Pilgrimage to
Germany & Austria

September 15 – 24, 2008

Including:
Munich, Freising, Regensburg, Stadtamhof, Füssen, Oberammergau, Altötting,
Salzburg, Vienna
& more.

Join us on a 10-day Pilgrimage to Germany & Austria in Celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the School Sisters of Notre Dame

Monday, September 15, 2008 – USA / MUNICH
Today, we depart from each of our international gateways for our overnight flight to Munich.  Meals will be served in-flight.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 – MUNICH / FRIESING / REGENSBURG
We arrive in Munich and meet our tour director who will remain with us until the end of our tour.  We head north into Bavaria with a stop in the town of Friesing, visited by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2007 and take part in a brief sightseeing tour of the city.  Next, we head to the 2,000 year-old city of Regensburg along the Danube River.  Here, Pope Benedict XVI was a professor of the University of Regensburg from 1969 to 1977.  Amidst a medieval landscape founded by Marcus Aurelius, we visit the home of Germany’s most impressive gothic Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Peter, and celebrate Mass there.  We will have time to explore the ancient city with its flavors along narrow walkways and stone bridges.  We will have dinner and spend the night in Regensburg.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 – REGENSBURG / STADTAMHOF
This morning, we visit the town of Stadtamhof, located just across Regensburg’s famous stone bridge.  Stadtamhof is the birthplace of the foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.  Blessed Theresa (beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985) of Jesus Gerhardinger was born here June 20, 1797.  We enjoy a sightseeing tour of Theresa’s hometown, including the place of Theresa’s birth.  The remainder of our day is free to explore this lovely town.  We return to Regensburg for dinner and to spend the night.

Thursday, September 18, 2008 – REGENSBURG / DANUBE RIVER / MUNICH
Blessed Theresa’s father was a shipmate on the Danube River, and in honor of this fact we will embark on an afternoon cruise on the Danube.  We will enjoy the beautiful landscape of Bavaria, beginning in Regensburg and ending with our arrival in Passau.  From here, we will visit one of the German breweries located outside of Munich.  Following our tour, we will take some time to sample the breweries’ most recent creations.  Next, we drive to Munich, stopping in Dachau for a sightseeing tour, including the infamous concentration camp from World War II.  Next, we depart for Munich where we visit the Asamkirche, one of the most richly decorated Rococo churches in the world.  We will have dinner and spend the night in Munich.

Friday, September 19, 2008 – MUNICH
This morning, we celebrate Mass at the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the towering twin-onion domed steeple church that has served as the symbol of Munich for centuries.  Following Mass, we will visit the Motherhouse of the School Sisters of Notre Dame where we will enjoy an informational tour.  Next, we will visit Blessed Theresa’s tomb, located inside Munich’s St. James Church.  Here, we will have time for private devotion and prayer.  In the afternoon, we drive west to Bavaria’s famous Ottobeuren Abbey to join in the monastic Liturgy of the Hours.  We will tour the majestic basilica and visit the Chapel of St. Benedict and the Abbey Museum.  Next, we will visit one of the most intensively decorated and extravagant Rococo building in the world: the Weis Church.  Situated on the slopes of the Alps, we will see the site visited by over one million pilgrims each year who come to see the incredible paintings and frescoes, as well as the image of the “Scourged Savior.”  We will return to Munich for dinner and to spend the night.

Saturday, September 20, 2008 – MUNICH / FÜSSEN / OBERAMMERGAU / SALZBURG
This morning, we will take a trip to some of the most beloved places in southern Germany.  En route to Oberammergau, we will stop for a visit at King Ludwig II’s Castle, also known as Linderhof.  King Ludwig II was very helpful and supportive of Blessed Theresa’s founding of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.  Next, we arrive in Oberammergau, home of the centuries-old Passion Play.  We will see the Passionspeilhaus, the theater of the Passion Play.  Usually, it is possible to watch and visit the craftsmen and artists who are preparing for the next performance. We will also take a tour of the quaint old city of Oberammergau.  Next, we will be off the city to Füssen, where we will visit another of King Ludwig II’s castles: the Neuschwanstein Castle, built at beginning of the 20th century.  Neuschwanstein Castle is perched atop the mountain is a scene right out of a fairy tale.  Everything inside the castle is so over-the-top, there is no décor in all of Europe to compare with it.  Dinner and overnight in Salzburg.

