News

Among the many Global Ed spring break trips last week, one stood out: the largest group of students touring perhaps the most Catholic city in the world. With 48 students and four adult leaders, the choir trip to Rome (and other cities) gave students an opportunity to explore an ancient city filled with sacred spaces and to also grow as a group of singers.

The much-anticipated trip’s planning took place over the past year and a half, with choir director Brian Reeves heading the planning of the trip for hotels and the general itinerary for locations to visit and transportation.

Immediately following dismissal on the last day of school before spring break, the group piled onto a bus en route to Chicago. An 8-hour Lufthansa flight would bring them to Munich, where they would then take a much shorter flight to Naples, Italy. The first night’s dinner at the hotel, gnocchi and green vegetables, provided a warm welcome to Italian culture. 

The next morning, the choir viewed the ruins of Pompeii. The ancient styles of buildings and the history of the city amazed the group, and it set the tone for the many eye-opening sights planned later in the trip. In the afternoon, they explored the city of Naples and attended Italian mass, taking in the beauty of the area before heading to their next stop: Rome. 

“I really enjoyed Pompeii because it was a different speed than any city I had previously been to before,” said junior Tucker Hill, the section leader for the basses. “And it felt like it was sort of off the beaten path, especially when we were in modern Pompeii. It was kind of our first taste of Italy.”

On the next day’s bus ride to Rome, the group made two stops. The first was at the Montecassino Abbey, a Benedictine building resting on top of a large mountain over a city. With wide hallways and an outlook fit for royalty, the Abbey allowed for much roaming to be done. Students explored the church in which St. Benedict and St. Scholastica are buried, a church which had been bombed in World War II and had been fully rebuilt in all its splendor. Here, the students got a taste of what singing is like in such churches built for choral acoustics.

“The churches, of course, sounded different from our chapel,” said Reeves. “I think it’s special, since you’re experiencing these places intellectually and spiritually together.” 

Finally, the choir arrived in Rome that night, eating dinner at the hotel. On Tuesday morning, the group went to St. Mary Major church, where they visited the tomb of Pope Francis and sang as Fr. Matthew Stewart, SJ celebrated his first mass of the trip. Afterwards, the group was guided through a walking tour of Rome, seeing popular attractions such as the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain and learning some history of the city. 

In one of the most packed days of the trip, the group also toured the Vatican Museums, entering the smallest country in the world to learn about the artifacts and art of Church and Roman history. To end this tour, the group entered the Sistine Chapel, necks bent upward towards famed art pieces such as Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.”

On Wednesday, the choir joined the papal audience at the Vatican. They witnessed Pope Leo XIV, who led the gathering of many Catholics of different nationalities. SLUH was mentioned as present in one of the speeches during the event. What followed the congregation was the chance to step inside the church of St. Ignatius, where they saw the spot where St. Ignatius passed away, as well as many other significant spaces. Eventually, the group visited St. Peter’s Basilica, after singing and entertaining others in the long line waiting up to it. 

On Thursday, the last day in Rome, the group visited some of the must-see locations in the city, meeting up with Rockhurst outside the Colosseum and walking through the ancient Roman Forum. In the many waiting periods that day and throughout the trip, the group would sing out in the streets. 

“Singing in the streets was my favorite, because it was spontaneous, not scripted,” said Reeves. “There’s something wonderful about people traveling together who just break into song.”

In addition to a much greater sounding group of students, the choir grew much closer in relationship, building bonds through simple activities like exploring during lunches and through off the cuff singing on bus rides. 

“It only took a few days before everyone was pretty comfortable with each other,” said senior Titus Ziegler, the varsity baritone section leader.

“There were a couple guys in my section and not in my section that I was never incredibly close with, but over the course of the trip I talked with them a lot more and definitely gained some greater connection there,” said Hill.

To finish off the trip, the group drove out to Assisi, where they saw the bones of St. Francis of Assisi on display for the first time in 400 years. Over the course of 800 years, the SLUH students were among only 370,000 who have seen his relics. After a more relaxed day in Assisi, the group headed back to Rome, packed up for the next morning, and headed back to Saint Louis, arriving late Saturday night.

By the end of the trip, the group had grown to be better singers as a whole through the amount of time they spent together.

“I learned that the choir is very responsive, smart, and thoughtful about the way they sing,” said Reeves. “Whether we sang in a large space or a small space, they went with how I directed.”

While trips like these are inundated with much sight-seeing, the true meaning behind the choir trip is still very much held up: to grow the Jr. Bills as global citizens, as singers, and as students more involved in the history of their faith.

“I think we (in the U.S.) are good at the spiritual and religious aspects of Catholicism, but sometimes it’s the cultural piece that pervades who we are,” said Stewart. “So I think what’s cool about going to Rome and Italy in general is because it’s the cradle of the Society of Jesus. When we were standing in the rooms of Ignatius, what happened in that room directly affects anyone reading this article.”