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, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic during the 2024-25 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.
Philadelphia Region
- Exploring Poverty in Philadelphia
- Brotherhood with the Poor at St. Francis Inn (Fall Trip)
- Brotherhood with the Poor at St. Francis Inn (Spring Trip)
- Philly Jawn: An Exploration of All Things in Philadelphia
Exploring Poverty in Philadelphia
Lead Teacher: Mr. Goulet
Assistant Teachers: Mike Jacobs and Moira Hill
Cost: $0
Dates of Course: This experience will have experiences both in the fall and spring
semesters. Students will work on and off-campus at various locations throughout the
school year.
Description: In partnership with Philabundance, the largest hunger relief organization
in the Delaware Valley, students will explore the crisis of hunger in Philadelphia and
beyond. Hunger is the most devastating symptom of poverty in Philadelphia, and
students will explore ways to break this cycle. Students will run our Preston & Steve’s
"Camp Out for Hunger" collection, oversee a community-wide dress-down day, and
prepare and deliver our donation to the Preston & Steve Show and Philabundance's
Hunger Relief Center. Students will further spend hours volunteering at Philabundance,
Caring for Friends, and the Jewish Relief Agency in the winter/spring months.
Max enrollment: 30 students
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Brotherhood with the Poor at St. Francis Inn (Fall Trip)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Dembik
Cost: $0
Dates of Course: October 23-25, 2024
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. They will also help Christ in the City, another
homeless outreach ministry, serve a meal in Center City.
Max enrollment: 8 students
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Brotherhood with the Poor at St. Francis Inn (Spring Trip)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Geruson
Cost: Free
Dates of Course: January 19-21, 2025
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
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Philly Jawn: An Exploration of All Things in Philadelphia
Lead Teacher: Dr. Scanlon
Cost: $240
Dates of Course: TBD
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: 24 students
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Out of Philadelphia
- Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA)
- French West African and Caribbean Culture in Harlem
- Enkindling the Vision of the American Dream
- Art and Music Spiritan Immersion
- Spiritan Leadership Quest at Disney: Learning to Serve Those We Lead
- Encountering Poverty in Boston
Duquesne University Leadership Academy (DULA)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Fenstermaker
Cost: $350
Dates of Course: March 13 to 16, 2025
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 in order 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
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
French West African and Caribbean Culture in Harlem
Lead Teacher: Fr. Dan Sormani, C.S.Sp.
Cost: $120
Dates of Course: April 11-13,2025
Description: Students will meet and interact with the Francophone community from
Africa and Haiti of Saint Mark’s Parish, Harlem, New York City to learn about their
culture, share traditional meals and communicate in French. They will also meet the
African-American parishioners of this, the oldest Black Catholic Parish in New York
City. The students will stay in the Spiritan rectory with the Spritian pastor from The
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dinners will be prepared by different francophone families who will stay with us and share about their culture and life. Students will be immersed in the Francophone African and African-American community through this experience.
Max enrollment: 8 students
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Enkindling the Vision of the American Dream
Lead Teacher: Dr. Saxton
Assistant Teacher(s): Maria Lehr-Fortino
Cost: Less than $500 TBA
Dates of Course: Thursday, October 17 – Saturday, Oct 19, 2024
Description: The theme of this year’s trip is “Civic and Democratic Engagement.” An
essential part of American democracy is having an engaged population that is prepared
to be actively involved in the community. The focus will be on individuals’ roles as
citizens in a democratic society and contributors to community engagement. To better
understand the practices and core principles that define a representative democracy,
students will tour the US Capitol Building and meet with public officials and civic
leaders. In addition, the trip will explore how civic engagement can increase the power
of ordinary people to influence government actions by visiting the National Museum of
African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian,
and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The trip concludes with a visit to Our Lady
Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia to learn about the history of
Spiritan activities in the local community life and participate in the community building
process through a service project. “Far too often, people think of themselves as just
individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do
affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of
humanity.” –Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021)
Estimated Cost Per Student: TBA
Max Enrollment: 18
Art and Music Spiritan Immersion
Lead Teacher: Mr. Gabriele
Assistant Teacher(s): Mr. Hallahan, Mr. Coia
Cost: TBA
Registration Process: $50 deposit required.
