Beyond The Destination Tours Beyond The Destination
BTDT Catholic Heartland Pilgrimage

Leave the Noise Behind

An 11-Day Catholic Pilgrimage Through the Heartland of American Catholicism

A small-group Catholic pilgrimage of prayer, sacred places, fellowship, and renewal.

September 17–27, 2026
Including participation in the Beatification of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen on September 24, 2026.

11 Days / 10 Nights 23–25 Pilgrims September 17–27, 2026 Small-Group Pilgrimage
Why This Pilgrimage Exists

At our Baptism, Christ called us to leave behind the world's distractions and follow Him. For a few sacred days, we step away from the noise of everyday life, the constant demands upon our attention, and the values of a culture that often pulls us away from God. Together we begin a pilgrimage toward prayer, reflection, fellowship, and renewal.

A journey for Catholics seeking more than sightseeing.

Every day, the world asks something of us. It asks for our attention. It asks for our time. It asks for our energy. It asks us to hurry, consume, worry, compete, and focus on ourselves.

Yet beneath all of that noise remains a quieter invitation: the invitation of Christ.

Pilgrimage has always been the Church's answer to that invitation. For centuries, Christians have stepped away from ordinary routines and traveled to sacred places in search of something deeper — not because God is absent at home, but because the journey itself creates space to hear Him more clearly.

This is not a vacation. This is not a sightseeing tour. This is not an event package built around a single historic occasion. This is a pilgrimage.

The Faith Beneath the Journey

The pilgrimage is shaped by the four pillars of Catholic life.

The journey is not built as a checklist of places. It is ordered toward the Creed we profess, the Sacraments that form us, the Life in Christ we are called to live, and the Christian Prayer that teaches us to listen.

Creed

We travel as Catholics who profess the faith handed on by the Church and witnessed by the saints.

Sacraments

Mass, adoration, confession when available, and sacred places keep grace at the center of the journey.

Life in Christ

Fellowship, patience, service, courage, and charity shape how pilgrims walk together day by day.

Christian Prayer

Silence, Scripture, Marian devotion, and reflection help pilgrims leave the noise behind and listen for God.

Four Witnesses for the Journey

Lives of prayer, courage, mission, and trust.

These witnesses are the spiritual companions who shape the journey.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, central spiritual witness of the pilgrimage

Fulton Sheen

Truth, prayer, and a life given to Christ.

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, missionary courage and perseverance

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Missionary courage and holy perseverance.

Priory Chapel at Saint Louis Abbey for the Benedictine spirituality pillar

Benedictine Spirituality

Silence, hospitality, stability, prayer.

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows for Marian devotion

Marian Devotion

Beauty, entrustment, and sacred reflection.

The Journey

Eleven days of prayer, fellowship, reflection, and sacred places.

This is the pilgrimage a prospective pilgrim is being invited to enter.

Denver International Airport terminal for the Colorado departure day
Day 1

Leaving Home, Seeking God

Colorado departure, group flight, coach transfer to Peoria, welcome dinner, and the first quiet act of leaving ordinary life behind.

Fulton Sheen tomb at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Peoria
Day 2

Called for a Purpose

At Sheen’s Peoria roots, pilgrims reflect on vocation, baptism, priesthood, and the ways God calls ordinary lives into mission.

Rows of votive candles in a church, evoking hidden prayer and the Holy Hour
Day 3

A Life Given to Christ

This day turns from biography toward Sheen’s spiritual legacy: prayer, the Holy Hour, evangelization, silence, and fidelity.

Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in St. Louis for arrival into Missouri
Day 4

Journey to St. Louis

After completing the Peoria formation chapter rooted in the life and legacy of Fulton Sheen, pilgrims continue to the St. Louis base for the next stage of the Catholic Heartland pilgrimage.

Exterior of the Priory Chapel at Saint Louis Abbey for Benedictine hospitality and prayer
Day 5

Benedictine Hospitality & Prayer

Saint Louis Abbey anchors a day of silence, prayer, hospitality, stability, Lectio Divina, and unhurried reflection.

