RW
Rebecca Welch
  • Music Therapy
  • Class of 2014
  • Carmel, IN

Rebecca Welch Experiences Rome, Assisi as Chaminade Scholar

2013 Jun 18

Rebecca Welch, a University of Dayton junior from Carmel, Ind., recently returned from a 10-day cultural and spiritual immersion trip through Italy and the Vatican.

Welch is one of 15 students who took the trip May 7-16 as part of the capstone experience of the Vocation and Arts course in the Chaminade Scholars program at the University of Dayton.

"The ultimate goal of the immersion experience is to spend quality time reviewing, re-evaluating their life journeys, discerning clear definition and direction as they prepare to enter into their senior year," said religious studies professor Sister Angela Ann Zukowski, M.H.S.H., who teaches the course and leads the trip. "It is always amazing how many students redefine their life direction after completing the experience in Italy. Even more important, the students are enriched by the spiritual dimension that embraced them."

The trip began in Assisi, where the group visited churches and basilicas and learned about the life of St. Francis and St. Clare. Disconnected from phone service, the Internet, television and other intrusions of modern life, the group engaged in quiet prayer and daily reflection.

One of the students described the experience as "life changing."

"The reflective atmosphere of Assisi due to the rich religious history and strong monastic presence helped create a reflective atmosphere for the entire trip," said junior Rebecca Welch.

"The best part was how our group grew closer together over the course of the trip," said junior Nick Fry. "The trip allowed us the rare opportunity to completely forget about all school work as well as our jobs."

After a week in Assisi, the group traveled to Rome. During a visit to Vatican Radio, the students participated in an interview session with Sean Patrick Lovett, the director of the network's English division. Listen to the interview on Vatican Radio's website.

The Chaminade Scholars also toured the Papal Gardens and celebrated Mass with Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, in the crypt beneath St. Peter's Bascilica. They later had a guided tour through the Vatican Museum and attended a papal audience with Pope Francis at St. Peter's.

Named for Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the founder of the Society of Mary, the Chaminade Scholars Program is open to 15 honors students each year as an opportunity to explore a call to leadership and service through the lens of their Christian faith.

Honors students selected for the program take three thematic courses on prayer, vocation and the arts, and Christianity, citizenship and society. Chaminade Scholars can come from any major and should have demonstrated a capacity for Christian leadership by involvement in church and community service activities as well as a desire to grow in their faith and understanding of vocation.

The University of Dayton is a top-tier national, Catholic, research university and Ohio's largest private university. Founded by the Society of Mary (the Marianists), the University of Dayton educates students for excellence in scholarship and practical wisdom, grounded in faith and reason, to build community and partner for the common good.