Dates of Course: Three days - One day trip to NYC on November 21, 2024, one day of
service in January or February and one day of service in April. There will be additional
time requirements to prepare for each of the three days. Organize, host and participate
in the Fine Art Festival.
Description:
Estimated Cost Per Student: TBA
Max Enrollment: 30
Spiritan Leadership Quest at Disney: Learning to Serve Those We Lead
Lead Teachers: Mrs. Jenny Daily and Mr. Luke Profy
Cost: $2300 total, $400 deposit required
Dates of Course: May 23-May 27, 2025, 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 their leadership education, fostering 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: 30 students
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Encountering Poverty in Boston
Lead Teacher: Theresa Kohler and Patrick McGhee
Estimated Cost Per Student: $650
Dates of Proposed Experience: February 12-15th or 16th
Experience Description: Walking tour of Boston Deliver the knit hats to the homeless, either on route around Boston or to an area shelter. Visit and experience the culture of Boston at Fenway Park, see Boston from a different vantage point high up in the observatory, and take a sunset cruise through the harbor with history about Boston.
Get a thorough tour of Harvard’s campus and surroundings as well as the opportunity to
experience a large-scale forensics tournament. You do not have to be competing to
attend this trip.
Max enrollment: 4 Students
International
- Spiritan Exchange Program with Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland
- Esperanza (Dominican Republic)
- Tanzania Immersion Experience
- Spiritan Immersion In La Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
Spiritan Exchange Program with Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Kudla
Cost: $2,850
Dates of Course: February 21-28, 2025 and April 6-12, 2025
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 21-28) and then hosts that student when the partner is in the U.S. (April 6-12, 2025).
Max enrollment: 18
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Esperanza (Dominican Republic)
Lead Teacher: Mr. Perez
Cost: $2,300
Dates of Course: June TBA
Description: This Esperanza Dominican Republic mission trip allows our students to work with the Spiritans in San Juan de la Maguana. Students will plan, prepare, and facilitate a sports camp in the morning and activities in the evening for school children.
Max enrollment: 26
Forms
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Tanzania Immersion Experience
Lead Teacher: Mr. Geruson
Assistant Teachers: TBA
Cost: $3,500
Dates of Course: August 1-8,2025 (Tentative) Eight (8) days during the summer of 2025 with meetings prior and prep work beforehand to allow students to understand the history of the Spiritan missions in Africa.
Description: Students will walk in the footsteps of the Spiritan missionaries who work
educating and spreading the Gospel message to the people in Africa. We will visit the
Spiritan missions in and around Arusha and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, such as Tengeru
Boys School, Holy Ghost Vocational Training Center, a special-needs school, and the
Flying Medical Service. We will immerse ourselves in the culture of the people we meet,
the food we eat, and the communities we serve. HGP students will also have an
opportunity to go on safari during their time in Africa and experience the beauty and
magnificence of Tanzania.
Max enrollment: 10 students
This form is not currently accepting submissions.
Spiritan Immersion In La Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
Lead Teacher: Fr. Dan Sormani
Assistant Teachers: TBA
Cost: $2,500
Dates of Course: We'll leave Friday, June 6 and return Saturday, June 14. (9 days all together: 2 traveling, 7 immersed, including joining the big Patronal Feast Day of St. Anthony at the Spiritan parish of St. Anthony.
Description: Essentially, we will travel to Mexico (nine days, including travel) with a group of students (10 to 15 maximum) to carry out volunteer activities such as literacy, English classes, Bible study, sports camps, music classes, help with painting schools, donations of school resources, etc. Much will depend on the gifts, talents, and interests of those who join our team.
Max enrollment: 15 students
This form is not currently accepting submissions.