As the 2014-15 school year drew to a close, the rigorous learning conducted throughout the year at Benet neared its end as well. For a group of Benet musicians and teachers, however, that learning did not stop on the final day of school. Rather, they received a truly world-class education in
the finest classroom imaginable: the rich bastions of culture represented by the global cities of Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec, as well as the spiritual haven of St. Vincent Arch Abbey in Pennsylvania. The 2015 summer choir trip to Canada proved successful in that it opened the eyes of its participants to the sheer beauty of the world around them and fostered important albeit unexpected spiritual growth in the group members and leaders.

In order to glimpse the beauty of the countryside to come and visit all important destinations along the way, the trip planners opted for a bus tour instead of travel by air. This choice led to a long but thoroughly enjoyable drive across the continent. The trip began with a northward push through Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the U.S.- Canadian border. The first day of driving lasted nearly twelve hours in the bus, a long but bearable drive made worth it by the destination, the city of Toronto. During their stay in Toronto, the choir worked with a noted choral conductor and performed in mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Toronto. From Toronto, the choir crossed into French Canada, heading to Montreal. In a contrast to the familiarly modern Toronto, Montreal represented the unbroken influence of the Old World, passing easily for a European city. The choir got the opportunity to perform in the truly magnificent Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal and experience Canadian culture at its finest. The next stop for the choir was Quebec City, one of the oldest cities in North America. After completing its stay in Canada, the group headed for home, crossing the border into the U.S. at Niagara Falls in New York.

Once in the U.S., the choir headed for home. Along the way, however, they made some important stops. One such stop was made to the St. Vincent Arch Abbey in southern Pennsylvania. The Benedictine monks at the abbey invited the choir to join them for Vespers and dinner afterwards. A highlight of the night had to be a program shown in the St. Vincent University planetarium in which a brother took the choir on a tour of the Universe, making connections between the beauty and vastness of space and the infiniteness of our God. A truly amazing and unexpected experience was had by all that night. From St. Vincent’s, the choir traveled to the Rock-and-Roll hall of fame in Cleveland and then on to home.

The choir trip to Canada this summer provided uniquely beautiful experiences to all those involved. Although it represented the final Benet experience for graduated seniors and thus carried with it some melancholy, the trip provided opportunities to make truly unforgettable memories that will live on long after its conclusion.