Without a doubt, our trip to Rome must have been the highlight of my year so far. From the minute we landed until the minute we waved goodbye to the Eternal city, the group barely had time to draw breath. Our accommodation, Hotel dei Mille, was situated in a central location from which the metro and the bus station were only minutes away. Our jam packed schedule ensured that we saw nearly all sights and partook in the many opportunities Rome had to offer and I found that being able to discover an unfamiliar city with both my friends and chaplain priest made the experience particularly unforgettable.
Throughout the week, we saw many amazing sights, both religious and historical. On the first day we celebrated mass at Santa Maria Maggiore, which was a spiritual start to the week. At night, we ate in the family-run restaurant for the first time before heading to the famous Trevi Fountain. I must admit, the food was different to what we might eat normally but I thoroughly enjoyed our time in the restaurant, and genuinely appreciated their hospitality. Before leaving for Rome, we had been made aware of the late nights and early mornings but admittedly I did not fully appreciate how much of a challenge this would be. Rising at half 6 in the morning of the papal mass seemed unbearable at the time, but as soon as I saw the vast number of people crowded round St Peter’s Square I realised just how essential it was to make full use of the time we had. Seeing Pope Francis was, for me, the highlight of the trip. Not only was I affected by his blessing and gospel reading, but I found that being united with so many other people in faith deepened my own understanding of religion and strengthened my relationship with God.
Aside from the Vatican and the view from the Dome over St Peter’s, I was more than impressed by the Coliseum. Even with its missing sections you can imagine the spectacle it must have been at the time of the Roman Empire and thought that overall, it had a certain class that hasn’t been lost to time. Although we celebrated mass on several occasions – including the feast day of St Ninian our patron – in several unique and sacred places I found our time in the interior chapel in the Pantheon the most inspiring. Being allowed in a chapel that not even the majority of the Romans have seen inside of was undeniably a privilege; one in which I would not have experienced if not with St Ninian’s. The other sights we visited included St Peter’s Cathedral in Frascati, the Vatican museum, the Catacombs of St Callisto, the Spanish steps and many others, all of which were architecturally unbelievable and of great interest. Although the trip was fundamentally based on our religion, we were given the chance to relax, to explore and to shop by ourselves on a few occasions. Although there were, of course, various shops in which we could buy holy souvenirs or presents, there were also plenty of Italian ‘high street’ stores such as ‘Kiko’, which proved to be a favourite for many of the girls.
Overall, my trip to Rome was one of the best, most fulfilling faith and enjoyable experiences of my life not only because of the actual city itself, but the people I travelled with, both staff and pupils.
Hannah Gillan (6a9)
