Cardinal Gibbons offers many experiences for its students every year, including trips to different parts of the world. One of these trips travels through different parts of Western Europe, allowing students to experience different attractions of various European countries.

This trip is different from others here at Gibbons as each year the destinations are different. The leader of this trip, Mr. Taylor Blanton said, “Each year is a different part of Europe. On even years we go to England and France, and on odd years we go to Germany and the Czech Republic.”

This trip has been going on for quite a few years now. 

“I have led this trip 11 times, the first time being in 2013,” Mr. Blanton said. 

“I think my favorite part is seeing the reactions of students as they experience new things, whether it’s an incredible sight, or they learn something for the first time, just how the world opens up for them.”

Whether it’s their first time traveling out of the country, or seeing something new, every student gets the chance to experience something outside of their ordinary. 

“I think that each place, whether it’s a big city or a small town, is special in its own way,” said Mr. Blanton. 

Along with academic aspects to this trip, there are also spiritual ones.

“Because you’re learning the history of WW2 and the Cold War, there’s some spiritual aspects to  it,” Fr. Luke Rawicki said. “There’s a lot of prayerful elements from places during these times.”

Not every site has a spiritual aspect, but sites like memorials or chapels do. 

“We visited a few cathedrals on the trip, and we had mass in a couple of them. There’s also places that we visited, like memorials, where we prayed for people who passed or for their families,” said Fr. Luke.

This trip is overall a good way to experience new countries through both an academic and spiritual lens, while having fun and making memories that’ll last a lifetime.