Benedictine Footprints Pilgrimage

For the third year in a row, we will be offering the Benedictine Footprints contemplative, cultural, culinary retreat/pilgrimage to lesser-known parts of Italy. The dates for the 2025 retreat are September 3 (departure from the U.S.) to September 18 (return from Italy).

Once again, we had a waiting list for this journey, but we are delighted to have a wonderful group of pilgrims this year that includes two former school superintendents, two teachers, two writers, a Baptist minister, a Benedictine sister, an early childhood specialist, a library director, a clinical social worker, a pastoral minister, and a husband and wife team who are both farmers and business owners.

This year we are adding some new experiences, including a visit to the Terra di Solina agriturismo (farm) alongside the Tirino River, one of the cleanest, clearest rivers of Europe, where we’ll have a chance to taste many of the special delicacies that come from the plants and vegetables that grow in this area of Abruzzo. My husband and I had the best meal of our lives at Terra di Solina earlier this year and can’t wait to share the experience with others in one of the most idyllic spots in all of Italy.

We will also spend the final days of our pilgrimage in Rome for the Jubilee Year of Hope to experience a papal audience and visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. There will also be a side trip to the Abbey of Subiaco, where St. Benedict, the founder of western monasticism lived. While in Rome we will stay at the newly renovated Villa Lante in the fascinating Trastevere neighborhood.

We will again be visiting the ruins of a 9th century Benedictine monastery, tucked beneath soaring gorges and surrounded by pristine springs near the town of San Martino in Valle. Our group will be allowed the rare privilege of actually entering the ruins (normally off limits to the public) to have prayer time there. This was a highlight for the 2024 retreat group. The spirit of the Benedictine monks who lived in this remote monastery over the centuries is still quite palpable.

We will also enjoy a fresh seafood meal at one of Abruzzo’s trabocco restaurants, resting on stilts above the waters of the Adriatic Sea – a truly unique dining experience.

Most importantly, the retreat is a chance to be immersed in Italian daily life in a way few tourists experience, while having ample time for prayer and reflection.

Please contact me at jvalente17@msn.com if you are interested in learning more about our pilgrimage, which we plan to offer again next year.