Thomas Haferd is fundraising
Pilgrimage of Service to Guadalupe
Greetings from St. Paul’s Choir School in Harvard Square, Cambridge. We pray that your new year has begun well.
As you may know, Saint Paul’s Choir School (SPCS) provides boys in grades 3-8 an incomparable foundation for a life of achievement, virtue, and service to others. Founded in 1963, SPCS embraces the great cathedral school tradition, uniting a classical academic and musical curriculum with the Catholic moral tradition. Within this community of camaraderie and high expectations, students build the habits of mind and heart to rise to all of life’s demands and thrive in a world characterized by constant change. This extraordinary educational experience takes place in the heart of Harvard Square, one of the world’s great centers of learning, ideas, and diversity.
The Tour
With that brief introduction, we are very happy to announce that for the first time ever the choir will be touring Mexico City during Easter Week 2019. During the tour the boys and staff will also be making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The pilgrimage will include singing at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. There the choir will see the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was imprinted on the fabric of the cloak, or tilma, of St. Juan Diego, in the 16th century.
Choir Performances
The five-day tour will also include singing Mass at the Basilica and other local churches and performing with peer boys choirs from Mexico City. The Choir will rehearse daily for their performances. There will also be other activities to mix with peer Choirs from schools in Mexico City geared to energetic middle school boys!
History and Culture
While in Mexico City, the boys will stay in the historic center of the city and experience first hand some of the most magnificent historic and cultural sites in North America. As the center of the ancient Aztec Empire and the seat of power for the Spanish colony of New Spain, the area contains most of the city's historic sites
from both eras as well as many museums. We will visit Palacio de Bellas Artes, the historic white marble building, which serves as both the city's top performance hall and an art museum.
We will also venture to several historic sites with guided tours. One outing will be to receive passes for the Trajineras de Xochimilco, —the famous canal boats in historical southeastern part of the city. Xochimilco, in the native language of the Aztec nation, means “place of abundant flowers” and is the home of the xochimilca culture that was established in the 14th century. The canal boats were established in prehistoric times and used to harvest food in the canals.
On another day we will travel to the Pyramids of Teotihuacán, one of the most incredible archaeological sites in the world. We will climb the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, tour the temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Causeway of the Dead and more.
Why International Travel
Throughout the almost sixty year history of the Choir School, our boys have toured nationally and internationally. From the very beginning, the purpose of the tours were three-fold. They share their beautiful voices and the music they produce with audiences around the world. The tours open awareness of travel and experiencing the world in ways that are mostly unimaginable for boys their age. The boys learn about the history and culture of specific destinations to inspire and elevate their educational experience.
Our Partners
This year's five day tour will be managed by a world-class tour company with whom we contracted at a remarkably low price. The boys will travel via tourist class and stay at a world-class hotel, located within a km of the center of Mexico City. Of course, a major concern of our is the safety of the Choir so we have been extra careful to ensure that our partners are trustworthy and have a perfect track record. To ensure the safety of all participants, we will have private transportation via tour bus to all performance and tour destinations.
The costs
We set a goal to keep the per person cost of the tour less than $1,500. This includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations for four nights, three meals each day and complete tour bus service for the five day tour. The tour company included in the cost tour guides to the pyramids and passes to the canal boats.
What you can do to help
We ask if you might consider banding together with our patrons to make a donation so that as many boys as possible are able to attend this incredible tour. Its impact, certainly, could be life-long and life transforming. We would not want to leave any boys behind because of financial concerns.
To help me get the word out, you can share my link to your Facebook Timeline!”
As you may know, Saint Paul’s Choir School (SPCS) provides boys in grades 3-8 an incomparable foundation for a life of achievement, virtue, and service to others. Founded in 1963, SPCS embraces the great cathedral school tradition, uniting a classical academic and musical curriculum with the Catholic moral tradition. Within this community of camaraderie and high expectations, students build the habits of mind and heart to rise to all of life’s demands and thrive in a world characterized by constant change. This extraordinary educational experience takes place in the heart of Harvard Square, one of the world’s great centers of learning, ideas, and diversity.
The Tour
With that brief introduction, we are very happy to announce that for the first time ever the choir will be touring Mexico City during Easter Week 2019. During the tour the boys and staff will also be making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The pilgrimage will include singing at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. There the choir will see the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was imprinted on the fabric of the cloak, or tilma, of St. Juan Diego, in the 16th century.
Choir Performances
The five-day tour will also include singing Mass at the Basilica and other local churches and performing with peer boys choirs from Mexico City. The Choir will rehearse daily for their performances. There will also be other activities to mix with peer Choirs from schools in Mexico City geared to energetic middle school boys!
History and Culture
While in Mexico City, the boys will stay in the historic center of the city and experience first hand some of the most magnificent historic and cultural sites in North America. As the center of the ancient Aztec Empire and the seat of power for the Spanish colony of New Spain, the area contains most of the city's historic sites
from both eras as well as many museums. We will visit Palacio de Bellas Artes, the historic white marble building, which serves as both the city's top performance hall and an art museum.
We will also venture to several historic sites with guided tours. One outing will be to receive passes for the Trajineras de Xochimilco, —the famous canal boats in historical southeastern part of the city. Xochimilco, in the native language of the Aztec nation, means “place of abundant flowers” and is the home of the xochimilca culture that was established in the 14th century. The canal boats were established in prehistoric times and used to harvest food in the canals.
On another day we will travel to the Pyramids of Teotihuacán, one of the most incredible archaeological sites in the world. We will climb the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, tour the temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Causeway of the Dead and more.
Why International Travel
Throughout the almost sixty year history of the Choir School, our boys have toured nationally and internationally. From the very beginning, the purpose of the tours were three-fold. They share their beautiful voices and the music they produce with audiences around the world. The tours open awareness of travel and experiencing the world in ways that are mostly unimaginable for boys their age. The boys learn about the history and culture of specific destinations to inspire and elevate their educational experience.
Our Partners
This year's five day tour will be managed by a world-class tour company with whom we contracted at a remarkably low price. The boys will travel via tourist class and stay at a world-class hotel, located within a km of the center of Mexico City. Of course, a major concern of our is the safety of the Choir so we have been extra careful to ensure that our partners are trustworthy and have a perfect track record. To ensure the safety of all participants, we will have private transportation via tour bus to all performance and tour destinations.
The costs
We set a goal to keep the per person cost of the tour less than $1,500. This includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations for four nights, three meals each day and complete tour bus service for the five day tour. The tour company included in the cost tour guides to the pyramids and passes to the canal boats.
What you can do to help
We ask if you might consider banding together with our patrons to make a donation so that as many boys as possible are able to attend this incredible tour. Its impact, certainly, could be life-long and life transforming. We would not want to leave any boys behind because of financial concerns.
To help me get the word out, you can share my link to your Facebook Timeline!”
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