Grotto of Lourdes at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville
Day 6

Marian Devotion & Sacred Beauty

Our Lady of the Snows and the Cathedral Basilica anchor a day of Marian devotion, sacred beauty, Catholic heritage, and prayer.

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park natural setting for the Walking With Sheen pilgrim walk
Day 7

Walking With Sheen

A gentle three-mile pilgrim walk at Creve Coeur Lake with Scripture, Sheen quotations, silence, prayer, and reflection stops. Optional diocesan or scholarly events may be included for interested pilgrims as schedules permit before the Beatification celebration.

The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the Beatification day
Day 8

A Historic Day for the Church

The Beatification Mass stands alone. Pilgrims participate as pilgrims, not spectators, with prayerful preparation, generous buffers, and thanksgiving.

Shrine of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne in St. Charles, Missouri
Day 9

Missionary Courage

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne brings missionary courage, sacrifice, frontier Catholicism, perseverance, and a deeper appreciation for lives faithfully given to Christ.

Shrine of Saint Joseph in St. Louis for thanksgiving and reflection
Day 10

Thanksgiving & Reflection

At the Shrine of St. Joseph, pilgrims gather for a day of thanksgiving, prayer, reflection, and gratitude as the Catholic Heartland pilgrimage enters its final full day.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport Terminal 1 exterior for the return home travel day
Day 11

Return Home & Sending Forth

The pilgrimage concludes as the Colorado pilgrimage community returns home together. Breakfast, airport transfer, return travel, arrival in Denver, and final dispersal become the closing chapter of the journey.

An Invitation

Reserve a place or ask about the pilgrimage.

September 17–27, 2026 · 11 Days / 10 Nights

Pricing is currently being finalized. Lodging, meals, and group arrangements are being confirmed. Submitting a reservation request does not commit you to payment. BTDT will personally review availability, rooming preferences, and final pricing with each pilgrim before deposits are requested.

Reservation deposit: If your proposal is accepted, a $500 reservation deposit is due by midnight on July 17, 2026 to hold your place. The final remaining pilgrimage balance is due by August 1, 2026.

BTDT will respond personally with availability, reservation guidance, and thoughtful answers for individual pilgrims, households, parishes, and small groups. Registered pilgrims also receive access to the Pilgrim Companion created specifically for this journey.

Deposit, Cancellation, and Refund Policy
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Reservation requests are reviewed personally by BTDT. A reservation is not confirmed until the required deposit has been received, reviewed, and accepted by Beyond The Destination Tours.

Reservations are reviewed in the order they are received. If BTDT invites you to submit a deposit, your place in line remains protected until your assigned deposit deadline. A later reservation cannot move ahead simply because its deposit was paid sooner.

Deposit deadline: Once BTDT sends a deposit invitation, the deposit must be completed by the deadline assigned by BTDT. If the deposit is not received by that deadline, the reservation position may be released and offered to the next eligible pilgrim or waitlisted pilgrim.

Final payment: Final remaining pilgrimage balance is due by August 1, 2026, unless BTDT provides a different written payment arrangement.

Deposit refunds: Before BTDT formally accepts the deposit and confirms space, a deposit may be refunded, less any non-recoverable payment processing fees. After BTDT accepts the deposit and confirms space, the deposit becomes non-refundable except where BTDT cancels the pilgrimage or determines that a refund is appropriate due to exceptional circumstances.

Waitlist: If a pilgrim is placed on a waitlist and space is not made available, any deposit collected for waitlist purposes will be refunded, less any non-recoverable payment processing fees unless otherwise stated in writing.

Pilgrim cancellation: Because this pilgrimage involves limited group capacity, hotel blocks, transportation planning, clergy coordination, insurance, supplier commitments, and official event logistics, cancellation requests must be reviewed by BTDT. Refund eligibility depends on the date of cancellation, supplier commitments already made, non-recoverable costs, and whether the space can reasonably be filled by another eligible pilgrim.

