About Us
Bret and his family in Barcelona.
St. Francis Pilgrimages is owned and operated by Bret Thoman. Married since 2002, and professed Secular Franciscans (Third Order Franciscans) since 2006, they currently live in Loreto, Italy with their three children.
They have organized over 125 pilgrimages and personally journeyed with 1,600 people of more than 20 different nationalities. Destinations include all of Italy, the Holy Land, Spain and Portugal, Medjugorje, Poland, and more. Groups have originated in the US, Canada, Ireland, Guam, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia; they have been large and small and consist of parishes, families, schools, youth groups, retreat centers, secular Franciscan fraternities/ regions, and more.
Bret has a master’s degree in Italian and a certificate in Franciscan studies. He has worked as a teacher and translator of Italian, as a flight instructor and airline pilot, and has written and translated numerous books. Katia was born in Southern Italy. She lived in Assisi for 7 years where she graduated with a degree in tourism from the University of Perugia and worked in several hotels. In Assisi she developed lifelong friendships with the Franciscan friars and sisters.
Bret and Katia's life experiences in Italy, their vocation as Secular Franciscans, and their devotion to Franciscan spirituality make their pilgrimages a personal, unique experience.
They have organized over 125 pilgrimages and personally journeyed with 1,600 people of more than 20 different nationalities. Destinations include all of Italy, the Holy Land, Spain and Portugal, Medjugorje, Poland, and more. Groups have originated in the US, Canada, Ireland, Guam, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia; they have been large and small and consist of parishes, families, schools, youth groups, retreat centers, secular Franciscan fraternities/ regions, and more.
Bret has a master’s degree in Italian and a certificate in Franciscan studies. He has worked as a teacher and translator of Italian, as a flight instructor and airline pilot, and has written and translated numerous books. Katia was born in Southern Italy. She lived in Assisi for 7 years where she graduated with a degree in tourism from the University of Perugia and worked in several hotels. In Assisi she developed lifelong friendships with the Franciscan friars and sisters.
Bret and Katia's life experiences in Italy, their vocation as Secular Franciscans, and their devotion to Franciscan spirituality make their pilgrimages a personal, unique experience.