The pilgrimage was organized by Elon’s Catholic Life in partnership with Vocatio Travel and was led by Father Peter Tremblay, associate chaplain for Catholic Life, and Kiara Cronin, student ministry coordinator for Catholic Life. The journey took the participants to and from Rome and then to Franciscan sites in the towns of La Verna, Assisi, Gubbio and Greccio.

The group first started in Rome, which included a visit to Vatican City. There, they received the opportunity to attend Pope Leo XIV’s papal audience, generally given on Wednesdays when the pope is in Rome. The audience included pilgrims and visitors from around the world.  Angela DeFlorio ‘28 shared her experience seeing Pope Leo,

“It was a once in a lifetime experience! I loved getting to watch him bless all the babies there, and the atmosphere was amazing. I found it really interesting that he did his best to address everyone in their native language, and it made his address feel very welcoming and personal,” said Angela DeFloria ’28.

After the audience, the group also toured St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The group then traveled north to visit the medieval city of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. One of the most well-known and beloved Catholic figures, he is often referred to as the “poor little man” and is the patron saint of animals, ecology and the environment. St. Francis died in 1226, making this jubilee year the 800th anniversary of his death.

Among the sites that the group visited were the Basilica of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Clare, the nearby town of Gubbio where St. Francis tamed a wolf, and the nearby town of Greccio where St. Francis set up the very first nativity scene. In the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis rests the saint’s tomb, and there the group attended a private Mass celebrated by Tremblay.

“I could feel the presence of God there as well as the spirit of St. Francis,” said Tremblay of visiting the tomb of St. Francis.

Many within the group appreciated the opportunity to learn about St. Francis more deeply.

“Being on the journey with Fr. Peter really added to this learning as he shared his knowledge of St. Francis’s life, order, and spirituality,” said Ben Carraher ’28 “Hearing from friars and priests that dedicated their lives to God through the Franciscan way of life was the absolute best way to visit and learn about Francis and the Franciscan movement.”

“I learned so much about St. Francis and feel a deeper connection with him, embracing lessons of simplicity and humility that I want to carry throughout my life,” said Anahy Felipe de Cruz ’26

The pilgrimage brought the group back to Rome for their last few days. They visited the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, where Tremblay explained that there were 500,000 graves of the early Christians, and the many people buried here are considered martyrs by the Catholic church.

“These people willingly died for their faith. The thought of all these graves opening and a huge crowd of people walking out of the catacombs, at the second coming of Christ, to greet Jesus was very emotional to me,” Tremblay shared, referring to the Christian belief that Jesus will return physically to Earth at the end of time.  He celebrated another private Mass with the pilgrimage group inside the catacombs.

Beyond their experience meeting the pope, visiting St. Francis’s birthplace and tomb, and touring the catacombs, the group also spent their last day learning to make pasta.

“I really liked the pasta-making class, and I actually learned a few tips and tricks from Chef Alberto that I took home and used to make my own pasta! I, of course, really loved the gelato, and I had a ton of fun trying some new dishes I never would have gotten to try otherwise,” DeFlorio said.

The group hopes to take their experience and knowledge back onto �þ���’s campus and share with others.

Leo XIV was elected pope after a two-day papal conclave. He is the first American-born pontiff, and Father Tremblay told WFMY, because of this, he will understand the hearts of American people better.

“An American pope will know us well, he’ll know our concerns, he’ll know our faith, he’ll know our life, and he’ll certainly know our culture, our society, and our politics,” said Father Tremblay.

Father Tremblay also spoke with WXII about how the new pope may inspire young Christians.

“I do believe there are a number of people amongst our young students, think about generation Z, who are reconsidering faith for a lot of different reasons, and many are looking at Catholicism for a lot of wonderful reasons,” Father Tremblay said. “And I suspect here in the United States, the election of Pope Leo might help to grow those numbers.”

Read more of Father Tremblay’s interview with  and

Despite rain moving the reenactment indoors to the Numen Lumen Pavilion, members of the Elon community gathered to take part in the annual Stations of the Cross ceremony led by Elon’s Catholic �þ��� Ministry.

One of the most ancient traditions in the Christian faith, the Stations of the Cross are a series of scenes commemorating the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ through scripture readings. The 14 stations — beginning with the Jesus being condemned to death and ending with Jesus being laid in his tomb — were displayed through the Numen Lumen Pavillon.

