We are Fully Booked.
All places on this pilgrimage have been filled.
Please join us as we explore the contributions of laywomen and mothers in building the Church in Rome, both physically and spiritually.
Mothers, bring your husbands, older children, friends and family with you to see Rome as you have never seen it before. May it inspire and fortify you in your vocation to your family, as you take your stand with the laity on whose shoulders the Church was built.
We can't wait to get to know you, pray with you, and together let the saints of Rome and beyond renew our vision and invite the Holy Spirit to refresh our hearts.
We are Fully Booked.
All places on this pilgrimage have been filled.
ITINERARY*
day 1 - Dallas to ROME
Today we embark on our journey to the Eternal City, seeking to bring our hearts, minds, and lives to Christ. Our gaze is set on Rome which is home to some of the holiest sites in the world. There we go for spiritual renewal, refreshment, inspiration and new focus. We depart for Rome, yearning for a deeper understanding of our sacred calling and the importance of family life in our Church and world.
day 2 - Arrival in Rome
We touch down in Rome and our tour liaison escorts us to our hotel. We then set out for one of the most important “house churches” in Rome, that of Saint Cecilia. We see the remains of Cecilia’s home, including the site of her martyrdom, and tour the church which stands on the site. After a stroll around charming Trastevere, we attend Mass at one of the oldest churches in Rome, also having been a “house church,” Santa Maria in Trastevere.
day 3 - Colosseum, Forum, Santa Maria Antiqua
We explore the Colosseum and reflect on the ancient text of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. We then make our way to the Roman Forum, including a special visit to Santa Maria Antiqua. After lunch we visit the basilica of St. Frances of Rome. We will also visit San Clemente and we reflect on the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria as well as the theme of the Eucharist as it pertains to motherhood. We watch the sunset from the orange gardens and see the view of the Vatican through the keyhole of Malta.
day 4 - St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums
We begin with breakfast and a private Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica at the altar of St. John Paul II. We then explore the Basilica. Next we visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on a guided tour. We then enjoy lunch and a golf cart tour of Historic Rome, including the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. We conclude the day with dinner and world-class artisan gelato.
day 5 - Catacombs, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Catherine of Siena
We have Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore. We examine the 6th century mosaics and note the Sanctus Populi Romani, the oldest icon in Rome. After a lovely lunch in a tavern on the cobblestone streets, we journey to the Catacombs of Priscilla. Next we travel to the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. We pray at the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. We take time for a short spiritual reflection session, and then enjoy a lovely dinner in the heart of Rome.
day 6 - Saint Monica and Saint Helena
We celebrate two of the greatest mothers of Rome: St. Monica and St. Helena. We spend the morning at the Basilica of St. Augustine and pray at the tomb of St. Monica. After lunch and a brief visit to Saint Agnes’ Church, we head out to the sites associated with St. Helena: the Lateran Basilica, and the Holy Steps which are believed to have been walked by Christ himself.
day 7 - Overnight Pilgrimage: Assisi
We travel to Assisi, home of Saints Francis and Clare, and the newly-canonized St. Carlo Acutis. We visit the Basilica of St. Clare. We stroll the quaint medieval roads of Assisi and enjoy white truffle lasagna. We attend Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. We trek to San Damiano. We make our way to the Baroque Church Santa Maria degli Angeli.
day 8 - Pilgrimage to Cascia, Umbria: Home of St. Rita
We travel to Cascia, the hilltop town and home of St. Rita. We visit the Basilica of St. Rita, celebrating Mass and venerating her incorrupt body, becoming better acquainted with one of Italy’s favorite saints. We return to Rome for an evening of reflection and group discussion.
day 9 - Final Day in Rome
We attend Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, the last of the four major basilicas on our pilgrimage. We then travel to St. Peter’s Basilica and see Pope Leo XIV at the Angelus. We spend the late afternoon on the Appia Antica, where Peter, fleeing persecution, was visited by an apparition of Christ. We take time to write down our thoughts, spiritual insights, and experience with God, and enjoy a Holy Hour of Adoration. We end with a time of spiritual song and worship, and then celebrate a Roman feast at our farewell dinner.
YOUR GUIDES
Dr. Kathryn Rombs
I'm Kathryn Rombs, mother of six children and grandmother of one sweet baby girl. With the help of several wonderful, faithful friends, I founded Mighty Is Her Call in 2018, and together we set out to help the Church and world see more fully the Christ-like nature of motherhood. I currently live in Rome with my husband Ron Rombs and the three children still under our roof. I am a Scholar in Residence at the University of Dallas, where I have taught philosophy off and on for 15 years. While my doctorate is in philosophy, I am currently pursuing an STL in theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
If you are interested in exploring the richness and sacredness of motherhood, you might enjoy my book, Motherhood: An Extraordinary Vocation (Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2021). You can also see my reflections occasionally published in Magnificat. I cannot wait to take you on a grace-filled journey through Rome, Assisi and Cascia, highlighting laywomen and mothers who helped build Catholic Rome, concretely and spiritually. Whether you are a mother, a father, or single, you are sure to return home stronger in faith, bolder in hope, and more perfect in love.
Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield, Chaplain
Unlike most Catholic priests, Fr. Joshua is married with children. He and his wife Alli live in North Dallas with their five children.
A former Episcopal priest, Fr. Joshua trained for ministry in England at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, England. After serving in the Episcopal Church for several years, he and Alli converted to Catholicism in 2009. He served St. Rita Catholic Community as it’s director of faith formation until he was ordained a Catholic priest through the Pastoral Provision of Pope Saint John Paul II in 2012. Since then he has served at St. Rita as parochial vicar and now pastor.
He is the author of Pilgrim Holiness: Martyrdom as Descriptive Witness (Cascade, 2009), The Crisis of Bad Preaching: Redeeming the Heart and Way of the Catholic Preacher (Ave Maria Press, 2019), Eucharist, Bread of Life (Liturgical Press, 2020) and Why Sunday Matters (Cascade Books, 2024).
Fr. Joshua also writes regularly for Our Sunday Visitor, America Magazine, and Church Life Journal of Notre Dame. He is also a regular contributor to the Dallas Morning News.
Mighty Is Her Call elevates Catholic mothers by helping the Church and the world reimagine the vocation of motherhood as a sacred and worthy life calling united to Christ’s total gift of self.
Our community was founded to give you the support and spiritual nourishment you need in your vocation as a Catholic mother.
We are Fully Booked.
All places on this pilgrimage have been filled.