“Buona Pasqua, Papa!!”

Article written by Montrose history teacher and Italy 2008 chaperone Katherine Ginnetty:

“Happy Easter, Holy Father!” The cries rang out at the conclusion of the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where I was with a group of seniors from the Montrose School in Medfield. Among the group were two teenagers from St. Mary’s Parish, Katie Robinson and Ellen Zatkowski. The group of 36 students had the privilege of spending Holy Week in Italy, participating in Holy Thursday services at San Spiritu Church, Good Friday Stations with Pope Benedict at the Colosseum, and the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s. Although the weather in Italy was unseasonably rainy and cool, the experience was radiant for these two young women who were on their first trip abroad.

Attending Mass daily, the students had the opportunity to hear the liturgy in Italian, although frequently parts of the Mass, ending hymns, and the Pater Noster (Our Father) were said in Latin. During the Stations and the Easter Vigil, prayer books were passed out that had both Italian and Latin in them so that the diverse crowd of people could follow along; and each of the readings during the Vigil was read aloud in German, Spanish, French, Italian and English.
Katie reflected on this theme of the universal Church, an image she saw clearly during the Good Friday stations. “We were with hundreds of people from around the world in the same cause. You could really see the Church. We all spoke different languages but we were all there for the same reason; we were all there in the name of Christ. And it was fitting that it was raining. I've found that every year it’s gross and cloudy, and usually rains on Good Friday. Why shouldn't the nature God created reflect the day of His death?”
Ellen commented on the holiness of the liturgy at St. Peter’s: “Everything was absolutely incredible from the sheer number of fellow Catholics all coming to celebrate the holiest holiday to the Mass itself. The electricity in the Basilica was contagious as everyone anticipated the arrival of the Pope. The part that I found the most moving was when Pope Benedict began the transubstantiation and hundreds and hundreds of people all fell to their knees at the same time. Every eye was focused on the altar, all believing that Christ was completely and totally present in that moment. “ The Pope’s message in his homily that night was "It is true: In the solemn Easter Vigil, darkness becomes light, night gives way to the day that knows no sunset." Continuing to praise the awesome ceremony at the Vigil, Katie added, “It was an incredible experience to be in the pitch black at St. Peter's and to see the church slowly light up from the one candle that the Pope
himself lit. Seeing the Pope so close was very moving too. It's just something you have to see and then you will understand that incredible feeling.” -This article was reprinted with permission from The Weave, a quarterly parish publication of St. Mary's Parish in Franklin.

"Oh, no. I am here as a tourist."

"Oh, indeed," said Mr. Eager. "Are you indeed? If you will not
think me rude, we residents sometimes pity you poor tourists
not a little--handed about like a parcel of goods from Venice to
Florence, from Florence to Rome, living herded together in
pensions or hotels, quite unconscious of anything that is outside
Baedeker, their one anxiety to get 'done' or 'through' and go on
somewhere else. The result is they mix up towns, rivers, palaces
in one inextricable whirl.

—from E. M. Forster’s Room with a View

There are many trips to Europe for high school students interested in gaining first-hand knowledge of another culture, but they seem to have one problem in common: they urge students to see everything, yet they teach them to contemplate nothing. Unfortunately, these whirlwind trips are only remembered in photographs of edifices students can neither name nor appreciate as symbols of our Western heritage. Montrose offers an entirely different approach to travel abroad, an experience that will remain a rich memory for years to come.

From March 15 to March 26, 2008, Montrose juniors and faculty will embark on a twelve-day trip to Florence, Italy to explore classical and Christian virtue as evidenced in the art, architecture and the lives of Renaissance artists. Staying at a villa just outside Florence, they will enjoy the beauties of the Tuscan countryside, long walks, family style meals and daily seminars. They will also make a trip to Siena and Rome for Easter weekend.

Students prepared for their journey by attending pre-trip seminars on the following topics:

November 15: Practical overview: Expectations; Pre-trip planning: packing, budgeting, checklists, health forms to complete; Itinerary overview; Pre-trip Seminar goals—participation, goals, preparation for exhibition

November 27: Why Florence?

December 5: Great Stories & Great Art

January 8: Why Dante?

January 17: Italy Movie night @ the Robinson's - "A Room with a View"

January 31: Siena & Rome

February 28: Easter Triduum in Rome

March 7: Pre-departure details

March 14: Last minute meeting at Lunch

March 15: Leave for Italy!