Spiritan Immersion Experience
In addition to an appetite to learn and grow, Holy Ghost Prep students need an up-to-date passport.
With Spiritan immersion travel opportunities to Ireland, Mexico, and Italy during the 2025-26 school year, Ghost students don't have to wait until college to study abroad. These students (pictured above) traveled to Dublin’s Blackrock College and other sights throughout Ireland, including Galway, Glendalough Park, and Wicklow Mountains in 2024. Their families then hosted Blackrock students here in the states a couple months later in this unique Spiritan exchange program.
And this Blackrock College Spiritan immersion trip is just one of a number of intriguing travel learning opportunities, both in the United States and outside the states, available to Ghost students.
Think Globally. Think Ghost.
Domestic Immersion Experiences
- Artis Immersion-Connecting Generations
- Brotherhood with the Poor (St. Francis Inn - Mr. Geruson)
- Gettysburg Immersion Experience
- Brotherhood with the Poor (St. Francis Inn - Mr. Dembik)
- African-American, African & Caribbean Culture in Harlem
- Building Community & Leadership in West Virginia
- Disney Leadership Academy: Learn/Lead/CARES
- Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA)
- Philly Jawn: An Exploration of All Things Philadelphia
- Spiritan International Affairs
Artis Immersion-Connecting Generations
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Carr
Cost: $50
Dates of Course: Thursday, October 9th - Noon till 7pm
Friday, October 24th - 10am till 7pm
Monday, November 24th - 10am till 7pm
1-2 dates Spring 2026
Description: Using the guidance of the Core Competencies of Spiritan Education, with a focus on Sense of Community and Commitment to Service, Students will visit with the residents at Artis Senior Living. In this experience, students will: strengthen community bonds, increase the resident and the attendees' purpose and fulfillment, share perspectives across generations and increase appreciation for the elderly, foster a sense of social responsibility and empathy, and truly develop compassion and understanding in unique scenarios. Not only will participants challenge stereotypes of the elderly or ill, but they will understand and promote inclusivity among all residents and visitors. Students will assist with meals, morning chats, activities, wellness activities and sports, and ultimately host a culminating "senior prom" for the residents.
Max enrollment: 18 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Artis Immersion-Connecting Generations 2026
Brotherhood with the Poor (St. Francis Inn - Mr. Geruson)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Geruson
Cost: $50
Dates of Course: January 18-20, 2026
Description: Students will have the opportunity to spend two nights and three days living and volunteering at St. Francis Inn in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The work focuses on preparing and serving several meals as well as stocking shelves, making deliveries, and doing whatever is needed to assist the Franciscans with their ministry. The students will learn about the challenges that are faced by the urban poor and people who are homeless and they will grapple with the potential ways to help a community such as Kensington. Students will live in one of the Inn's properties, celebrate Mass with the Franciscans, prepare their own meals, and spend some time in the community.
Max enrollment: 8 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Brotherhood with the Poor(Winter) 2026
Gettysburg Immersion Experience
Lead Teachers: Mr. Fenstermaker
Cost: $450
Dates of Course: November 7-9, 2025
Description: Students will learn about the largest battle in the Western Hemisphere which took place just over 2 hours from Philadelphia. They will experience the battle from time spent touring the battlefield and gain knowledge on the entirety of the Civil War from the extensive museum exhibits that are a part of the visitors center. Besides the battle we will learn about the Gettysburg Address and see where Lincoln stayed during his brief time in town. We will engage in a community service project with a local parish/school/charity on Friday to improve the area and connect with the community. Friday night we can have dinner at the historic Dobbins House restaurant where students can feel like they are in the 19th century and see a room used during the Underground Railroad.
Max enrollment: 16 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Gettysburg Immersion Experience 2026
Brotherhood with the Poor (St. Francis Inn - Mr. Dembik)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Dembik
Cost: $50
Dates of Course: March 23-25, 2026
Description: Students will have the opportunity to work in the "soup kitchen" of St. Francis Inn in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Work will include stocking shelves, making deliveries, and helping to prepare and serve one to two meals a day. The students will also learn about the challenges that are faced by the urban poor and homeless and they will grapple with the potential ways to help a community such as Kensington. Students will live in one of the Inn's properties, prepare their own meals, and spend some time in the community.
