Rome Trips, Another Papal Visit and a Masters’ Degree Class Filmed

Taking advantage of the lovely fall weather after the start to classes, students enjoyed exploring Rome over the weekend. Church hopping, sightseeing, book-shopping, thrifting, and exploring the ancient city proved quite adventurous as students navigated Rome’s historic neighborhoods and niche stores. Some enjoyed the readily available sacraments at Saint Peter’s Basilica, which is always a renewing experience. A rendezvous at a quaint bookstore, sophisticated drinks over chess, and late train ride home brought Saturday to an end. On Sunday, several students undertook the scavi tour of the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome. A sense of mystery and awe permeated the tour; amidst Rome’s bustle, such an overlooked charm is often lost in the rush. Classic Italian gelato sealed the tour with a sense of cheer.

On Monday evening, the Vatican Gendarmeria and the Swiss Guard marching bands paraded through Castel Gandolfo’s main piazza to the Papal Palace, where they entertained his Holiness. Students and faculty overheard the performance from the square, afterwards enjoying dinner and evening life in Castel Gandolfo. The Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano, known as the Vatican Gendarmerie, was formally established in 1816 by Pope Pius VII to serve as the papal state’s military and police force. Today, it operates as the Vatican’s modern security and law enforcement body, enjoying a broad array of border responsibilities and ceremonial duties.

The students settled into classes during this second week of school, enjoying the academic routines and bonding well in lively classes. Italian accents are becoming more convincing as the second week begins. Over the weekend, students also worked on their first project for Italian I: they spent time recording audiobiographies of their lives, focusing on grammar and pronunciation. The freshmen’s engineering seminar of the week was given by an MIT PHD candidate working on Halide Perovskite crystal nano synthesis techniques for technology applications. Her pet project was a nano-LED light for use on microchips, and she shared her motivations and personal experience working in Electrical Engineering.

Professor Chris Durante, an eminent intellectual who specializes in cross-cultural dialogue, global ethical studies, and history, was on campus all week filming the first class of CatholicTech’s online Masters in Technological Ethics course. He was welcomed into the community and frequently enjoyed rich and eventful discussions around the lunch and dinner tables. CatholicTech’s community is sad to see him leave, but his memory will live on in the thoughtful impact he left on many of the students. As we settle into our fall routine, it’s hard to believe that some classes are already a fifth of the way complete! The year is whizzing by, and great things are being concocted by the Holy Spirit at CatholicTech.