Sunday, September 21, 2008 – MUNICH / ALTÖTTING / SALZBURG / VIENNA
This morning, we will visit the famous Swaroski Crystal Factory in Salzburg.  Next, we will continue toward Vienna, stopping at the second largest Marian Shrine in Austria: Our Lady of Maria Taferl.  We will celebrate Mass at the hilltop shrine where miraculous apparitions were seen for several years in the mid 1600’s at a location that had been the site of Celtic sacrifices.  En route to Vienna, we will stop at Melk Abbey along the Danube River.  Over 900 years old, Melk Abbey is one of the finest religious sites in Austria.  Black-robed monks still stroll amidst the marble sculptures and frescoed walls.  Our final stop before Vienna is at the sprawling thousand-year-old fortress; the Gottweig Abbey high above the Danube Valley.  We will arrive in Vienna for dinner and to spend the night.

Monday, September 22, 2008 – VIENNA / MARIAZELL
This morning, we visit one Vienna’s most famous landmarks: St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where we will celebrate Mass.  While there, we'll see the miraculous image of Our Lady of Mariapocs, tour the Cathedral and its catacombs, and—for those who wish—climb the 343 steps to the top of the Cathedral spire.  Next, we’ll take a tour of the Imperial Palace, viewing the private rooms of Emperor Francis Joseph and those of his wife, Empress Elisabeth, as well as the Treasuries with the magnificent crown jewels.  Back in the city center, we will go to Karlsplatz with its Church of St. Charles Borromeo and Otto Wagner’s Stadtbahn pavilions.  We will take an afternoon excursion to Mariazell, the most famous Marian Shrine in Austria.  We will enjoy a farewell dinner together and spend the night in Vienna.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 – VIENNA / ALTOTTING / MUNICH
Journeying into the heart of Bavaria, we will go to Altötting, one of Germany’s most celebrated shrines and a city whose purpose is pilgrimage.  Upon arrival, we will celebrate Mass at the center of the pilgrimage complex, the Chapel of Mercy.  The chapel houses a 13th century statue of the Blessed Virgin to which numerous miraculous cures are credited.  While there, we have the opportunity to visit the Basilica, the Panorama of the Crucifixion, the Pilgrim Museum, St. Konrad’s Monastery and more.  En route to Salzburg, we will visit the shrine of Our Lady of Maria Plain, a place of prayer for many and a place of pilgrimage for Pope John Paul II in a most spectacularly scenic setting.  We will enjoy dinner and spend the night in Munich.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 – USA / MUNICH
Following breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our flight home.  Though our pilgrimage draws to a close, its blessings will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer each day to the Lord.

All-inclusive* price of $2,495 from Washington-Dulles, New York-JFK, and Boston-Logan; $2,595 from Chicago-O’Hare, based on double occupancy.

A $300 deposit is required to secure your reservation.  Hurry!  All reservations must be received by FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2008.  Space is filling quickly, and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

To reserve your place on this historic journey, please print this page, fill out the information below, and mail it with your $300 deposit(s) to:

School Sisters of Notre Dame
Atlantic-Midwest Province
Department of Mission Advancement
345 Belden Hill Road
Wilton, CT 06897

Please call (203) 761-9732 with any questions.

Name(s) _______________________________________________________________

Address(es) _____________________________________________________

City ___________________________ State _________ Zip Code __________

Home Phone ( ___ ) _____________ Email ____________________________

Enclosed is a check for $_________ to hold _________ reservations for the Pilgrimage.