Every other year, Albertus Magnus College sends a student and a faculty or staff member to study abroad in Fanjeaux and Carcassonne, France where Dominican higher education finds its roots in St. Dominic’s vision of a worldwide order. In the summer of 2022, mathematics major and international student Chisunta Chikwamu ’24 and Associate Professor of Biology and Chemistry Dr. Rosemary Whelan were selected for the journey.
Dr. Whelan and Chisunta joined 27 representatives of other Dominican colleges from the United States, staying in the Abbeye de Notre Dame outside the walls of the iconic city of Carcassonne.
“We had two wonderful weeks of learning about the history of St Dominic, reflection on the Dominican mission, and exploration of our own spirituality. In the process, we made new friends, enjoyed the gorgeous scenery and culture of the South of France, consumed delicious French cuisine, and all-in-all had a lot of fun. Our time was a whirlwind of wonderful experiences. Sharing these experiences with our new friends from other Dominican colleges created a strong bond that has persisted now that we are returned to the US. I’m so grateful for this wonderful experience, and I’m looking forward to putting some of our new insights to work among the Albertus community.” – Dr. Rosemary Whelan
The Albertus pair explored the village of Fanjeaux by visiting St. Dominic’s home and participating in mass at the church he founded.
Numerous homes are thought to have belonged to St. Dominic. However, he was a wanderer, and he owned nothing. From this nothing, I was able to travel to France, live, and learn about his life without using my own money to finance the trip. A trip I couldn’t afford on my own, but thanks to St. Dominic, I was able to do so. Even while admiring MontSegur’s magnificent beauty and the incredible scenery in Fanjeaux overlooking Prouille, the true chaos of life was ever present. – Chisunta Chikwamu ’24
Dr. Whelan and Chisunta exercised not just their minds and spirits, but their bodies too by climbing through the fog to reach the hilltop Cathar castle of Montsegur. They swam in, as Dr. Whelan describes, the “clear blue waters of the Mediterranean in the ritzy town of Collioure.”
The sights continued at the cathedrals, the cities of Toulouse and Albi, the gardens of Fonfroide Abbey, and paleolithic cave paintings at Niaux. Shopping at the market in the medieval village of Mirepoix was also a weekly excursion.
The duo’s adventures always came back to the work and legacy of St. Dominic, and how his mission relates to their personal experiences.
“St. Dominic exemplifies the pursuit of truth, which is made possible through study and deep dialogue with God. From these emanates spiritual growth that serves the larger community. A shared balance of loving oneself as much as we love others. St. Dominic was able to love others, serve, and educate many without having any money because he spent time studying and praying. Mastering the art of self-development in order to alter the world is a lesson we can learn from Dominic Guzman, a poor man who educated many. – Chisunta Chikwamu ’24
Chisunta felt so moved by her experience and studies in France, that she was inspired to write this poem:
I AM BEAUTY
Creating the extraordinary they seek: inspired by Toulouse Lautrec.
A mountain that no one can climb, but some do.
The magnificent. The great
I have climbed this mountain, I tell you.
You see the mountains?
All around but unreached.
Unrecognized, unconceived, unfulfilled.
I have been here, but I never arrived.
Seeking refuge, solace
and politely asking for a chance.
But it is constantly and bitterly denied.
I am beauty.
I stand, you push me down.
I talk, you shut me up.
I write, you erase me.
I am beauty.
The work of my hands?
You deny them the dignity owed to them.
You saw it in me but refused to perceive it.
And to my wounds you plead for my destruction.
My weight, my magnitude.
You think you have seen it all.
And the best has already come.
Do you feel my pain and see the tears?
I hear my blood dripping out of me, drop by drop
and with each, my soul and life.
You have closed yourself off.
You write now
and speak freely.
My scream! Oh, my screams!
You have heard of them.
Yet, you close your ears and fold your arms.
I just want to touch and conjure a reaction.
The world has forgotten the statue of honor they erected.
It lays down, never speaks, and will never write.
It has sought refuge, solace, and recognition.
But it will always be unfulfilled and unknown.
No matter the magnitude or weight of its work,
It is denied. Refused. Erased.
Yet, it is beautiful. They have all agreed.
No one knows its pain: a forgotten anecdote.
Now that you know of it,
Talk and be heard.
You’re beauty.
Climb, write, stand…
I see you hurting.
I see your wounds, I see you working.
I hear you seeking, I know of your desire for recognition and fulfillment.
But you know,
It is no mystery, because you’re beauty and I am beauty.
Learn more about the opportunities within study abroad programs at Albertus here.