During Spring Break 2026, students from Ohio Dominican University traveled to Rome, Italy, as part of the University’s study abroad course, Rome, the Eternal City: Architecture, Faith, and Cultural History.
Offered as HIST/ART/THEO 285, the course brought students face-to-face with more than 2,000 years of history while exploring the intersection of faith, culture and architecture in one of the most influential cities in the world.
Throughout the trip, students visited iconic sites including the Roman Forum and Colosseum, Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica, and public spaces like the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. They also explored neighborhoods like Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter, attended a papal audience in St. Peter’s Square and traveled to Orvieto.
“The study abroad trip was incredible, I don’t even have words to describe it,” said Meggan Hitchens, a junior at Ohio Dominican. “We spent so much time going to all of these big, beautiful places, but we also had free time to enjoy the small places too. It was like every corner you turned, you would see an amazing fountain or building—it never stopped. The experience was so crazy.”
Hitchens said sharing the experience with a close group of friends made the trip even more meaningful.
“Going to Italy is already really cool, but having the chance to go with my best friends, all of the people I am super close with, Father Dan, our priest, and Amy, our dean, and getting to experience Italy with them was a top lifetime experience,” she said.
Amy Thomas, Dean of Students, said the experience allowed students to engage with their education in a way that extends beyond the classroom.
“There's no better education than travel. Rome gave our students the opportunity to experience history, faith, culture, and community in a way no classroom ever could,” Thomas said. “Opportunities like this allow students to step outside the textbook, grow in confidence, strengthen their faith and see the world through a new lens.”
For Fr. Dan Millisor, the trip also served as a way to help students connect more deeply with the Church and its global presence.
“I am always thrilled to experience the Eternal City anew through the senses of those I accompany on the adventure,” he said. “Our ODU students brought their curiosity, study and enthusiasm to this pilgrimage and came away enriched by history, culture and appreciative of the universal nature of the Church.”
Continuing its mission of global education, Ohio Dominican will next take students to Prague, Czech Republic, in May 2026 for a study abroad course focused on economic history through the lens of Bohemia.