Unire la Belleza alla Spiritualità: A Trip to Unite Beauty and Spirituality

Pretty much everything in the Italian language sounds beautiful, and one phrase I have always enjoyed as a student of that language is “unire l’utile al dilettevole.” In English, this might be rendered as “mixing business with pleasure.” For those of us fortunate enough to travel to Italy this Spring Break with band and orchestra members, we might rebrand this phrase as “unire la belleza alla spiritualità” (to unite beauty and spirituality). 

Italy is a top flight destination in any regard. If you have a bucket list, it needs to be there. It has tremendous food, splendid architecture, animated, gesticulating citizens, and for a Catholic, it is the heartland of the Church. In just six short but unforgettable days in March, we were able to experience all of the above. 

We started our journey in Venice, where life still resembles a Canaletto painting from the 18th century (Google and compare to see what I mean here). Not a single car can be found in this ancient and proud island town, full of Baroque churches and canals fit for a canvas. No city in the world can match Venice’s beauty at sunset, where a gentle evening light is cast over the rippling water of the lagoon. Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica, the crowning jewel of its eponymous square, is a grandiose union of Byzantine and Western architecture, its interior a blaze of resplendent gold. For Scott Clark ’23, “the great art found in Italy is an example of the many ways a culture can find God through beauty.”

From Venice, we traveled to the home of the Rinascimento—Florence. There, the intrepid among us ascended the 463 steps to the top of the legendary Duomo, one of the architectural wonders of the Western world. On the way up, we approached the frightening frescoes of The Last Judgment by Vasari and Zuccari, and although a massive, grotesque devil taunted us, we continued defiantly, onward and upward (#Excelsior). The view from the top was heavenly. Don’t miss it. Many of us rewarded ourselves with a decadent and delicious gelato after this ascent. 

Rome, which the Italians call the città eterna or “eternal city,” was the last destination, and for many of us the spiritual summit of the trip. St. Peter’s is an awesome expression of architectural splendor in the service of God. No other church in the world can approach it in sheer grandiosity. For Ms. Nikki Pomer, who serves as Assistant Director of Communications at Jesuit, the highlight of the trip was Mass here: “Although I could not understand the Mass in Italian, it was beautiful seeing the universality of the Catholic faith, as everyone came together here from around the world to receive the Eucharist.” 

For SJ Librarian Sharon Sheara, “sitting in prayer and silence at the Church of the Gesù” was the spiritual highlight (Rome’s Gesù, not far from St. Peter’s, is the mother church of the Jesuits and home to St. Ignatius’ tomb). She further notes: “We stopped by at the end of a very long day of walking, and I remember thinking I felt like a tired pilgrim visiting an old friend in his home.” Matthew Mejia ’25 also found spiritual consolation here: “I had an opportunity to see the tomb of Saint Ignatius himself and the baroque art and architecture. The words Ad Maiorem dei Gloriam, which we strive to live by every day, were placed on stained glass windows above the sanctuary.” 

The ubiquitous beauty of Italy, its art and architecture (created for God’s greater glory), the camaraderie of classmates and colleagues, and the sacred moments of spiritual serenity will remain with us pellegrini felici for many years to come. We are all very grateful for this unforgettable experience uniting beauty and spirituality.