On April 16, eight Montrose students, as well as chaperones Ms. Caranti and Ms. Skehan, departed from Logan Airport, headed to Rome, the Eternal City. A trip whose main agenda was to celebrate Easter and the 2025 Jubilee Year turned into a period of Church history. We landed in Rome on Holy Thursday and, after Mass and a delicious meal of Italian food, we visited seven churches. Each was dimly lit, decorated beautifully with flowers, and the Last Supper. With each church, I was more in awe. The size, amount of detail, and beauty were unlike anything I have ever seen before. Eating gelato by Trevi fountain and the Pantheon was the perfect way to end the night.
The next morning, we walked a short distance to the Galleria Borghese, which contained famous pieces such as David, Apollo and Daphne and The Boy with the Fruit Basket. Not only was the artwork beautiful, but the building and gardens were, too. Later that night, we all walked to the Colosseum to say the Stations of the Cross written by the Pope. It was beautiful, the chorus was singing, and there were thousands of people gathered, all with a lit candle.
The next morning, we all had a newfound love for cappuccinos, and they did their job of keeping us awake as we took an hour’s train ride to the serene beach town Anzio. Some girls were brave enough to swim in the cold waters, and others explored the beaches with tunnels in the rocks leading from one beach to the next. After a delicious lunch of Italian seafood, we made our way back to Rome for the Easter Vigil. After, of course, we had to celebrate with gelato, and we got to peek inside the Pantheon.
The next morning, we got up early to go to Easter Mass and the Pope’s blessing at Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Mass was outside, and I was surprised at how many people there were. We squeezed our way through the tight crowd to a good enough place where we could see Pope Francis come out of his window. Cardinal Angelo Comastri said mass and read the homily written by Pope Francis. After 30 minutes of waiting in the excruciating direct sun, Pope Francis was wheeled out onto the balcony where he proceeded to say his short, and sadly final, blessing. The moment felt surreal; it was hard to believe I was even there! At that moment, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to be there, one of the last people that Pope Francis blessed. Then, we took a hike through the incredibly small winding streets up to a higher neighborhood, where there was a lookout. You could see every building in Rome and, with the sun beating down and a street performer singing classic songs with an accent, everything felt perfect. A trip to the Church of St. Cecilia not only let us pray at the tomb of St. Cecilia and admire the architecture, but rest our legs from the long day of walking. The day’s festivities concluded with a walk back to the metro station and a stop by the Circus Maximus to watch a mock gladiatorial fight and dancing done by some “ancient” Roman women.
The next morning over a cappuccino, Ms. Skehan announced that Pope Francis had passed away that morning. All of us looked at each other, shocked. The first thing I felt was sorrow, but then I thought of how lucky we were to share his last day on earth with him and receive his final blessing! Next, we joined a group of other teenagers to walk the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was a direct walk up the center of the main road to St. Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica, which was overwhelmingly gorgeous and crowded. St. Peters had a similar structure to the other Roman churches: rectangular with a dome above the main altar and numerous columns and side chapels on the left and right sides of the church. Everything was done with care, patience and love, all for the glory of God. I was impressed when I learned that all the images were not paintings, but mosaic artwork. We saw the famous Piata statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after His descent from the Cross and Bernini’s canopy. Next, we took the metro to St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was in a quieter part of the city. The Roman style church was surrounded by the faces of all the popes painted on the upper part of the wall, with Pope Francis’ picture lit up in honor. We went to Mass there and saw the tomb of St. Paul. Later, we traveled back to St. Peter’s Square and joined thousands of people to pray the rosary for Pope Francis. The sun was setting and, as the lector repeated the Hail Marys, it felt like a moment filled with hope. We walked a short distance to dinner and that concluded the night.
