A tradition the Molloy community looks forward to is the annual overseas trip, and the one this past March lived up to expectations! Every year, a group of Stanners accompany Ms. Dorothy DeNoto on an “educational adventure” abroad. Exploring the many countries of Europe, students and chaperones tour cathedrals, towns, and shrines, engrossing themselves in new cultures while simultaneously practicing their Marist values. During the 2021-2022 school year, Ms. DeNoto took 46 Stanners on a trip to Portugal and Ireland, visiting the cities of Porto, Fatima, Lisbon, Portrush, Sligo, Galway, Killarney, and Shannon.
Accompanying Ms. DeNoto and the Stanners on the Fatima Visions to the Emerald Isle trip were trusted staff and faculty with years of chaperoning experience. The number of students and chaperones that attend the trips vary only slightly, because the intention is for the group to bond. Ms DeNoto shares, “I want the kids to bond as a family, so I always keep the number of travelers in the forties. This way, everyone can fit on one bus, and so everyone experiences everything together.”
While designing a trip, Ms. DeNoto makes sure to include moments of reflection, and on this particular trip, Stanners found themselves coming together under a statue of none other than St. Marcellin Champagnat himself. President Karsten led the group in prayer, asking all to take a moment of silence for the late Janice Rothe, a beloved member of the Molloy family. The entire group also attended the Easter Vigil in Portugal, because according to Ms. DeNoto, “I always try to incorporate the Virgin Mary, or make sure we go to the Easter Vigil regardless of what country we’re in. What matters most is the experience, not if we understand the language.”
Although the trips are educational in culture and Marist values, Ms. Denoto makes sure to include exciting, once in a lifetime adventures on the itinerary. For instance, the group toured the city of Porto, Lisbon, home of one of the busiest sea ports in the world. There, they took a river cruise where they got to see “the port in action, and view the beauty of the city from a different perspective,” said Mr. Karsten. While in Ireland, Stanners and chaperones climbed the ruins of a medieval castle on the Aran Islands of the Cliffs of Moher, as well as attended a private, medieval banquet in a Castle.
While the excursions are definitely a highlight of the trip, everyone in attendance also witnessed a heartfelt display of human compassion. In Ireland, the Molloy group happened to come across one of the most famous Irish step teams performing a show. The team invited Ukrainian refugees to attend, and even went so far as to learn the Ukrainian national anthem and stand in solidarity with them. Stanners felt honored to be present at such a moment.
Nick Andreou, a senior at the time of the trip, was thankful for the experience. “For me, it was about exploring and trying new things,” he stated, continuing, “I was able to see things I normally would never see. My favorite part of the week was at one of the Irish Islands, talking to the locals, and learning about their way of life.” The trips to Europe will continue in the future, and Ms. DeNoto even wants to plan a trip for adults to the Holy Land. More to come!