will advise the group leaders of the amount to distribute to hotels, restaurants, drivers, and guides.
Masses: Masses will be available most days.
Accommodations: We will be housed in the Franciscan Friary at Maria Eck. Rooms will be shared with one other guest. There are two single rooms available for an additional fee they are first-come-first-serve. Adjacent to the Friary and Shrine is a Guest House that offers an excellent menu of cake/coffee or pretzels/beer for traditional afternoon pause.
We will be in the mountains surrounded by hiking trails. Good shoes, and the ability to walk and manage one’s own luggage are required.
Package Price Exclusions:
Excess baggage charges.
Beverages with meals; meals not mentioned.
Passport or visa fees.
Items of personal nature (laundry, phone calls, etc.) or any items not explicitly stated as included.
Tours mentioned as ‘optional’ in the itinerary.
Optional Travel Insurance: Each passenger is strongly encouraged to purchase their own travel protection insurance; We are happy to provide a recommendation, but passengers are free to purchase insurance from any company they choose.
Cost of any medical test required by the airline, cruise company, other supplier(s), and/or the country(s) in your program.
Notes:
We will keep this to a small group (including our guides), ensuring a more intimate and personal experience. Bring a favorite book and your hiking shoes. There will be time for reading, relaxing, and contemplation. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis and only have a limited number of spots available. You can secure your place with a $500 non-refundable deposit. If you have questions, call Debbie Nichols in the Mission Advancement Office at 812-923-5250 or email by clicking here.
Accomodations
Your Pilgrimage Guides
Father Wayne Hellmann OFM Conv.
Friar Wayne recently finished serving as Minister Provincial for his Province of Our Lady of Consolation. He is professor emeritus at Saint Louis University. He had earned his Doctorate in Theology from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universtat in Munich, Germany in 1974. He received many awards and other recognition during his distinguished academic career at Saint Louis University.
He has taught thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, directed many dissertations, engaged in theological and historical research, with publications in the Franciscan tradition, and served in academic administration. In addition to his work at Saint Louis University, he served as Minister Provincial (the first time) from 1988 to 1994, and a second term ended in 2022. As was said best by former Minister Provincial Fr. Jim Kent, “Although he has a great reputation as a scholar and teacher, Fr. Wayne is known more for his heart than his head.”
Father Steve McMichael, OFM Conv.
Originally from Minnetonka, Minnesota where Fr. Steve graduated from high school in 1973. He was familiar in his youth with the friars at the seminary in Chaska and the retreat house in Prior Lake. He professed solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained in 2002. He earned his BA in Philosophy and Arts in 1981, a MA in Franciscan Studies in 1983, and a bachelor degree in theology from the Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure (the Seraphicum) in Rome in 1988, and his License and Doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University (S.J.) in 1992.
Fr. Steve has served in the world of university education from 1992 to 2000 at the University of Saint Louis and other education centers in Saint Louis. From 2000 to the present, he has served as an associate professor of theology at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, MN. He served as acting director of the Engaging Islam program from 2018 to 2020 at Saint Thomas and has been actively engaged in the Christian-Muslim dialogue in the Twin Cities since 2000.
In the area of scholarship, Fr. Steve is currently researching and writing on the topic of the resurrection of Jesus in late medieval Franciscan theology, spirituality, and preaching. He recently published a book entitled The Glory of Paradise: Risen Life in the Easter Octave Sermons of Bernardino da Siena (Tau Press, 2016). He is in the process of publishing a book on Mary Magdalene as the main biblical resurrection witness to Jesus’ resurrection. He continues to work on the medieval Easter sermons, literature, and art of medieval Franciscan tradition regarding the resurrection.
Other fun facts about Fr. Steve: he spends many weekends serving local parishes in the Minneapolis area. He enjoys going to Italy, especially with adult pilgrims and students. He still plays “old man” hockey once a week to keep in shape to do Franciscan pilgrimage programs. He loves immensely the beauty of nature in Minnesota and especially at the Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center where he feeds the birds, deer, and squirrels of the area.
We expect this pilgrimage to fill fast. Reserve your spot today!
Itinerary
May 19, Monday – Depart in the PM
We depart on our flight to Munich, with meals and beverages served on board.