Next morning, the group walked through the beautiful public gardens to the Church of St. Mary of Peace, where the Prelate of Opus Dei lives and where St. Jose Maria once resided. We went to Mass in the small – but stunning – chapel, where the tomb of St. Jose Maria was. After Mass, we briefly met the Prelate of Opus Dei, who said a quick hello to us. He then gave us a blessing, and we were on our way to lunch! Next, we went to the Catacombe di San Callisto, an ancient underground burial site of early Christians and martyrs. The tour guide explained that there were multiple levels, descending at least 66 feet and they spanned over 12 miles! There were long, dark hallways with tombs on each side, built into the wall, and stacked as high as the ceiling. There were ancient frescoes and paintings on some of the walls and ceilings, with Christian symbols such as fish, lambs or anchors. There were even some rooms where the families celebrated Mass before the burial. It felt like something you would see in a treasure hunting movie. Closing the day, we walked to the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, where Jesus appeared to St. Peter saying, “where are you going?” The footmarks of St. Peter are miraculously encapsulated in a small stone block that we got to see.
The next day, we took the metro to St. Mary Major’s, but first stopped by Santa Prassede church, where the pillar where Jesus was scourged was preserved. It was a very old church, built in the classic Roman style in 780 A.D. Next, we went across the street to St. Mary Major’s, one of the four main cathedrals. The entire ceiling was covered with gold, and under the altar was the relic of the manger where Baby Jesus lay. The famous sculpture Bernini was also buried there, in a very humble way: under a stair leading up to the altar. We also saw the image of Mary that Pope Francis prayed at before and after every international trip, where he is now buried. Next, we went to the Vatican Museum, which contained an overwhelmingly large collection of incredible artworks, relics and artifacts. We saw famous works done by Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio. The Sistine Chapel was, well, insane. There were so many details and every square inch you could put your eye on there was something new. Then, we were on our way to St. Peters to go to the Pope’s wake. There were thousands of people there and waiting in line took almost three hours. It was most definitely worth it, since this was the opportunity of a lifetime. A big dinner and tiramisu concluded the long day.
The next day, the group split in half, some going to a service project and others staying at home for a study morning. My group took the metro to an organization called We Care, a place where people could come for food and wash their clothes. We helped to fold laundry, clean and reorganize the basement and serve food, which was very rewarding seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces. The language barrier was difficult, but we used a mix of Spanish, French and English to have a good time. We then met up with the other group for lunch and made our way to The Basilica of The Holy Cross in Jerusalem, which housed fragments of the True Cross and some of the nails from Jesus’ crucifixion. Seeing these relics really brought to life the pain and suffering that Jesus endured for us. We had some free time after to explore and then made our way back to the house for dinner. The next day, for my group, it was a slow morning since the other group was doing a service project. We met up later to explore more of the city and go to a Dante exhibit that consisted of reflections and paintings. We stayed out a bit longer going into churches and picking up some souvenirs.
The following morning, we got up at 4 a.m. to wait in line for the Pope’s funeral. The guards did not open St. Peter’s Square until 6 a.m., so we waited in line for two hours. As a result, we got seats near the front with a very good view. We waited in our seats until 10 a.m. when the Mass started. The homily by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was very touching and I can speak for all of us when I say it was quite an experience. Then we had time to explore, and went back to the house for an early dinner.
The next day, we had plenty of time to roam a certain part of the city. I went with a small group to the Colosseum, a cafe and listened to street performers’ music. We met back at an Argentinian restaurant to celebrate Pope Francis’s heritage. Right next to the restaurant was a small vintage store, and each of us fell in love with the owner’s small dog Tina, who was very happy about the bread we had brought her from the table. Next, we went to the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, where the famous painting “The Calling of Saint Matthew” was located. Many of us had learned about it previously, and were very excited to see it in person. Then we went to get our last gelato of the trip.
The next day, after a flight delay, a layover in London and a turbulence-filled flight, we made it back to Boston. Overall, this trip was so amazing. I am so grateful for the people who worked hard to organize it and for getting the chance to be there at such an important time. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we learned a lot about history, our faith and being pilgrims of hope.
By Seren Hughes ‘28, Fashion Editor
28shughes@montroseschool.org
