Visiting Rome

Welcome to the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican! It is a great privilege to be a pilgrim to Rome, where you are at the Heart of the Catholic Church with the opportunity to pray with the Holy Father and walk in the footsteps of the saints.

Whether you are visiting Rome for the first time, or are returning once again, the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican can help you request tickets for Papal Audiences and Liturgies. We can also provide information to help you plan your pilgrimage so that it may be a truly prayerful experience.

Our office is located ay the Casa Santa Maria, the house of studies for American priests pursuing graduate studies in Rome, just a few blocks away from the Trevi Fountain. The Visitors’ Office is sponsored by the Pontifical North American College and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The office is staffed by the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan. When you come to collect your tickets, you will also be able to meet some of the seminarians of the Pontifical North American College, for whom welcoming pilgrims at the Visitors’ Office is part of their preparations for the priesthood.

On these pages you can find a lot of information that we hope can be helpful to you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will be happy to try to help you.

May your pilgrimage to Rome be truly blessed!