The Words Of The Pilgrims!

The teachers and students really enjoyed their pilgrimage with Opera Romana. We took 72 students to Rome and they were able to organize a great trip for everyone all involved. We loved it so much we are in the process in organizing another pilgrimage with them the very next year. Grazie!

As an American Catholic priest, who has been on a sabbatical in Rome, I’ve wanted to promote among people in our diocese and beyond, a true “faith-filled pilgrimage.” I did not want a pre-packaged pilgrimage that many travel agencies promote with little or no input taken from priests who desire to promote an authentic pilgrimage, and where the role of the priest is not simply to be a chaplain for the organized group. Kairos Pilgrimages is currently the only agency in the United States and Canada that is directly and officially connected to the Vatican Office for Pilgrimages, and whose administrator, Patrizia Brown, a truly faith-filled woman, has been very helpful to me in planning an authentic pilgrimage to Rome to coincide with the year of Faith that begins October 11, 2012, marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II Council. I am entitling this 7-day pilgrimage “Sharing the Graces of the Saints and Martyrs of Rome.” Patrizia has been wonderful to work with, and herself embodies a true pilgrim spirit of faith and joy. With the blessing of the Office for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican Office for Pilgrimages, ORP, is seeking to promote the new evangelization through the concept of authentic pilgrimages to the holy sites in Rome, the holy land and beyond, especially during this year of faith. I hope other American Catholic priests and bishops will consider Kairos Pilgrimages to work with them to provide a true spiritual pilgrimage.

I loved everything we did, especially the catacombs, It has been such valuable and wonderful learning experience, I can’t believe how much we learned in 11 days! Gabriele was an amazing pastoral assistant, he was so knowledgeable, and we were blessed to have him! This pilgrimage was amazing and it was worth every cent!

I thank you with all my heart for giving me this beautiful experience. I had visited Lourdes as a child but did not remember much. This was like the first time for me! It is a place where Bernardette seems to take you by the hand and leads you to Mary who is waiting with open arms. The ORP staff was so welcoming, available and fun. Making this journey really wonderful! I hope to be able to continue this path and service so that other people will experience the encounter with Mary and her immense love. Thank you!”

Amazing trip very well organized and planned out, from the hotel to the guides to the people on the trip—everything was a success. This was an experience of of a lifetime and I highly encourage the trip to continue annually so other students can receive the amazing experience we all did. Thank you!

Last September, immediately after the international UN troops arrived in Lebanon, I joined 28 other people in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While we had doubts about whether a pilgrimage would even be possible under these conditions, I came to see that it was not only possible but necessary. Journeying to the Holy Land was an expression of help and compassion, and a signal to the local inhabitants that they were not alone as Christians in the land of our Messiah. This also helped us deepen and uniquely connect with our faith; the pilgrimage is a concrete witness that keeps the spirit of faith alive within us.

Dear Patrizia, I know that Gabriele is updating you each day. From our perspective, we could not have asked for more! The accommodations are first-class. Gabriele has been very kind, accompanying us beyond what we expected; he has been very concerned that we try new things. Our guide for the Vatican Museums, Anna Maria, was excellent as well; her presentation was at exactly the right level for our students. We feel very well taken care of! Thank you.

Assisi has such a special place in my heart. The atmosphere there was so … electric and perfect. I can’t even put into words, that is how much I loved it! On this trip I learned how to appreciate every moment and live life to the fullest.

The Rome trip is a trip I am going to remember for the rest of my life. I am going back to Canada with unforgettable memories and knowledge. I feel extremely lucky and blessed for this opportunity because many students will never get an opportunity like this.

Amazing trip, very well organized and planned out. From the hotel to the guides, to the people and the trip—everything was a success. This was an experience of a lifetime and I highly encourage the trip to continue annually so that other students receive the amazing experience we all did. Thank you!

I have traveled with Patrizia on two pilgrimages – to Uzbekistan and to Egypt. Both trips were 10 days long, but I felt as if a year’s worth of experiences had been accumulated on each trip. Patrizia has many contacts around the world and many years of experience in leading both large and small groups which allows her to modify plans as required to meet any of the inevitable unforeseen situations that seem to arise during any trip to eastern locations. The itinerary even with unforeseen occurrences never felt rushed, and I never became tired (my wife and I are in our mid seventies). Often additional opportunities for meeting interesting people develop on the spur of the moment during the tour, such as the conversation in a mosque in Bokhara with a Naqshabandi Sheikh concerning his spiritual practices and work that occurred during the Uzbekistan trip. Special opportunities also arise such an otherworldly midnight walk I took through the dark streets of the ancient walled Silk Road city of Khiva on the Uzbekistan trip. On the Egypt trip we awakened before dawn and traveled to the Giza plateau. We stood shivering in the cold desert air before the incredible mass of the exterior of the Great Pyramid, and then we entered into the quiet warm peaceful interior for a sunrise meditation in the lightness of the King’s Chamber seeming to float within the mass – both an inner and an outer spiritual journey. The itineraries are tailor made for the group and the specific aim of the pilgrimage and include not only spiritual sites but also cultural visits including local community, cuisine, music and arts and crafts. The accommodations and transportation were first class, and the local guides were knowledgeable, personable and accommodating to individual needs.

In 2018 I decided to invite 12 friends for a trip to Armenia to explore ancient spiritual sites, have new impressions of food and culture and experience the adventure of a group trip. I turned to Patrizia De Libero and Kairos tours because of her reputation. From the outset, Patrizia was a true partner: suggesting interesting itineraries, taking in the needs of everyone on the trip and managing all the small details that make the difference between a successful journey and one fraught with unnecessary difficulties. The trip was beautifully planned in every detail: the extraordinary places we visited, the interesting and thoughtful accommodations, the many spiritual and cultural sites she suggested, the delicious meals that opened us to other cultures, and the on-site guides who helped us as needed. We all felt well cared for, safe, and free from worry about day to day details. Everyone on the trip had a magnificent time and remembers it as among the best two weeks of their life. I can say that we could not have done it without Patrizia and Kairos. She not only met my expectations, but exceeded them in all aspects. I could not recommend Patrizia and Kairos more highly. No matter what type of adventure, trip or pilgrimage you envision, Kairos is a dependable, experienced and superb choice. If you seek the trip of a lifetime, Kairos is the company that I would choose. We look forward to another adventure with them.