Max enrollment: 8 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Brotherhood with the Poor(Spring) 2026
African-American, African & Caribbean Culture in Harlem
Lead Teachers: Fr. Dan Sormani, C.S.Sp.
Cost: $140
Dates of Course: March 27-29, 2026
Description: Students will meet and interact with the parish community of Saint
Mark’s Parish, Harlem, New York City. Since 1912 the Spiritans have ministered in this,
the first parish to accept African-Americans in Harlem. With St. Katharine Drexel, a
school was built. The students will stay in the Spiritan rectory with the Spiritan pastor
from The Democratic Republic of the Congo and a Spiritan priest from Nigeria.
Students will be immersed in the African-American, African and Caribbean community
through this experience, will tour Harlem and midtown Manhattan, learn about the rich
history and spirituality of the city, and be active participants in the ecumenical Palm
Sunday celebration with St. Mark’s Parish and local Protestant Churches.
Max enrollment: 8 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- French West African and Caribbean Culture in Harlem 2026
Building Community & Leadership in West Virginia
Lead Teacher: Mr. Fitzpatrick
Assistant Teacher: Mr. Dyson, Dr. Pitts
Cost: $385
Dates of Course: March 31 - April 4, 2026, with 3 break meetings before the trip. Juniors, be aware that the dates of this trip conflict with the Prom. Juniors not going to the Prom are welcome to sign up. We hope many sophomores will also consider this trip to help us fill all 16 spots available.
Description: Students will have the opportunity to see and learn first-hand about the challenges of living in Appalachia, thus bringing the “face of rural poverty in the US” into light. Students will be able to work with their own hands to help make the homes of 1-2 families safer, healthier, and warmer, and learn how time, weather, and low incomes combine to make home maintenance a challenge. Students will reflect on how venturing to remote areas of the US to assist those often overlooked embodies core principles of the Spiritan Rule of Life. Returning participants will study leadership theories and principles before the trip and then have the opportunity to practice the principles and skills by serving as work coaches and team “leads” for cooking, shopping, cleaning, and community building/prayer.
Max enrollment: 16 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Building Community in West Virginia 2026
Disney Leadership Academy: Learn/Lead/CARES
Lead Teachers: Mrs. Daily and Mr. Profy
Cost: $2300 Total - $400 deposit required
Dates of Course: May 23-27, 2026, with additional meetings before the trip
Description: For five days and four nights, under the guidance of Spiritan values, students will study leadership through the Disney Institute’s Imagination Campus. Disney is highly respected for its leadership education, which fosters critical thinking in leadership and communication. As a global company, students will have the opportunity to explore leadership styles uninhibited by borders and inclusive of people worldwide. Students will study leadership through the Disney Institute’s Imagination Campus. Classes and activities will take place onsite in Orlando, Florida. Daytime activities include two Disney Institute Imagination Campus Workshops focused on development of leadership and service skills, a Keys to the Kingdom Tour to study collaboration and management, and MouseQuest, a team-building and discovery activity. Students will participate in nightly reflections with the lead teachers, which will include journaling, question and answer sessions, and other activities. The goal of the program is for students to identify and develop their leadership skills to become servant leaders. This Spiritan Immersion program also includes three meals a day, round-trip airfare, and five-day park hopper tickets.
This program is geared towards sophomores and will be given preference to sign up.
Max enrollment: 36 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Leadership Quest at Disney 2026
Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA)
Lead Teacher: TBA
Cost: $400
Dates of Course: March 2026
Description: The Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA) is a program for high school students to engage in challenging dialogue, motivating workshops and training, and community-engaged and social activities designed to enhance academic learning, personal development, faith development, leadership skills, and civic identity development. DULA seeks to foster engaging with the local community, growing in our faith, building servant leaders, and building community with one another. Additionally, participants will begin to develop the skill set necessary to constructively engage with diverse stakeholders to collaboratively achieve realistic resolutions to community problems; to assess their leadership style and craft a plan to recognize themselves as future change agents within their communities and the world; and to nurture the promotion of a holistic and systematic approach to peace and justice in our world.
