Raven Discovery Travel - Faith & Beauty in Italy

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As we advance in life, we become more curious about reality in new ways, we develop new passions, we detect deeper connections, we look at things from different angles, and we value hands-on learning. If learning is pre-eminently a discovery endeavor, nothing epitomizes it like traveling.

Join Benedictine College alumni, parents, and friends to reignite your spirit of discovery and experience for yourself why Benedictine College continues to attract top-notch students to our community of faith and scholarship.

Watch a recording of the most recent Zoom Information Session. Passcode is: T8@Vl*?0

A Note About Travel-Planning During this Time

Benedictine College will continue to closely monitor the travel situation in Italy and to follow the advice of the CDC and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy. You can expect that a final decision about whether to move forward with Faith & Beauty in Italy will be made in late February or early March of 2021. You can likewise expect a 100% refund at that time if the program is cancelled due to coronavirus-related concerns.

About the Trip

This trip is offered to Benedictine College alumni, parents, and friends as a distilled experience of the Benedictine College Florence program. Participants will travel with a Benedictine College faculty member and visit places in Rome, Florence, Assisi, Subiaco, and Montecassino. The professor will help participants discover and better appreciate the Catholic and Benedictine roots of Western culture, as well as make connections between faith and beauty in art, nature and relationships.

More than 1,000 have participated in our Study Abroad program, fourteen years after its founding in 2006. The semester program begins in Rome, where students visit the main historical and religious sites and participate in the Wednesday papal audience. The program also includes guided visits to Subiaco, Montecassino, Florence, and Assisi.

Leading Professor: Dr. Matthew Ramage

The accompanying faculty member this year is Dr. Matthew Ramage, Professor of Theology at Benedictine College. He is author or co-author of over fifteen books, including Dark Passages of the Bible, Jesus, Interpreted, and The Experiment of Faith. He has been interviewed by news outlets such as the National Catholic Register and First Things and has made periodic appearances on the EWTN programs Catholic Answers Live, Catholicism on Campus, and The Son Rise Morning Show.

In addition to studying in Italy and teaching for Benedictine College’s semester-long Florence Program, Dr. Ramage has also led a number of other trips abroad for Benedictine to destinations including Greece, Turkey, Israel, and India. He lives in Atchison with his wife, Jen, and six children. For more on his work, visit Dr. Ramage's website www.matthewramage.com.

2022 Travel Itinerary

Note that this itinerary is subject to change.

Date	Overview of Day
Saturday, June 11	Departure from the U.S.
Sunday, June 12	Rome Upon our arrival in Rome, we will be picked up at the airport and transported to the hotel for check-in. After a short rest, we’ll gather to go to Mass in one of the Pontifical Basilicas, and after an evening stroll we’ll have dinner at a restaurant. Dr. Ramage will lead an introductory conversation on our first part of the trip in Rome.
Monday, June 13	Rome We will spend the morning discovering the ancient Roman Forum and the Coliseum, followed by lunch and a guided visit to the Vatican Museum, ending in St. Peter’s Basilica. Dinner at a roman restaurant and a talk by Dr. Ramage.
Tuesday, June 14	Montecassino and Subiaco We’ll be transported via private bus to the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St. Benedict, and to Subiaco, where St. Benedict lived as a hermit before establishing his community of monks. Dr. Ramage will highlight St. Benedict’s important role in the life and history of the Church. Upon returning to Rome, enjoy dinner on your own.
Wednesday, June 15	Rome During this last full day in Rome, we will join fellow pilgrims from around the world for the General Wednesday Audience with the Pope at St. Peter’s Square, visit the major basilicas of Rome, and enjoy a walking tour with lunch and dinner at restaurants. Dr. Ramage will provide a talk as we enjoy a glass of wine.
Thursday, June 16	Florence We’ll travel by private bus from Rome through the hills of Tuscany, listening to a talk by Dr. Ramage en route to Florence. The morning will include a visit to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city of Florence, followed by a short, leisurely hike to San Miniato, one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany. After a visit to the Museum of San Marco to view the famous frescoes of Fra Angelico, we’ll join the Benedictine College summer study abroad students for a cookout at Villa Morghen’s “terrazza.”
Friday, June 17	Florence No visit to Florence is complete without a visit to its famous Duomo (Cathedral). You’ll stop at the Battistero (Baptistry) and the Museo del Duomo as well. After lunch at a restaurant together, you’ll visit the Uffizi Gallery, one of the largest and best collections of priceless Renaissance art. Over dinner Dr. Ramage will unpack the experiences of the day.
Saturday, June 18	Florence to Assisi Saturday Morning will be free for you to explore the city, which is pleasantly walkable. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon a private bus will transport you to Assisi. During dinner, we will review our Florence experience and enjoy an introduction to Assisi from Dr. Ramage.
Sunday, June 19	Assisi In the morning you’ll pray at St. Francis’ and St. Clare’s Basilicas, including Sunday English Mass, and visit other downtown sites. After lunch we will visit St. Maria degli Angeli, the renowned site of the Portiuncola, the religious center of the Franciscan order. Dr. Ramage will provide insights as we visit places. We will have dinner in Assisi.
Monday, June 20	Assisi After waking up in the city of Assisi, we’ll take a short stroll to San Damiano, where the image of Christ in the crucifix miraculously spoke to St. Francis. This final full day in Italy includes lunch at a restaurant, transportation by bus to Rome, and a farewell dinner and final talk by Dr. Ramage.
Tuesday, June 21	Departure from Rome

Costs & Registration

Register Now

Program Fee for Double Occupancy*

$4,120 per person
($250 deposit + $3,870 balance)

Early Bird Price

(if you register by December 15, 2021)

$3,620 per person (that's a savings of $500!)

*For Single Occupancy, add $450.

When you register, you will be required to pay a $250 deposit toward the total cost of the program. At registration, you may also opt to pay the entire remainder of the full cost of the program. If you opt to pay only the deposit, the remainder of the cost will be due according to the schedule below:

Half of the remainder is due by February 28, 2022.
The trip must be paid in full by March 30, 2022.

The Program Fee includes:

All travel, excursions, and tour activities within the host country
All housing and group meals as specified by the schedule
All planned group co-curricular activities
Travel medical insurance coverage
All faculty and or staff assigned to the group for the duration of the program
Welcome kit, orientation materials, and trip handbook

Participants are responsible for the following additional costs:

Airfare to and from Rome (airport code: FCO)
Single occupancy supplemental fee
Some meals (designated on itinerary)
Telephone expenses
Passport fees
Personal expenses including souvenirs and any elective spending on food and entertainment

Cancellation Policy:

If the program is canceled by the college, all payments, including the deposit, are fully refundable. The $250 deposit is nonrefundable if you choose not to travel with us. Other refunds will be equal to the amount of the payments made, less any costs the college has incurred. Generally, costs incurred by the college could include (but are not limited to) transportation arrangements, entrance tickets, lodging, meals, tour guides, etc. Within 30 days of departure, refunds are not available.

More Information

Physical Activity Rating: Slightly strenuous. May require extended walking over uneven ground as well as the ability to climb stairs and to stand for considerable periods of time.

Group Size: This program is designed for 12-25 travelers.

Benedictine College's Raven Discovery Travel programs are offered in partnership with WorldBound Learning Projects, LLC.

WorldBound’s mission is to provide affordable, life-changing, and academically engaging international education solutions to institutions of higher education, serving students and administrators alike in their desire to learn on a global scale and to build relationships among people.

Learn more at www.worldboundlearning.com

Interested in this exciting new program? Contact us to learn more!