Our Experience with JMJ Travel – Italy Pilgrimage My husband and I recently returned from our fourth pilgrimage to holy sites. Visiting these sacred places is always a profound blessing, and we are deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to walk where saints once walked, celebrate daily Mass, and pray alongside our fellow parishioners. Three of our previous pilgrimages were with School of Faith, and this was our first experience traveling with JMJ Travel. While we were thankful to see so many incredible holy sites, our experience with JMJ did not measure up to the depth, organization, and spiritual enrichment we’ve come to appreciate from other pilgrimage providers. Our parish group of 27 — many of whom were elderly and one of whom was in a wheelchair — hired JMJ to organize a pilgrimage to Italy. While the trip had moments of beauty, it often felt more like a sightseeing tour with religion added in rather than a thoughtfully guided pilgrimage. Some key challenges we encountered: • Disorganization and unclear communication: We never had a consistent daily schedule, which created uncertainty and at times frustration. It often felt like plans were being made on the fly. In contrast, our School of Faith trips provided printed itineraries, daily updates, and clear expectations, which allowed us to prepare and participate more fully. • Lack of “whisper walks”: One of the tools we found invaluable on past pilgrimages was the use of whisper walk headsets, which allowed us to hear our guides clearly even in crowded or noisy settings. JMJ did not provide these, and without them, it was often difficult to stay informed and engaged. • Limited spiritual integration: With School of Faith, prayer, storytelling, and rich historical context were seamlessly woven into the journey — from praying the rosary on the bus to sharing reflections on the meaning of each holy site. On this trip, much of our bus time was spent in silence, and we missed those moments of deeper connection. • Accessibility concerns: Given the number of elderly travelers and one wheelchair-bound pilgrim, some of the logistical choices were challenging. For example, in Florence we unexpectedly had to take public transportation, and when a route was interrupted, we had to walk a long distance in the heat. This was especially difficult for several in our group. • Tour guide experience: While our guide stayed with us throughout the trip, the level of historical and spiritual insight was lighter than we’d experienced before. At times, the guide’s tone came across as condescending — saying things like “you need to adult,” “good job” when we stayed together, and even calling us “sensitive Americans.” Whether meant as humor or not, these comments were off-putting to many. • Arrival confusion: Upon landing in Italy, our guide was not at the designated meeting point, which created stress and uncertainty from the very start. To be fair, there were positive aspects — we visited incredible holy sites and celebrated daily Mass, which were highlights of the journey. However, the overall experience lacked the organization, communication tools, and spiritual depth we’ve experienced on other pilgrimages. Considering that the cost was roughly the same as our School of Faith trips, we had hoped for a more seamless and spiritually fulfilling experience. For these reasons, we would not choose to travel with JMJ again. My hope in sharing this feedback is that it can be helpful for JMJ in enhancing future pilgrimages, as these journeys have the potential to be deeply meaningful when planned with greater structure, communication, and spiritual integration.

We had a great time. The tour guides were knowledgeable. Mike was outstanding!

Beautiful trip. Lots of stuff went wrong (people getting sick, stuff getting stolen or lost, plans getting rescheduled; general jubilee chaos and all things I expected going in) but it was still an amazing experience. The guides + leaders did a great job, all things considered.

The United - Jubilee with JMJ was well organized, they were responsive to our needs and questions, kept us up to date with travel itinerary, Jubilee activities and updated us with changes. The hotel accommodation was spacious and comfortable, with a pool, a welcome respite after a hot and humid day of activities. The tour guides were friendly, helpful and gracious, they make sure the group needs are addressed and no one is left behind. The Jubilee pilgrimage was an unforgettable experience, thanks to the expertise and organization of JMJ staff and management. Their tours are affordable and well organized. Will surely join them again on future pilgrimages and tours and will share this great experience with my family, friends and parish community.

The trip was amazing! The guides the hotel the food. We got so see the Pope and other amazing places and graces in Italy. Thank You. God is good!!