CHICAGO (WLS) — On Wednesday, a group of traveling students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy collected their conclave costumes.
They were the very ones that captured international attention. Now, they are preparing for their journey to Rome, all the way to meet the pope.
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It was a school assignment seen around the world.
“This was just supposed to be an activity that we did for our students on a Tuesday,” said Allison Foeister, with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy.
Just days before the College of Cardinals selected Chicago native Pope Leo XIV, students at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Lakeview participated in a distinctive class project by organizing their own mini conclave.
“It has spiraled into something so much bigger,” Foeister said.
The viral video of the students’ mock conclave has now opened the doors to the experience of a lifetime: a general audience with the pope in Rome.
“We thought we were done with this, passed back the costumes,” Foeister said. “For us to be able to go do this, it just feels like a gift.”
Students going on the trip have been rehearsing singing the “Our Father” prayer in Latin for the papal audience in Vatican City.
On Wednesday, traveling students and staff received a special blessing.
A faithful farewell fueled excitement for a once-in-lifetime experience.
“I can’t believe I’m going to Rome to see the pope,” Tim Derov said.
“In my head I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh,'” Ines Martins said.
These students, who recreated a bit of history, now get to be a part of it.
“We’re all called to holiness, and you don’t need to be from Rome or someone extraordinary. You can attend an elementary school in Chicago and still be destined for great things,” Foeister stated.
It’s not yet clear if the students will get a chance to meet Pope Leo XIV one-on-one.
But just the trip alone, teachers say, will carry a wealth of memories, enough for a lifetime.
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