Sample Invitation Letters for Your Promotional Brochure

- Spain, Portugal & Marian Journey -

Your color, promotional brochure will include a letter from you, inviting members of your community on
your pilgrimage. Here we have provided for you some sample language for the letter to be printed in
your pilgrimage brochure.

Please feel free to copy, customize, or mix-and-match any of these messages to suit your “voice” and
your itinerary, perhaps highlighting several of your featured sites. Remember to keep the tone personal,
friendly, and inviting, and keep the length to about 200 words.

Once you have finalized your letter, please send it, along with the other items for your promotional
brochure to Sandra@GoCatholicTravel.com .

This information is proprietary and intended only for use by Group Leaders committed to working with
Catholic Travel Centre, and intended only for use related to tours operated by Catholic Travel Centre.

Spain & Portugal: Invitation Letter Option #1

Dear Friends in Christ,
Our life is a pilgrimage of faith, a journey to deeper communion with God and with one another. In our
Catholic tradition, the faithful travel in pilgrimage is the well-worn physical paths of the saints. I would
like to invite you to join me on this special pilgrimage to Spain and Portugal.
We will pray together, enjoy new sites, experience community, deepen our awareness of God’s grace ,
and celebrate the love we share with the fine wine and foods of the regions. On this particular journey
we will be praying, feasting, and enjoying the many sights and experiences of contemporary Spain and
Portugal as well.
We will have the opportunity during the pilgrimage to express our devotion to St. James at Compostela,
St. Theresa of Avila, and to the Blessed Mother as we celebrate Mass at her shrine in Fatima. In addition,
we will have the opportunity to share in the rich traditions and produce of Spain and Portugal as we
travel by motor coach from Madrid to Lisbon. [Note: Please compose your letter to reflect the unique
sites mentioned in your itinerary.]
Come join us in discovering some of the richness of our vast spiritual tradition as we travel th rough
these historic cultures. This pilgrimage promises to broaden your faith and be one of the most
memorable experiences of your life.
In Christ,

© Copyright 2018 Catholic Travel Centre. All rights reserved.

Spain & Portugal: Invitation Letter Option #2
Dear Friends:
For all Christians, the notion of pilgrimage is important. We journey through life, we journey through
faith as we grow and mature, we journey with our relationships, and we journey with God. Throughout
our history, believers have symbolized this “movement” of the soul through the physical journey to holy
places, places of great expression of faith.
We would like to give you the opportunity to join with us on a unique pilgrim journey. In Portugal we
visit Fatima, hear its stories, visit the shrines, and renew our faith as a pilgrim people. We also journey to
places in Spain, including Avila, Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo. [Note: Please compose your letter to
reflect the unique sites mentioned in your itinerary.]
In our journey we will grow together as a community, as we pray, see sights, dine, and relax together.
We will build lasting friendships, as shared faith and fun together create in this pilgrimage a time of
restoration, relaxation, and reflection.
We hope you will take this opportunity to journey with us and other members of our parish community
as we discover Portugal and Spain to re-discover these oases of faith and cultural heritage. What a great
opportunity! Walk with us!
Peace in Christ,

Spain only: Invitation Letter Option #3

God’s powerful call to Saint Ignatius unfolded in the remarkable locales of Northeastern Spain, from the
Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. These are the sacred grounds where Our Lord redirected the
ambitious soldier to a life of prayer and service.
While the holiness and wonder of these places is discernible to all, it is especially apparent to those who
have come to love Saint Ignatius and his gifts to our world. The places that formed St. Ignatius offer a
wonderfully formative experience to pilgrims who appreciate what God did to and through Ignatius of
Loyola.
Our pilgrimage to these holy places will take us through Loyola, where Ignatius was born, Pamplona,
where he received his life-changing injury, Montserrat, where Ignatius himself spent time in prayer,
Manresa, where he composed the Spiritual Exercises, and Barcelona, where the converted Ignatius
begged for a living. In each of these places and in many others, we will have opportunities to wander
and wonder, to pray in private, and to come together for Mass. [Note: Please compose your letter to
reflect the unique sites mentioned in your itinerary.]
Our adventure will also allow plenty of time for the fun, adventure, explorations, and relaxation that
enable travelers to enter even more deeply into the spirit of pilgrimage. We trust God will make great
use of it all to draw us, as he drew Ignatius, more deeply into the heart of Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

© Copyright 2018 Catholic Travel Centre. All rights reserved.