Max enrollment: 10 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA) 2026
Philly Jawn: An Exploration of All Things Philadelphia
Lead Teacher: Dr. Scanlon
Assistant Teachers: Mr. Jordan, Mr. Gabriele,
Mr. Seminack, Mr. Foley
Cost: $250
Dates of Course: TBA
Description: Explore Philadelphia in all of its diversity on periodic weekday trips into the city. Prior trips included experiences in some of the areas and places that follow: the arts (a play at the Arden theater); service projects for the needy (making meals for the homebound with MANNA); social justice (a walking audio tour of Eastern State Penitentiary); food and culture (trips to restaurants and shops at Reading Terminal Market, along Baltimore Avenue, and in Fishtown); and parks and nature (a tour of Bartram’s Garden). Through these trips, we hope that students will gain a greater appreciation of Philadelphia, both the opportunities it offers and the challenges it faces.
Max enrollment: 30 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- Philly Jawn: An Exploration of all things Philadelphia 2026
Spiritan International Affairs
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Fortino
Cost: $50*
* (Additional costs will apply based on the number Of conferences a student attends)
Dates of Course: 2025-2026 school year
Practices after school Tuesday/Thursday, 2:30 - 4:30PM
Description:
The Spiritan International Affairs program fosters service, global awareness, and engagement with diverse cultures. These components reflect our Spiritan values by encouraging students to understand international perspectives, practice diplomacy, and work toward solutions for global challenges. Just as Spiritan Immersion experiences broaden students’ horizons through cultural exchange and service, Model UN cultivates that same spirit of empathy, dialogue, and responsibility to the wider world.
Max enrollment: 29
This program is offered only to students who are current members of the Model UN Group
Click here to register: Spiritan International Affairs
International Immersion Experiences
- Spiritan Exchange Program with Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland
- Exploring Our Catholic Faith in Italy
- Spiritan Immersion in LaHuasteca Potosina, Mexico
Spiritan Exchange Program with Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland
Immersion Trip Coordinator: Ms. Kudla
Cost: $2,950
Dates of Course: February 2026 and April 2026
Description: Students are paired with Blackrock College students. Together they attend classes at each school, participate in Spiritan programming, tour historical and cultural sites, and enjoy sports and entertainment. Each student stays in the home of his partner when we are in Dublin (February 2026) and then hosts that student when the partner is in the U.S. (April 2026). Priority will be given to Juniors for this experience.
Max enrollment: 20
Exploring Our Catholic Faith in Italy
Lead Teacher: Mr. Burke
Cost: $4,900
Deposit of $500 is due at sign-up to hold a space on this trip.
Dates of Course: November 21 to 30, 2025
Description: We will be in Rome for 4 nights & Sorrento for 5 nights. This experience will explore the history, art, and Catholic identity of Italy. We will visit the Spiritan headquarters in Rome too! The cost includes: airline tickets, hotel accommodations, transportation, all tours including Vatican Museum, SCAVI & Pompeii, all breakfasts, 1 group lunch in Amalfi, and 4 group dinners.
Spiritan Immersion in LaHuasteca Potosina, Mexico
Lead Teacher: Fr. Dan Sormani, C.S.Sp.
Cost: $2,500 - $500 deposit to reserve a spot
Dates of Course: June 11 - June 19, 2026 (9 days all together: 2 traveling, 7 immersed, including joining the important and lively celebrations of the Patronal Feast Day of St. Anthony at our parish of St. Anthony.
Description: We will travel to the Spiritan Missions in La Huasteca Potosina in
Mexico to carry out volunteer activities such as literacy, Bible study, sports camps,
music classes, help with painting schools or chapels, donations of school resources, etc.
Much will depend on the gifts, talents, and interests of those who join our team. We’ll
plan this together! The local young people in La Huasteca will also share their gifts with
us, teaching us folk dance, local sports, handicrafts, etc. It is a time to journey together
and share and learn! Our home base will be the Spiritan House in Tanlajas, in the mountains of San Luis Potosi surrounded by villages of the indigenous people, the Huastecans.
Max enrollment: 12 students
Click Here to Register: Spiritan Immersion -- La Huasteca Potosina, Mexico 2026