COVID-19 Update:
ALP is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Hopeful that there will be great improvement by July, ALP staff still plans to pursue the ancient response to hardship: prayer and pilgrimage. We will keep monitoring the situation and post any updates about the pilgrimage status.
Scholarships up to $1,000 now available
Support Italy through supporting our pilgrims
All donations go directly to scholarships. Our pilgrims, the many monasteries and convents we stay in, the small businesses we support, and the family-owned restaurants where we eat thank you in advance! Click on Donate button or send us an email at info@altumlaltopilgrimages.com if you would like to donate towards a scholarship.
PILGRIMAGE EXPEDITIONS
Under The Patronage of St. John Paul II and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
We “put out into the deep” and go “towards the heights” to pray with the saints and visit holy places in Italy and the rest of Europe integrating outdoor activities like hiking, biking, rafting, climbing and kayaking into our journey. With both body and soul engaged, we seek to encounter the reality of the life of Christ.
Our Mission
–
That our pilgrims “may have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10)
” Duc in altum
Put out into the deep
Towards the heights
Our Pilgrimage Paths
ALP Pilgrims travel down four paths of formation
Spiritual
Prayer and Pilgrimage
Like St. John Paul II and Pier Giorgio Frassati who placed the importance of prayer above everything else, we keep prayer at the heart of our pilgrimages. Mass, morning prayer, evening prayer, and the rosary are foundational parts of our days. St. John Paul II is known as the “Pilgrim Pope” and we look to him to guide our own pilgrimages.
Human
Nature and Culture
A variety of outdoor activities– climbing, kayaking, biking, rafting, hiking– characterize our pilgrimages and connect them to St. John Paul II and Pier Giorgio Frassati who loved to participate in outdoor activities as well. They were also enthusiastic about culture– St. John Paul II practiced theatre in his early years, and Frassati loved to sing and knew how to dance. We integrate cultural experiences into our pilgrimages like singing, dancing, art museums, historical site visits, and local culinary traditions.
Intellectual
Theology and Humanities
Pier Giorgio Frassati was a student, a third order Dominican, and loved to read poetry. St. John Paul II studied with the Dominicans at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and he also wrote poetry. On our pilgrimages, we study theology in the Dominican tradition, read poetry, discuss literature, learn about history, and talk philosophy.
Leadership
Guide and Teacher
While St. John Paul II was the leader of Catholic Church as pope, Pier Giorgio Frassati was a leader within his community of friends and the poor in his town, and both men loved to lead excursions into the natural world. Our pilgrims will get experience guiding the expedition on a rotational basis and teaching through presentations at site visits.
Pilgrimage Expedition Options
Open Enrollment
Pilgrimages designed and led by ALP offering a range of pilgrimage experiences, outdoor adventure, intellectual formation, and leadership training.
ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS
Are you looking for a unique way to engage students and open up their minds? We can customize a pilgrimage expedition to fit all or part of your academic course. Our pilgrimage expeditions can be altered to host all or part of your academic course by providing more academic time, discussion spaces, and content-specific destinations.
Custom Courses
Do you have a particular time frame, activity choice, or pilgrimage site in mind? We customize pilgrimage expeditions for parishes, groups, schools, and organizations who would like to share in our mission
Featured pilgrimage
Italy, July 3-25, 2020
– 1. Frassati’s Alps
Days 1-4
– 2. Cinque Terre Coast
Days 4-8
– 3. Tuscany
Days 8-12
– 4. Umbria
Days 12-18
– 5. John Paul I I’s Rome
Days 18-21
“The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.” – John Paul II
Italy 2020 Pilgrimage Details
Highlights
- Hiking in Frassati’s footsteps
- Sea-kayaking to mass on the coast
- Biking the Italian riviera
- Rafting in Umbria
- Visiting St. John Paul II’s tomb in Rome
Acceptance
- ALP will review applications until all of the July 2020 spots are filled
- Additional applications will be placed on a waiting list after all the spots are filled (30 maximum)
Total Payment
- $3950 due by June 1st. Fully refundable until July 1st.
- Includes: Lodging, Transportation, Most meals, Outdoor Activities, Museums, Site visits, Course materials
- Does Not Include: Flights, 3 Dinners, 14 lunches, and 7 breakfasts, Optional Rock Climbing
Arrival
- July 3rd Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), before noon
Departure
- July 25th Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), before noon
