This retreat has been CANCELLED for 2020 due to circumstances of COVID-19: Italy opened its borders but a 2-week quarantine is required. We hope to offer this pilgrimage in the future!
+ + +
This pilgrimage is geared for those who want to deepen their understanding of the Theology of the Body while exploring the hometown and mountain playgrounds of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. This retreat will be led by Jen Messing and joined by a priest in hope that daily mass can be celebrated both on the trail and at the bedside of where Bl. Pier Giorgio died.

GETTING OUTSIDE…
Getting out into the original Cathedral of the outdoors and away from our usual lives allows time to chew on discussion topics as well as space to be with God and each other. We will spend several days exploring the mountains surrounding Turin and Oropa, the same mountains that hosted the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, as well as where Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati would ski and hike.

RETREAT & PILGRIMAGE ELEMENTS…
Due to the many daily factors that are unpredictable about international travel, know that this is not a perfectly structured retreat. Topics, discussions, prayer time, and mass will be woven into each day – but the timing will vary and sometimes must be discerned as it unfolds. Pilgrimage sites include:
– Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s childhood home & local Church where he was baptized
– The Frassati summer home which houses the bed in which Pier Giorgio died
– Cathedral of St. John the Baptist where the Shroud of Turin museum is housed
– The oratorio/Basilica that St. John Bosco built and in which he is entombed
– The Milan Cathedral

The highlight of our trip, and the reason we are going to Italy over this particular week, is the 500th anniversary crowning of Mary at the Sanctuary of Oropa. Bl. Pier Giorgio frequently attended daily mass at this shrine and was present at the last crowning of the black Madonna statue. The mountains surrounding the shrine contain trails where both Frassati and St. John Paul II hiked; the mountain-top altar in the above slideshow will be one of our destinations.

A note on electronics: phones are obviously a good travel tool to get us to our initial meeting point but we will only use them when necessary. We want you to experience the great outdoors and the great people around you without distraction so we will turn them off as much as possible. A group camera will be available for anyone who typically uses their phone for photos, though airplane mode is also an option.

TRANSPORTATION & TIMING…
Flights are not included in the price of this pilgrimage and must be purchased on your own, but as you register we will coordinate where and how we will meet based on various factors. Jen will fly into Milan on the morning of August 25 and pick up a rented passenger van; we will use this as our transportation to Turin and Oropa until we return to Milan by noon on August 31. In Milan we will use public transportation and Jen will fly out on the morning of September 2. Please discuss flight plans with us before purchasing a ticket.

LODGING & MEALS…
We will be staying in hostel-style housing in Turin, at the Sanctuary in Oropa, and in Milan. These trips are designed to be “family style” in that we travel together, wait for one another, and share space together.

Meals will vary by day. Jen will buy groceries for lunches and for any breakfasts that are not provided by the hostels; we may also cook together for an evening meal when possible but you should plan to buy some meals on your own while traveling. Most likely, allergies will not be a problem due to the group effort at grocery shopping, but it will be good to plan ahead in case supplementary snacks and food need to be brought from the states.

QUESTIONS?
Please read the trip checklist carefully first, then feel free to call or email us! We look forward to meeting you soon!

This retreat has been CANCELLED for 2020 due to circumstances of COVID-19: Italy opened its borders but a 2-week quarantine is required. We hope to offer this pilgrimage in the future!

CLICK HERE to purchase an I.D. Retreat gift certificate for someone you love!

EARLY BIRD: $850
DEADLINE: APRIL 28

GENERAL REGISTRATION: $925
DEADLINE: JUNE 1
(these dates are revised; disregard the dates on the registration forms!)

DEPOSIT DUE UPON REGISTRATION: $350
Flights are not included in the price of this pilgrimage and must be purchased on your own.

Send checks to the office to avoid fees. Deposit due upon registering; please inquire about making smaller incremental payments. Click button above for online credit card payment but know that it must be paid in full and a fee will be incurred.

Deposit is non-refundable after the JUNE 1 deadline; refund of remaining fee only in case of emergency. Final payment should be received one week prior to the start of the retreat.

This retreat has been CANCELLED for 2020 due to circumstances of COVID-19: Italy opened its borders but a 2-week quarantine is required. We hope to offer this pilgrimage in the future!

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: APRIL 28
GENERAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JUNE 1
(these dates are revised; disregard the dates on the registration forms)

1. Read the retreat information thoroughly, especially the “Need to Know” tab & the trip checklist!

2. Print the registration forms, fill them out, and sign or initial where needed (keep a copy for your records).

3. Mail to the office or scan the completed forms. Email scanned forms here.

4. Enclose payment via check (made out to Into the Deep) -OR- click button above to pay online by credit card (note that you must pay in full and there is an added fee for this option). Deposit is non-refundable after deadline of June 1; refund of remaining fee only in case of emergency. Final payment should be received one week prior to the start of the retreat.

You may hold your spots on the retreat by sending an email here, but if your registration materials and payment are not received within two weeks of your email date, the spots will be opened up to others.