Going out of the country is no foreign concept to the typical Wabash student. Throughout their four-year journey, most students will be presented with the opportunity to take a class with immersion experience. These classes can include opportunities such as walking 100 – miles of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, studying ancient and classical architecture in Greece or even a deep dive into public health in Peru. Most students will find these opportunities in the classroom; however, four Wabash juniors had unique experience in finding this opportunity somewhere a little more impactful to them. These juniors of the Newman Catholic Center found the chance to further develop their faith with a trip to Rome, Italy. But it was not offered to just anyone.
“Part of who got to go was through an interview process, and you’re interviewed by someone from St. Bernard [in Crawfordsville], the chaplain of the Newman Center and someone from the Newman Center,” said Sammy Saunders ’26, one of the five students that earned the opportunity. “And essentially two years of service, and that could be something like religious education. I teach high school religious education, and we volunteer at church and more stuff like that. Then there’s other small mandatory requirements, such as doing 30 minutes of prayer a day.”
Saunders was accompanied by fellow students Preston Art ’26, John Schnerre ’26, Dominic Litchfield ’26 and Evan Dickey ’26, as well as the head of the Newman Center, Father Michael Bower. In Rome, they sought to further educate themselves in the Catholic faith and visited several of the historical monuments within the ancient city.
“I kept note of every church, crypt and chapel that we went to, and my final list held 46,” said Schnerre. “46 churches in only eight full days. The sheer magnitude of the churches was incredible. Almost every church held the final resting place of a saint, with many of them being household names in my family while I grew up.”
While being a highlight of the trip, it was more than just famous churches the group experienced in Rome.
“Essentially, we were pilgrims traveling, learning about a bunch of history, seeing a bunch of different things, but also attending daily Mass and prayer,” said Saunders. “And it was fully in Latin and Italian which was pretty cool to experience. A lot of sightseeing, but mainly staying on the path of Catholicism sightseeing, because there’s a lot to see there.”
The trip was full of special moments as students were able to relate what they were seeing in real life to their faith. Students connected monumental parts of their life with what they experienced in Rome.
“As an adult in Catholicism, you get a confirmation saying, and my confirmation saying is Saint Sebastian, patron saint of athletes,” said Saunders. “We went to the basilica and church of Saint Sebastian. He’s a very easy Catholic saint to learn about and dive into, because he represents a lot of good masculinity, which is what he’s associated with. So that’s why a lot of people, me included, choose him as their patron saint. I chose him because I’m also an athlete, and thought his story was very cool. It’s a very full circle moment seeing his remains, and we actually had a service at an altar underneath him and his Basilica.”
The trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity that they will relive in their minds, but they didn’t just leave with memories. The group returned to Crawfordsville with a rejuvenated sense of excitement in their faith..
“This trip was incredibly impactful,” said Dickey. “I spent a lot of time with my brothers and, as Wabash men do, we engaged in great discussions and powerful experiences together. During this trip, we broke bread together, walked together, prayed together, participated in Mass together and grew closer to God together. Brotherhood is not only beneficial to the mind but also to the soul. The trip was filled with many fulfilling experiences that I will never forget. Of course, the beautiful sites will remain in my memory, but, more importantly, the bonds I strengthened with my brothers and Christ during this trip will remain with me even after this life is over.”
At the conclusion of the immersion trip, the juniors were thankful for the opportunity to be part of an impactful trip. An experience that will not be forgotten, and it all came from outside the classroom.
“The Newman Center has been a great bastion of faith during my time here at Wabash,” said Schnerre. “It makes it easier for me to not only practice my faith, but to grow in it as well. Whether it is weekly Mass, rosaries or discussion, the Newman Center is one of the best ways I have found to participate in the faith here on campus. I have loved holding a position at the Newman Center and building a bond with all of the guys in the Club.”
When they returned to class and shared their experiences with peers, students were reminded about the opportunities to travel outside the countries. But they also learned that it was not just the classroom where they can find these special opportunities.