Students from the choir of Aquinas High School, San Bernardino, went on a trip to Rome on March 15-20, where they were given the chance to perform in some concerts, tour the sights of the city and sing for Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The students attended as part of the annual Festival of Peace which brings together choirs from around the world.
“It is an exciting opportunity for the students and for the chaperones attending ... leading worship at St. Peter’s is going to be a great experience,” said Aquinas Choir Director and Visual/Performing Arts Chair Armando Duenas, speaking before the trip.
“Not only are students representing themselves, they’re going to represent the Aquinas community and the country, and that’s a big responsibility for all of us that are attending,” added Duenas.
Duenas said he believes that exciting opportunities such as this at Aquinas demonstrate the school’s commitment to “raise the standard,” by providing the very best to Aquinas students.
Dr. Paul Reed, who also helps lead the choir, said that the students and teachers who were attending were looking forward to the opportunity. “We’re very excited. The students have worked very hard to learn this music; it’s a lot of Latin,” he said.
Isaura Hernandez, a junior at Aquinas, said she has always had a passion for singing, joining choirs and singing in the shower or wherever she could. She said she was looking forward to getting to sing in a different country and in the Vatican.
“I can’t wait to see Europe; I’ve never traveled outside of the country, so I can’t wait to see another country, to experience another place in this beautiful world. I’m excited for that,” said Hernandez. “And it’s a great honor and it’s a privilege to be able to go to the Vatican, one of the holiest places on earth.”
Another student, freshman Jack Musgrove Jr., who was the most recent recipient of Aquinas’ visual and performing arts scholarship, echoed similar sentiments. “Singing is my passion, I love singing, it’s my life. And I just really wanted to represent my school and represent my religion. It just feels so good to sing to God,” he said.
“It’s not every day you get an opportunity to sing in the best churches and basilicas in the world,” Musgrove added.