This February, students from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly ventured to Rome and Assisi, Italy, for an eight-day pilgrimage. Thirty participated, making their way to many churches, chapels and Catholic landmarks.
The trip began Feb. 8 with two flights to get to Rome and a full afternoon to follow. Students stayed in a guest house managed by the Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate — Pallottine, who provided them with breakfast, snacks and comfortable rooms. Father Stephen Schultz, St. Paul VI chaplain, celebrated Mass on the pilgrimage. Exploring the art and history of the Catholic faith and visiting famous cathedrals and chapels allowed students to deepen their faith and explore their hearts with God.
“(The trip to) Rome was the best week of my life,” said Xuan Le, a junior. “I watched Jesus reveal himself in the most profound ways through scenery, artwork and friendships. He is so good.”
The group was guided by a couple from St. Gemma’s Catholic Pilgrimages, who are well-versed in the history and culture of Italy, and helped students appreciate the small details of their destinations and all of their encounters with God.
The group attended Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica multiple times and attended a papal audience and the praying of the Angelus with Pope Francis. They also climbed the Holy Stairs, believed to be the steps that Jesus climbed to approach Pilate before the Crucifixion. Santa Croce was another extraordinary landmark on the pilgrimage. Here, students observed relics believed to be from the Crown of Thorns, the True Cross, the Penitent Thief’s cross, and St. Thomas’ finger.
The abundance of striking relics, stories and glowing faith in Rome allowed each student to find a special place that touched his or her heart on the pilgrimage. Maris Wilk, a senior, was drawn toward St. Cecelia’s Chapel. “(St. Cecelia) is my confirmation saint, and seeing her house and how she lived and died touched a part of my heart that led me closer to God. I feel as though I came back home with a newfound strength in my faith to be able to face the daily challenges of life. This experience was truly once in a lifetime.”
Leading up to the trip, Joyce Krolicki, St. Paul VI’s coordinator of missions and pilgrimages, made sure that students knew it was not an ordinary vacation. Going on a pilgrimage meant that reflection was an essential part of the journey and experience. Students prayed together, laughed together and discovered new friends in one another. Although the pilgrimage only lasted eight days, every second was a door for God’s hand to open for the participants. Inspirational poverty, humility, devotion, and pure charity lived in Rome and Assisi in the stories of the saints, the adult leaders on the trip, and in the peers that grew closer by way of their shared experience.