Marian: Invitation Letter Option #4
Join us for a pilgrimage to three of the most beloved shrines of Europe, plus many more amazing sites.
In Portugal, we visit Fatima, where the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children six times in
1917, entrusting to them messages of warning for the world. We pray at the Chapel of the Apparitions
and visit the homes of the children, as well as other historic sites, and also tour the charming, ornate
capital, Lisbon. We visit the seaside town of Nazaré, popular both as a resort and as a place of prayer to
Our Lady; we enjoy wine tasting in the riverside city of Porto, and relish the view from the enchanting
hillside shrine of Bom Jesus.
In Spain, we visit one of the most popular pilgrimage sites of all time, Santiago de Compostela. We
explore the beautiful old city and pray in the magnificent cathedral, which houses the tomb of St. James
the Apostle. We continue east through scenic Northern Spain, stopping in the magnificent, historic cities
of Oviedo, Santander, and San Sebastian, places of resplende nt architecture.
Our journey then continues across the majestic Pyrenees into France, to the small town of Lourdes,
situated in a picturesque mountain setting. In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared 18 times, over the course
of several months, at a grotto here to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous. During the visions, Our
Lady instructed Bernadette to dig in the ground, which caused a spring to flow. Today, over four million
pilgrims visit Lourdes every year to experience the restorative spiritual tranquility of the site, and to
drink from and even to bathe in the waters of the spring.
Our last stop on our pilgrimage is Toulouse, a city of awe-inspiring French architecture, both civic and
religious, and a fitting finale to our tour of so many significant spiritual and historical sites. [Note: Please
compose your letter to reflect the unique sites mentioned in your itinerary.]
Join us for a journey of spiritual enrichment, historical and cultural immersion, great food and a bit of
fine wine, and heart-warming fellowship.
Blessings,

Marian: Invitation Letter Option #5

Making a pilgrimage is one of the most ancient and traditional means of praying one’s faith. On this
particular journey we will be praying, feasting, and enjoying the many sights and experiences of
contemporary France, Spain, and Portugal.
We will visit religious sites where we will have the opportunity to express our devotion to the Blessed
Mother, as we celebrate Mass at her shrine in Lourdes where she appeared to St. Bernadette, and in
Fatima where she appeared to Blessed Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia. In Spain, we will follow the ancient
pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, burial place of St. James. There also will be plenty of time
for fun, shopping, and rest. [Note: Please compose your letter to reflect the unique sites mentioned in
your itinerary.]
I look forward to accompanying you as we celebrate our faith and enrich our understanding and
appreciation of these special places. I hope you will take this great opportunity to journey with me and
be part of this faith-community.
Peace in Christ,

© Copyright 2018 Catholic Travel Centre. All rights reserved.

Marian: Invitation Letter Option #6
Dear Friends:
Our pilgrimage journey takes us to Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, and Fatima. Lourdes is where Our
Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette. Fatima is a small village where our Blessed Mother appeared to
three peasant children and asked them to pray for the conversion of the world. Santiago de Compostela
is an ancient city in northern Spain to which Christian pilgrims have journeyed for hundreds of years to
pray for their intentions at the tomb of Saint James the Apostle.
France, Spain, and Portugal are three beautiful countries filled with natural beauty, and architectural
and artistic treasures. In addition to praying and worshiping God at these shrines, we will have an
opportunity to tour the cities and towns in which they lie , plus Lisbon, San Sebastian, Oviedo, and
Nazare. There will be other towns to visit as we make our way through Southern France, Northern S pain,
and Portugal. [Note: Please compose your letter to reflect the unique sites mentioned in your itinerary.]
I hope you will take this opportunity to join me as a pilgrim to these much beloved sites. We will enjoy
the company of fellow travelers, make new friends, and have a daily opportunity to not only enjoy the
incredible charm and cultural heritage of these countries, but also to reflect and pray for an increase in
our own faith and the faith of those near to us.
Come, join us!
Sincerely in our Lord,

© Copyright 2018 Catholic Travel Centre. All rights reserved.