Cancellation timing: Cancellation requests received after August 16, 2026 may be subject to substantial non-refundable costs because lodging, transportation, insurance, event participation, and other supplier commitments may already have been made on behalf of the pilgrim.

Replacement pilgrim: If a registered pilgrim cannot attend, BTDT may permit a replacement pilgrim at its discretion. Any replacement pilgrim must be approved by BTDT, complete all required registration information, agree to pilgrimage terms, and be compatible with rooming, transportation, and event requirements.

BTDT cancellation: If BTDT cancels the pilgrimage before departure, pilgrims will receive a refund of recoverable monies paid to BTDT, less any non-recoverable third-party costs unless otherwise required by applicable supplier terms or law.

Force majeure: BTDT is not responsible for delays, cancellations, closures, schedule changes, official event modifications, weather events, acts of God, government actions, transportation disruptions, supplier failures, illness outbreaks, security restrictions, or other circumstances beyond BTDT's reasonable control. In such situations, BTDT will make reasonable efforts to adjust the pilgrimage while preserving the spiritual and operational integrity of the journey.

Airfare: Unless otherwise stated in writing, pilgrims are responsible for purchasing their own airfare. BTDT may recommend preferred flights or arrival windows to support group transportation and pilgrimage scheduling. Pilgrims arriving outside the recommended arrival window may be responsible for their own transportation to the first overnight location.

Payment processing fees: Credit card, Stripe, and other payment processing fees may be non-refundable once charged.

Travel insurance: Pilgrims are strongly encouraged to purchase appropriate travel protection. BTDT’s operating insurance does not replace individual travel insurance for pilgrim cancellation, medical needs, travel disruption, baggage, airfare issues, or personal circumstances.

Pilgrim Companion access: Access to the private Pilgrim Companion is provided after deposit confirmation. Companion access supports prayer, preparation, and formation for registered pilgrims and does not create independent refund rights.

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What's Included in the Pilgrimage

This pilgrimage is designed to provide a spiritually rich and well-supported journey while preserving time for prayer, fellowship, reflection, and local discovery.

Expected inclusions include:

  • Ten nights of pilgrimage lodging.
  • Group ground transportation during the pilgrimage.
  • Pilgrimage coordination, leadership, and daily itinerary support.
  • Visits to the pilgrimage sites, shrines, churches, and locations identified in the final pilgrimage itinerary.
  • Access to the private Pilgrim Companion following deposit confirmation.
  • Hotel breakfasts throughout the pilgrimage where included by the selected hotels.
  • Welcome Dinner at the beginning of the pilgrimage.
  • Farewell / Sending Forth Banquet near the conclusion of the pilgrimage.
  • Several additional fellowship meals during the pilgrimage where they support prayer, community, schedule, and pilgrimage continuity.
  • Customary group gratuities for pilgrimage leadership, local guides, retreat-center staff, and similar pilgrimage services arranged by BTDT

Final pilgrimage materials will identify the specific meals, activities, and arrangements included in the confirmed pilgrimage package.

Personal Expenses & Travel Planning

Unless specifically stated in writing, the following are not included in pilgrimage pricing:

  • Airfare and airport-related expenses.
  • Air travel day meals and airport meals.
  • Most lunches.
  • Some dinners and personal dining choices.
  • Personal purchases, souvenirs, snacks, and beverages.
  • Travel insurance.
  • Optional offerings, donations, devotional purchases, or personal expenses.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Optional personal gratuities beyond those arranged by BTDT

BTDT does not include, purchase, provide, or promote alcoholic beverages as part of pilgrimage programming.

BTDT strongly recommends that pilgrims purchase appropriate travel protection to help protect against unexpected medical, travel, weather, family, or personal circumstances that could affect participation in the pilgrimage.

Speak With a Pilgrimage Director