CLASS OF 2007 VISITS PAPAL EXHIBIT


By Brandon C. Briscoe'98


Just hours after becoming freshmen, nearly 100 members of the Class of 2007 strengthened their faith and their Jesuit ties, journeying to Houston, Texas, May 24-25, to view the largest exhibit of Vatican artifacts ever displayed outside Rome. Hosted for a night by Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, the group also visited St. Charles Jesuit College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and took in a Houston Astros baseball game.

The exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, entitled “Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes,” began with a replica of the first pope’s tomb, which Pope Paul VI identified as authentic in 1968. The exhibit chronicled the history of St. Peter’s Basilica, complete with a fifth-century painting that ranks among the oldest representations of Christ and sketches by Michelangelo made in preparation for his work in the Sistine Chapel.

A host of liturgical items was also on display, including an ornate papal throne, a stunning, 16th-century crystal chalice, and a pair of bejeweled papal slippers. Items used during the October 1978 conclave that elected Poland’s Karol Cardinal Wojtyla the 263rd successor of St. Peter were also plentiful. The exhibit concluded with a celebration of Pope John Paul II’s legacy, anchored by the colorful vestments and miter worn by the Holy Father as he opened the Holy Door of the 2000 Great Jubilee.

In Grand Coteau, the group toured the Academy of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic girls’ school that houses a shrine to St. John Berchmans, a Belgian Jesuit saint whose miraculous appearance to an ailing nun in the school’s infirmary led to his canonization. They also toured the Jesuit cemetery, paying respects at the grave of Fr. Harry Tompson, S.J.’54, who had baptized many of the trip’s participants.

Fr. Richard Hermes, S.J., celebrated Mass in the Strake gymnasium, assisted by Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J.’76, and Fr. David Brown, S.J. Jesuit faculty member Jody Fortunato’98 organized the trip with the assistance of Michael Prados’83 (recently named Student Activities Director), Matthew Ziifle, and Joseph Willis. Several members of the classes of 1998 and 2005 were also in attendance. Serving as alumni chaperones were Brandon Briscoe’98, Casey Cowley’98, Carling Dinkler’98, and Scott Hellmers’98. Jeremy Call’05, Robert Casey’05, Thomas Krouse’05, Andrew Lafont’05, Tommy Nuttli’05, Jack Stanton’05, Michael Tufton’05, and Robert Wood’05 served the tour as junior counselors. Although no medical emergencies arose, the group was accompanied by the generous Dr. R. Daniel and Mrs. Suzanne Jacob, parents of Christian’01.

For a dose of fun, the group saw the Chicago Cubs knock off the homestanding Astros under the retractable roof of Minute Maid Park and visited Dave and Buster’s arcade in Houston, easily working off the 35 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts consumed over the weekend.

The exhibit will be in Houston until July 27th and will also visit Cincinnati, San Diego, and Fort Lauderdale.








  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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