Rome remains the spiritual center of Christian pilgrims around the world. The very beginnings of our great tradition of choral music can be traced directly to Rome with the Schola Cantorum established by Pope St. Gregory the Great at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in the sixth century. The magnificent treasury of that tradition makes touring for Roman Catholic choirs a spiritual pilgrimage even more than a cultural journey.
These pilgrimage tours combine sites associated with the earliest years of Christianity with opportunities to sing in many basilicas, cathedrals, churches and pilgrimage locales that venerate such apostles and saints as St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Mark, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, Blessed Fra Angelico and so many more.
Think of the spiritual encounters that await you and the growth your choir will experience as you rehearse and prepare to sing God’s praises in some of the greatest venues on earth! Imagine your choir singing to the glory of God in a liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, in Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, or countless other magnificent and historic places of worship from which to choose. Then imagine visiting the Christian catacombs near Rome. Testimonial accounts from our travelers tell us that these experiences are numbered among the greatest moments in the lives of many choral musicians on pilgrimage.
MCI has been a strong and exceptional partner for our choir. After performing three major trips both in the US and in Europe, I would recommend MCI highly to any group. They make tours a stress-free adventure. Groups can just enjoy the trip and not worry about all the details that go into planning for large or small groups.
We look forward to working with MCI on many future concert tours!
Donna Gwozdz Farwell, Director
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Choir