Dear Mother of Divine Grace Families and Friends,

I would like to invite you to consider joining a pilgrimage to Europe this coming May and June. This trip is not your typical vacation, but rather an exciting journey that will explore Catholic history and culture throughout Alpine Europe. The dates of the trip are May 26 - June 4 and the countries featured are Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. Here below is a brief summary of the trip.

On May 26th we will rendezvous at Newark airport and board our Swiss Air flight to Zurich. Upon arrival we’re off to St. Gallen, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful cities and home to one of the greatest monasteries of Europe. Following a day touring St. Gallen we will begin the great journey eastwards through the Alps. Along the way we will visit ancient monasteries, medieval castles and Renaissance churches. We will cross mountains and rivers, pass through towns and cities, and experience pastures and prairies. We’ll hear the stories of our storied past and experience firsthand the richness of our cultural heritage. What may have seemed so far away or forgotten will even start to become real. Daily Mass and prayer will sustain us on this journey and our wonderful chaplains will always be ready to hear confessions and lead spiritual conversations. Last but not least, we will experience the greatest Catholic theatrical event in the world, the Passion Play! In 1633 the townspeople of the small town of Oberammergau in Bavaria were dying of the plague. They made a vow to God to forever honor His Passion, Death and Resurrection by means of a Passion Play if the plague afflicting them would cease. Their prayer was answered and to this day it is the townspeople themselves who put on the show!

The trip cost per person is $3490.00, and this includes airfare from Newark. There is a $100.00 per person discount to you and anyone whom you invite, and an additional $100.00 per person discount for a family or friend group of three or more persons. In addition, we’re offering a $100.00 JANUARY DISCOUNT for new registrants who sign up before January 30. Summed up, everyone who signs up BEFORE February will be awarded a minimum discount of $200.00, and those who are in a group of three or more a $300.00 discount.

If you would like more information or would like to reserve your place on the trip please contact Mr. Joseph Long (jlong@prorome.com or 540.466.6070) or his wife Mrs. Rachel Long (rachellong@prorome.com). Since 2014 the Longs have operated Catholic abroad programs and since 2017 we’ve partnered with them in order to make these programs available to the MODG community.

Previous information below:

We have details on an amazing opportunity for our families! Each year many MODG students and graduates have attended the Catholica and Bella Vita programs offered through ProRome, and have had wonderful experiences. The Longs, who have been associated with MODG for several years, would like to reach out to our families to let them know of another exciting trip they are offering for 2020, this time for whole families! Please see their letter below for more information.

Dear Mother of Divine Grace Families,

You may have heard of our high school summer programs in Rome, Italy - Catholica Summer Program (for boys) and Bella Vita Summer Program (for girls). We've been offering these programs to Mother of Divine Grace students for a few years now. We plan on offering these programs again in 2021. Next summer, however, we're taking a little break from Rome and offering a trip north of the Alps. We'd like to invite you and your loved ones along. Unlike the summer programs in Rome, this trip is for the whole family - a pilgrimage in the truest sense that will explore Catholic culture, history and tradition across northern Europe. The "main event" of this journey is nothing less than the greatest Catholic theatrical event in the world: the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. We'd like to briefly share the story with you.

In 1633 the town of Oberammergau was afflicted by a terrible illness - the plague. The faithful Catholics of this small Bavarian town prayed to God to save their families, vowing that if God were to spare them, they would perform a Passion Play in honor of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection every ten years - forever. The extraordinary thing is that not a single person fell victim to the plague. Keeping their promise, the people of Oberammergau performed the first play in 1634 and have continued to do so ever since. What great faith these people had, despite their terrible woes. This incredible act of faith is the impetus behind our entire trip. We hope to become more like those faithful Bavarians throughout this journey, learning to rely solely on God.

Following the Passion Play this pilgrimage will explore the great places and Catholic shrines of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and even Liechtenstein! We’ve incorporated a program that includes a variety of options for the whole family. There will be daily Mass and you can expect a number of wonderful events, such as hiking in the Alps, a river cruise, an opera, exploring castles and medieval city centers, and of course, fine dinners and wine tasting.

The trip cost per person is $3490.00, and this includes airfare from Newark. We’d like to offer a $100.00 discount to you and anyone whom you invite, with additional discounts available for families of three or more. We can also help arrange flights to Newark.

Here is a link to the webpage:

https://prorome.com/through-the-alps/.

I've also attached the brochure and flyer for the trip.

If you'd like to request a registration form or reserve your place, please contact either: jlong@prorome.com or rachellong@prorome.com.

Best regards,

Joe and Rachel Long