Study Abroad students meet Pope Benedict XVI

DePaul students studying abroad in Rome had a once in a lifetime moment earlier this month. They received personal recognition from Pope Benedict XVI during a ceremony at the Vatican.

An English Cardinal announced to the Pope that the DePaul students and faculty were in the audience at a Nov. 9 ceremony held in St. Peter's Square.

The students heard the Pope speak about Psalm 119 and its implications for one's faith and life. Cathy Ann Elias, who directs the Rome study abroad program, said this was a monumental event in the students' lives.

"They were excited to see such an important person," she said. "We hope that all of them will look back at this event and reflect about spirituality and all the goodness they themselves can bring to the world through their everyday actions in life."

Elias said that for some students seeing the Pope held deep significance to their Catholic faith.

"The Pope is an important world leader and religious figure," Elias said. "For Catholics, his blessing at the end of the ceremony has special meaning."

Theresa Cascio, a junior art history major said the ceremony helped her reconnect with her religion.

"I'll never forget when the Pope first came out from the side of the basilica," Cascio said. "I just kept yelling, ‘There's the Pope! There's the Pope!'"

"I've gone to a Catholic school my entire life, but sometimes it's hard connecting with my faith during this day and age," she said. "It was refreshing to be reminded of my faith and how important it is to believe in something."

Alexis Ortiz, a junior sociology major was also amazed by the experience.

"It really is a surreal feeling knowing you're in the presence of someone with so much power and who is so well-known," Ortiz said about the Pope. "Having [the Pope] recognize DePaul as our school name was called out among the crowd was amazing."

Ortiz also claimed her peers were initially astounded when they heard "DePaul" ring through the audience.

"We were completely in shock once our school was called, because we weren't sure of how to react," she said. "We didn't want to overwhelm the crowd, but in the end we all shouted and stood up to clap."

Junior Briana Mate, a public relations/advertising and communications studies major, believes the experience gave the students a unique opportunity to bond.

"I feel that we all grew closer together over this experience, because now we have something that we can all share with one another," Mate said. "It's so strange to think that three months ago, none of us knew each other. Now we are all so close and took part in being recognized by the Pope with one another."

Elias arranged for the students to participate in the ceremony through university president Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., who wrote a letter detailing information about the program. Elias then delivered the letter to the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

While in Rome, the students have been studying at a language school known as Italiaidea according to Ortiz. They have been taking two Italian classes, a music class taught by Elias and a religion class "focusing on Catholicism in Rome."

The group arrived in Rome at the end of this past August and will be leaving sometime in December. According to Cascio, no one is ready to leave quite yet.

"All of the people of Italy have welcomed us with open hearts," she said. "We've made lifelong friends here, and we've all learned so much. It's going to be a bittersweet goodbye, but it's been the experience of a lifetime."