HPU Students Explore Faith During Spring Pilgrimage in Italy
Pictured in the front row outside Florence, Italy were Bella Smith, Gwenn Noel, Trinity Stigler, Cassidy Brake, Renee Monge, Mia Spies, BriAnna Doll, Lauren Talley, Sophia Butironi, Benjamin Atkinson and Maddison Hill. In the back row were Rev. Dr. Preston Davis, Liam Cavicchia, Dr. Christopher Franks, Kody Lambeth, Jack Moreland, Emerson Hanson, Emma Higgins, Shelby Rosenhahn, Cole Myers, Thomas Owens, Ali Cranfill and Zaria Owens.
HIGH POINT, N.C., March 13, 2025 – A group of 20 High Point University students traveled to Italy during spring break in late February, which coincided with the Catholic Year of Jubilee that occurs every 25 years in the Catholic Church.
They were accompanied by Rev. Dr. Preston Davis, vice president and minister to the university; Dr. Christopher Franks, chair and associate professor of religion and philosophy; and Gwenn Noel, vice president of Student Life.
Students visited Milan, Pavia, Florence, Siena, Assisi and Rome. They prepared for the trip by studying the lives, writings and influence of Saints Augustine of Hippo, Catherine of Siena and Francis of Assisi, and major artistic works of the Italian Renaissance. Along the way, students were able to walk in the footsteps of the early church, learn more about Italy’s influence on the western world and develop deeper friendships and a stronger faith.
“As pastor to our community, there is no greater reward than seeing students experience deeper connections between scripture, sacred places like these and their own lives,” said Davis. “With each location we visited, there is another epiphany in a student and a life changed forever. Students didn’t just study church history, they experienced it.”
The pilgrimage was made possible by generous contributions from donors and partnerships with the HPU Chapel, Student Government Association and the Hayworth Foundation. Through these contributions, students pay only a fraction of the cost to travel. Such opportunities allow all HPU students to experience once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities.
Being able to travel to Italy fulfilled a lifelong dream and confirmed a career direction for Zaria Owens, a junior exercise science major on the pre-physician assistant track. She enjoyed admiring Italian architecture and seeing the artwork of DaVinci and Michaelangelo but was most grateful for learning more about the Catholic faith through the Christian lens of the journey.
“Above all, my favorite place that we visited was the ‘Holy Stairs’ in Rome,” said Owens, who is from Griffin, Georgia. “These 28 steps are the ones that Jesus climbed when he was sentenced to be crucified. Even though these steps were originally in Jerusalem, they were brought to Rome several years ago. Visitors can climb these steps, but they can only be climbed while on your knees. Even though this was a different concept to grasp at first, this experience was something I would not trade for anything in the world. Climbing these stairs was definitely overwhelming just thinking about all that Jesus went through during the time of His crucifixion, but it was also a time where I experienced an incomparable sense of unity, peace and renewal.”
Emma Higgins, a senior electrical engineering major and HPU’s Senior Class President, described the nine-day pilgrimage across Italy as “nothing short of life-changing.” She said all the students and faculty members set out on the trip with a shared objective to deepen their faith and understanding of what it means to live, love and learn like Jesus.
“We came from diverse backgrounds and denominations, yet we were united in our mission to learn from historical Christian figures like Augustine of Hippo, Catherine of Siena, and Francis and Clare of Assisi,” said Higgins, who is from Yonkers, New York. “The greatness of the pilgrimage was not just the incredible places we visited, but the group of student leaders who were selected to go on the trip and the amazing faculty who accompanied us. It was an extraordinary experience to travel with such a dedicated group of students, all united by a desire to grow spiritually and learn from one another.”
The three HPU faculty members on the trip didn’t just guide students through the sites but became fellow travelers, encouraging open dialogue and challenging deep thoughts about personal faith and how to live it out in the world, Higgins said.
Kody Lambeth, a junior entrepreneurship major, Presidential Scholar and Board of Stewards member, said he particularly enjoyed the sites, the Italians students encountered and the conversations that were had about seeing the way God moved through events.
“I learned the importance of communication while on the trip. There were many instances where words could become confusing and/or misleading,” said Lambeth, who is from Wallburg, North Carolina. “Looking forward to my future, Lord willing, in ministry as a pastor, I have been trying to figure out how to not just love others but love them well. So, undergoing this pilgrimage has aided this goal. This includes choosing my words to be full of the truth that God has given in His word but also in a way that shows His abundant love.”