DAY 1: DEPART THE USA / ARRIVE MEXICO CITY: We depart the USA en route to Mexico City. Upon arrival we are met by our Catholic Travel Centre representative who will escort us to our private motor coach for transfer & check-in to our hotel. Dinner is at the hotel. (D) DAY 2: MEXICO CITY: ZOCALO, METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL, NATIONAL PALACE: We begin our visit at the main square of the city, one of the largest city squares in the world. It is called the Zocalo, but its official name is Plaza de la Constitucion. It has been a gathering place for Mexicans since Aztec times, and has been the site of ceremonies, royal proclamations, and the festivals of Holy Week and Corpus Christi. It has received foreign heads of state and is the main venue for both national celebration and national protest. We will celebrate Mass at the stunning Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Consecrated in 1656, it is the largest cathedral in the Americas and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. Aſter Mass, we visit the Palacio Nacional (National Palace). is beautiful colonial building is where the palace of Moctezuma once stood. e walls above the main staircase and along the corridor of the second floor are covered with murals by Diego Rivera, who has depicted the history of Mexico from before the arrival of the Spaniards through modern times. is series of murals, titled “Mexico a Traves de los Siglos” (Mexico rough the Centuries) was painted between 1929 and 1951 and highlights the most dramatic moments of the nation’s past. We return to our hotel for the balance of the day at leisure. Dinner tonight is at our hotel. (B, D) DAY 3: MEXICO CITY: PLAZA OF THREE CULTURES, SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE & LEISURE: Aſter breakfast, we visit the Plaza of ree Cultures, a symbol of Mexico’s heritage. e square contains the remains of Aztec temples and is flanked by the Catholic church of Santiago de Tlatelolco (built between 1604 and 1610). Inside we find the baptismal fountain of Juan Diego, the Aztec to whom the Virgen de Guadalupe appeared. Lastly, the third culture of the Plaza is the massive housing complex built in 1964. Next we visit and celebrate Mass at one of the most visited shrines in the world, e Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec on Decembere 12, 1531. She told him to build a church at that site. When Juan Diego spoke to the Spanish bishop, the bishop did not believe him, asking for a miraculous sign. Although it was winter, the Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers, and Spanish roses bloomed right at his feet. When Juan Diego presented these to the bishop, the roses fell from his apron (the Tilma) and an icon of the Virgin was imprinted miraculously on the native’s tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 485 years later. A Spiritual & Cultural Journey to Mexico Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe 6-Days OUR DAILY ITINERARY Mexico City is located in a valley. During the Aztec period, Mexico City was built over a lake, the Lago de Texcoco. Aztecs built an artificial island by dumping soil into the lagoon. eir civilization, eventually became the largest and most powerful in pre-Columbian America. Later, the Spaniards erected a second Mexico City atop the ruins of Tenochtitlán. In 1520, Cortés and his troops conquered the Teotihuacán. e Spanish then built Mexico City on the city ruins. e Catholic Church had great influence in the city, and religious orders like the Franciscans, Marists and Jesuits established convents and missions throughout Mexico. All together some 12,000 churches were built during the three centuries of Spanish rule over Mexico. Today, in Mexico over 80 million inhabitants identify themselves as Catholics. On our journey, we will enjoy the best of modern Mexican culture, marvel at the beauty of Spanish colonial architecture and gain a new understanding and admiration for our neighbors to the south. INTRODUCTION