At each station, a volunteer carried the wooden cross, representing the burden taken on by Christ for the sins of all Christians.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to gather here this afternoon to enter into a very ancient tradition in our Christian faith,” said Father Peter Tremblay, associate chaplain for Catholic Life.

“Going back to ancient times, when remembering the Lord’s Passion, the faithful would gather and walk the various steps that Christ walked and remember the moments that he experienced along the way from when he first received the cross to when he was crucified,” Tremblay added.

The tradition of visiting and praying in front of each station and meditating on the week of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection originates from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the supposed location of Pilate’s house to Golgotha.

“We pray for all those gathered here today,” those in attendance recited in unison during the 14th station, recognizing the burial of Christ. “That we may live a faith that acts and be messengers of the good news as we continue our personal journey. May we find strength, guidance, peace and support from our faith and from each other.”

Elon’s Catholic �þ��� Ministry will hold Easter Mass on Sunday, April 9, at 11 a.m. in Alumni Gym. Elon’s main campus is closed Monday, April 10, following Easter Sunday.

These scenes are usually displayed on the walls of churches, but each of the 14 stations – beginning with condemnation of Jesus and ending with his burial – was laid out on Elon’s campus beginning at Fonville Fountain, leading around Young Commons and ending in front of Alamance Building.

The path walked through campus was identical in distance to the length walked by Christ (about 2,000 feet) from Praetorium where the Roman soldiers placed the cross on his shoulders to Golgotha where he was crucified.

From station to station, a representative carried the wooden cross hoping to actualize the burden taken on by Jesus for the sins of all Christians.

“To put yourself in that position, to feel a little bit of what Jesus felt while also being prayerful and mindful of the event itself, is a powerful and spiritual experience,” said Cole Picca, vice president of Catholic �þ��� Ministry.

“Good Friday is a sad day … however, we celebrate it because it makes Easter that much more joyful when you believe he rose from the dead after being crucified,” Picca added.

When arriving at each station, attendees said, “We adore you O Christ and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world,” recognizing the sacrifices made by Christ. A verse from the Bible and joint prayer were said at each of the 14 stations.

“As we commemorate this afternoon the Stations of the Cross, I invite you all to enter into prayer and beneficial mediation,” said Father Peter Trembley, associate chaplain for Catholic Life.

The tradition of visiting and praying in front of each station and meditating on the week of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection originates from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the supposed location of Pilate’s house to Golgotha.

“Lord Jesus Christ, you let yourself be nailed to the Cross, accepting the terrible cruelty of this suffering, the destruction of your body and your dignity,” those in attendance recited simultaneously during the 11th station, recognizing Jesus being nailed to the cross.

“May we never flee from what we are called to do. Help us to remain faithful to you. Help us to unmask the false freedom which would distance us from you.”

Elon’s Catholic �þ��� Ministry will hold Easter Mass on Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to noon at Alumni Gym. Elon’s main campus is closed Monday, April 18, following Easter Sunday.

“One of our concerns personally with our daughter and from what we hear from other Catholic parents is that they worry their student may disconnect from the church without mom and dad saying, ‘Let’s go to church,’” Renee Armstrong said.

To help first-year Catholic students at Elon find the services offered by the university’s Catholic �þ��� Ministry, the couple made a generous gift to endow the Armstrong Family Catholic �þ��� Ministry Engagement Internship, a peer-to-peer mentoring program that just completed its first year at CCM.

Patterned after a similar initiative at Elon Hillel, engagement interns are second-year students who serve as ambassadors for Catholic �þ��� Ministry. They develop strong connections with first-year students through one-on-one outreach, ongoing interaction and mentoring. The program includes leadership training, group programs and mentoring sessions for interns, where they gain the experience necessary to reach out to first-year students and help them overcome any challenges that may occur when moving into a new place with few if any familiar faces.

“Our goal is to keep students alive in their faith while at Elon, and we hope this helps bridge that gap,” Renee Armstrong said.

The family’s gift to establish the Armstrong Family Catholic �þ��� Ministry Engagement Intern Scholarship is part of the $250 million Elon LEADS Campaign. Growing scholarships is the top priority of the campaign, the largest in the university’s history.

