Ahead of the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Jubilee pilgrimage, spiritual director Fr. Tim Hanley and on-the-ground coordinator Neil MacCarthy urged the 108 pilgrims to meet any mishaps with grace.

From this reporter’s experience on the Nov. 10–17 journey to Rome and Assisi, the group’s near-universal generosity of spirit suggests they would have handled real trouble with calm.

Remarkably, for a group that size, no serious setbacks occurred. A packed schedule ran with impressive efficiency: the host hotel had breakfast ready at 6 a.m. daily, partnering restaurants smoothly served three-course dinners each night and excellent local guides enriched every stop with vivid historical insight.

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Much of the credit for these feats belongs to Vincent Veerasuntharam and Liz Dachuk, CEO and Business Development Manager, respectively, of the Toronto-based Connaissance Travel and Tours, a leading Catholic agency specializing in European and Holy Land pilgrimages.

On one front, Veerasuntharam, Dachuk and their associates, Don Long, Shiv Persaud and Jonathan Nix, delivered a Catholic experience by formulating an itinerary replete with cherished sacred landmarks. Pilgrims ventured into the four major papal basilicas through the Holy Doors, visited the tombs of St. Francis, St. Clare and St. Carlo Acutis and experienced the Catacombs of San Calisto.

The Connaissance Travel and Tours crew also lived up to its brand’s Catholic identity by exhibiting servant leadership and hospitality from beginning to end. And while she was not present in Italy, Kay Rodrigo, a marketing specialist for the agency, did yeoman’s work with pre-flight communications and organizing the group at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

In an interview with The Catholic Register, Veerasuntharam reflected upon the rarity of the journey he and his team completed.

“This is a once-in-a-generation experience,” said Veerasuntharam. “The Jubilee year opened al all four Holy Doors — something that happens every 25 years. None of us will really know where we will be in our lives in 25 years. This was a great opportunity for us as a company.”

Dachuk, who shared that she “looks at things from a logistical point of view,” expressed gratitude to the pilgrims for their level of cooperation.

“The size of the group was quite a challenge for us because arranging the dining, transportation, entrances into all the different things, such as the museums and the Sistine Chapel — they couldn't accommodate all 100 people at once,” said Dachuk. “We had to work out how we could best make this happen for everyone. The pilgrims added so much to it because they really were so cooperative.

“Smaller groups sometimes, you have more of a battle just getting people to show up on time. This group was really amazing. They are all such great people. I really enjoyed being with everybody."

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Getting an early start was key to enabling the faith-filled travellers enjoyed a meaningful amount of time at every destination. MacCarthy commented during the trip about the balancing act that has to be considered with such a large group: some of the pilgrims may favour brevity while others want to savour each stop. The Connaissance Travel and Tours team and the archdiocesan organizers struck that balance nicely.

Naturally, a few participants respectfully wondered aloud why it was necessary to depart the hotel at 6:40 a.m. to line up more than three hours in advance for Pope Leo XIV’s general audience on Nov. 12. However, they quickly came to appreciate the decision when they obtained prime seating and magazine-worthy close-up photos of the pontiff riding in his electric Popemobile.

Veerasuntharam identified the papal audience as a highlight because “of the whole group with the Canadian flag and all that energy” and “we were close to the Holy Father.” Another memorable moment was Cardinal Francis Leo taking titular possession of Santa Maria Della Salute Church on Nov. 15. Being named the symbolic head of a Roman house of worship is an honour accorded to cardinals.

“It doesn’t happen every three to five years, but once in a person’s lifetime,” said Veerasuntharam. “It was very touching, spiritual, and it energizes Canadian Catholics.”

Dachuk also viewed this special liturgical celebration for the Archbishop of Toronto as a standout pilgrimage moment.

“It was a more intimate setting,” said Dachuk. “You could really feel the love of the parishioners who were there to accept him. They were just so thrilled. Everything about that whole evening — all the priests who were there and all the people who came to support him.”

Veerasuntharam and Dachuk both commended Leo for being present to celebrate Mass and dine with the group each day, his approachability with the pilgrims and his attentiveness.

“He looks you in the eye, and you know that he's giving his 100-per-cent attention to you at that moment,” said Dachuk. “That really spoke volumes to me.”

Along with Leo, Veerasuntharam and Dachuk extend gratitude to their Archdiocese of Toronto collaborators, namely Hanley, Fr. Arthur Lee, MacCarthy, Eamonn Doyle, Emanuel Pires and Michelle Brylowski.

Connaissance Travel and Tours will provide one more Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi before the Holy Doors close on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany.

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Stating his conviction that his agency provided the Toronto pilgrims “with a spiritual awakening,” Veerasuntharam declared that “at Connaissance, we will continue to do a lot more pilgrimages and we'll continue to bring the pilgrims to Christ.”

The Marian Shrines in Portugal, Spain and France, the Holy Land and Italy are among the company’s pilgrimage destination specialties. Visit connaissancetravel.com/ to learn more.