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The trip continued to inspire the travelers when they immersed themselves in the beautiful environment of the ancient city of Assisi, home of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, where they celebrated one of Italy’s national feast days and climbed the scenic Mount Subasio and contemplated the beauty of God’s creation as they looked out upon the Umbrian countryside. The group enjoyed absorbing the history of Assisi but soon traveled to Mesero, the hometown of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, patroness of the ɫ����’s School of Health Sciences. This proved to be a highlight for many students. While there, the group spoke with Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, daughter of Saint Gianna, and visited the clinic where Saint Gianna worked before meeting at her tomb to pray at her gravesite. The entire day in Mesero was very moving for many students on the trip. “It was incredible to experience how passionate and filled with joy Dr. Gianna was about life,” one student said, “and meeting her taught me the importance of displaying a loving presence to others.” Another student remarked, “I want to model Saint Gianna’s love for her community in my future nursing career. Our time with Dr. Gianna made me realize that, as a future Catholic nurse, I have a duty to be a servant leader in my own community.”

The pilgrimage also included an opportunity to honor our Benedictine heritage. The group traveled to the Bavarian region of Germany to visit Eichstätt and the legendary Abbey of Saint Walburga. This Benedictine monastery houses the very Sisters from which ɫ����’s Sisters of Annunciation Monastery trace their roots. The group had Mass there, and a particular quote from Father Shea’s homily stood out to one student: “Without this place, we wouldn’t be here. See what happens when we say ‘Yes’ to God.”

At times, however, the pilgrimage turned its focus briefly on people who said ‘No’ to God. The group traveled to Munich to learn about the rise of Nazism and to Dachau to experience the horrors that occurred at the first of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps. The group also made a stop at Nuremberg, the site of the infamous trials at the end of World War II. Throughout this portion of the trip in Germany, the travelers learned what happens when medical science becomes divorced from genuine care for patients and the dignity of the human person.

What struck many about their experience in Germany was how seemingly regular people could have committed such atrocities. Dr. Madler said, “We were all encouraged to ask ourselves how ordinary people — people like us — who took part in the Holocaust might have rationalized their actions.” This question affected the students deeply. One said, “Hearing actual testimonies from the people who committed the crimes was surreal; they truly believed they were just following orders and nothing else,” when the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.

When the group’s hearts were full of sadness and disappointment about humanity’s potential for evil, the travelers needed some healing, and they found it in Lourdes, the famous and holy city full of miraculous healings. The group met with the director of the Medical Bureau of Lourdes, and everyone helped serve and care for those with illnesses and disabilities. They participated in a Eucharistic Procession that gave one student the trip’s most impactful moment: “I looked around towards the faces of the sick, who looked up at us in our scrubs, and it struck me how significant my role will be as a nurse. People look at nurses for comfort and hope during their most vulnerable moments.”

With their hope restored, the group celebrated its final night together in Lourdes and considered how they had all become different people than they’d been when they started the trip. “The places we visited and the talks we heard touched me mentally and spiritually, and they brought out emotions that are impossible to describe,” one student explained. Another shared the sentiment, saying, “This pilgrimage has been a profound gift in my life, in my formation as a nurse, and toward my relationship with God.” It’s astounding to see the impact that such a trip can have on the people involved, and it’s clear that August’s pilgrimage made an impression that ɫ���� students and faculty will never forget.