Helping students find their way

The CCM engagement internship program was not in place when the Armstrongs’ daughter, Sara ’22, arrived from Kennesaw, Georgia, to begin her Elon education. They believe the program would have made a difference for their daughter and want to see it continue and grow to help future Catholic students at Elon.

“We think internships are important because they support the growth of students. We also know the beginning of a student’s college time is very challenging. The first thing they think about isn’t always their faith, even if they have strong faith,” Paul Armstrong said. “Having someone personally contact new students when they arrive on campus makes getting involved easier, rather than showing up to an event and not knowing anyone or what to expect.”

Father Peter Tremblay, director of Catholic �þ��� Ministry and associate chaplain for Catholic Life at Elon, said student outreach offered through engagement interns makes a major difference when it comes to attracting students to CCM and keeping them involved. Engagement interns contact incoming first-year students prior to their arrival on campus, offer greetings, invitations to coffee, Sunday meals or other CCM social gatherings and Catholic services.

As a result, first-year Catholic students at Elon aren’t like explorers venturing into an unknown land, Tremblay said. CCM’s program began in fall 2020 with a cohort of four engagement interns. As a result of their work, more students found the ministry sooner in the fall semester than in previous years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They felt more supported and welcomed to our ministry,” Tremblay said. “It seems to be the rule that if a staff person invites a student to an event, the student will appreciate it and may even humor the staff member by showing up. But if a student invites another student and promises to go with them, that student has a higher probability of showing up. A student reaching out to engage other students is an extension of the Elon model of peer mentoring.”

Engagement interns help first-year students acclimate to a new environment, raise their confidence to tackle challenges and make friends. It is an opportunity to build meaningful relationships, tap into leadership opportunities and strengthen or renew their faith, Tremblay said.

“The idea Father Peter has of reaching out to freshmen from Catholic �þ��� Ministry we see as invaluable. We really liked Father Peter’s engagement strategy and we thought we would support it,” Renee Armstrong said. “We also saw when we took a tour of the campus that religious life is important at Elon.”

Providing for the future

Tremblay said it was fortunate to be able to start the program during the COVID-19 pandemic as students returned to campus from a long period of quarantine.

“It was a special year. �þ��� were particularly looking for a community, a place for safe activities and relationships because they had lost so much of it their high school senior year when they didn’t have proms or other big events,” he said. “It was a tremendous blessing to begin the engagement internship program at such a unique moment as the university was trying to respond well to the situation. I have no idea where our ministry would be had we not had engagement interns back in August of 2020.”

Paul and Renee Armstrong are both retired from General Electric. Paul last served as a sourcing manager and Renee served as a marketing manager. Along with Catholic �þ��� Ministry, the couple have made gifts to Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, the Center for Organizational Analytics, Reed Finance Center, Kernodle Center for Civic Life and student scholarships.

“We really believe in giving back and providing opportunities for people going forward. Even if it’s not something our daughter or family will benefit from,” Paul Armstrong said. “The fact that we’re able to do this even if it only helps a couple of students a year we think is worthwhile.”

By choosing to endow the scholarship, the couple will make a difference for generations of Elon students, something that also appealed to the Armstrongs.

“The endowment changes everything. It allows us to craft a program that broadens our engagement with students,” Tremblay said. “This is one of those programs that makes everything else possible. The more students who know about our ministry the more students will become involved. It’s hard to express how fundamental this is to the work that we do.”

Tremblay thanked the Armstrong family for their faith in Elon and the Catholic �þ��� Ministry.

“Words fall short in my gratitude for the ways in which the Armstrong family supports our ministry. It’s not only a tremendous act of generosity but a tremendous leap of faith to trust us with such a lasting gift. It says something about the ways in which our donors believe and trust in Elon, how much the university highly values religious and spiritual life, our students and the multifaith work we’re all engaged in, and their faith in the good work that Catholic �þ��� Ministry is engaged in,” Tremblay said. “When you endow something, that’s a commitment to the future of a ministry and making that future a reality.”

About the Elon LEADS Campaign

With a $250 million goal, Elon LEADS is the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, increase access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and service learning, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and Elon’s iconic campus. As of May 14, donors had contributed $210 million toward the goal.

Every gift to the university—including annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts—for any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen Elon for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact, visit www.elonleads.com.