May 20, Tuesday – Arrival in Munich Airport
Upon arrival at Munich Airport, we will meet our Catholic Travel Centre pilgrimage tour manager, who will accompany us throughout our journey. We will then transfer by motor coach to Siegsdorf, situated between Munich and Salzburg, and continue up the mountain to the Marian Shrine of Maria Eck and the adjacent Franziskanerkloster (the Friary). In the evening, we will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at Maria Eck, followed by an orientation to Bavaria, Maria Eck, and a reflection on the nature of pilgrimage. (D)
May 21, Wednesday – Relax at Maria Eck: Day of Leisure
After breakfast, we have a free day to take in the beauty of the Bavarian Alps with quiet time and possibilities for hiking and exploring. Morning Mass is offered after breakfast and an evening reflection will be offered on the Marian Shrine of Altötting and on the lives of St. Konrad of Parzan and of Blessed Franz Jägersätter, in view of our visits tomorrow. (B, L, D)
May 22, Thursday – Excursion to Altötting
After breakfast, we will depart to visit one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Bavaria, the historic Black Madonna in the town of Altötting. There, we will celebrate Mass, followed by time for private prayer and a visit to the tomb of Capuchin St. Konrad. After some additional free time at the shrine, we will have lunch on our own before driving to St. Radegund, Austria, to visit the home of Nazi martyr, Blessed Franz Jägerstätter. Our journey will then continue to Oberndorf, Austria, where we will visit the church where Silent Night originated (entrance fee included). Afterward, we will return to Maria Eck for dinner and overnight, concluding the day with an evening reflection or book study. (B, D)
May 23, Friday – Relax at Maria Eck: Leisure or Included Optional Excursion to Chiemsee
After breakfast at our accommodations, Morning Mass will be available. In the afternoon, there is an optional visit to the islands of Chiemsee, an Alpine lake nearby, home to two monasteries—one male and one female (boat transfers and entrance fees not included, approximately $45 for transfers and entrance). Lunch is included, and we will return for dinner and overnight at Maria Eck. In the evening, we will gather for a preparatory reflection on the Holocaust in anticipation of our visit to Dachau the following day. (B, L, D)
May 24, Saturday – Excursion to Dachau & Munich City Tour
After breakfast, we will depart for a visit to Dachau Concentration Camp near Munich, where a guided tour and entrance fee are included. Following the tour, we will have time for reflective prayer at the adjacent Carmelite Monastery and celebrate Mass there. Lunch will be on your own in Munich’s pedestrian center, after which we will visit the University of Munich to see the Memorial of the White Rose, a student group that bravely protested the policies of the Nazi Party. We will then return to Maria Eck for dinner, concluding the day with an evening reflection. (B, D)
May 25, Sunday – Excursion to Reit im Winkel
After breakfast at our accommodations, we will take a group motor coach to the nearby small Alpine town of Reit im Winkel, accompanied by our tour escort. There will be some free time to explore and enjoy lunch on your own. In the afternoon, we will return to our accommodations by motor coach. Dinner will be at Maria Eck, followed by a reflection or book study in the evening. (B, D)
May 26, Monday – Day at Leisure, Evening Excursion to Salzburg for Mozart Evening
After breakfast at our accommodations, we will attend the regular Morning Mass in German at the Shrine. The remainder of the morning will be a restful time for reading, quiet reflection, or personal spiritual initiatives. Lunch will be on your own. In the afternoon, we will drive to Salzburg, where we will meet a local guide for a short tour of the city, including a visit to Mozart’s birthplace (entrance fee included). The evening will feature a traditional Mozart musical dinner (included). Afterward, we will return to Maria Eck for an overnight stay. (B, D)
May 27, Tuesday – Excursion to Königsee and Berchtesgaden
After breakfast, we will depart for a boating experience in the Bavarian Alps, taking a scenic boat ride on Lake Königssee to visit the iconic church of St. Bartholomew. Lunch will be on your own. In the afternoon, we will visit Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (weather permitting, entrance fee included). Afterward, we will drive back to the friary for dinner and an overnight stay at Maria Eck. In the evening, we will gather for a reflection and a talk from local friar, Fr. Christian. (B, D)
May 28, Wednesday – Day at Leisure With Optional Hike
After breakfast at our accommodations, the day will be at leisure to relax and enjoy hiking in Maria Eck. For those interested, there is an optional climb or gondola ride to the top of Hochfelln, the highest mountain in the area. Lunch will be on your own. In the evening, we will gather for dinner and an overnight stay at Maria Eck. Our final evening will include reflections, followed by a celebratory party in the library. (B, D)
May 29, Thursday – Depart Maria Eck for Munich and City Tour
After breakfast, we check out and depart for our day in Munich. We will visit the Cathedral, Baroque/Rococo Churches, the English Garden, Franciscan Church of Sankt Anna, and a local Franciscan Ministry. We will have time for shopping. In the evening, we transfer to our hotel near the Munich Airport. We will enjoy dinner at a local beer garden, hosted by the Province. We return to our hotel for the evening. (B, D)
May 30, Friday – Return USA
Our motor coach will transfer us to the Munich Airport for our return flight to the USA. (B)
Notes:
1) We will be housed in the Franciscan Friary. Adjacent to the Friary and Shrine is a Guest House that offers excellent menu of cake/coffee or pretzels/beer for traditional afternoon pause. 2) We will be in the mountains surrounded by hiking trails. Good shoes, ability to walk and manage one’s own luggage are required. 3) We will provide a book as part of our packet on the Lord ’s Prayer. 4) Bring a favorite book(s) and your hiking shoes. There will be ample time for exploring and reading.
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