The ANNOTICO Report
Catholic symbolism, paraphernalia, religious aesthetics
and art envelopes
its citizens are wherever they go.The ease of finding
a church here and the
proximity to their apartment is alluring to Catholic
students.
Going to church more, encourages more praying, and
thinking more about the
history of the religion,
and wanting to know more about the pros and cons of doctrine.
Even some non-Catholics attend mass for the experience
and education. "It's
fun here,You don't actually know what someone's saying,
so you can just sit
and relax and listen to someone talk in a beautiful language."
Washington Square News
NYU's Student Daily Newspaper
by Sarah Portlock
Staff Writer
April.20, 2005
In Florence, Catholic symbolism, paraphernalia and art
envelopes its
citizens as they walk along a street, meet friends at
the Duomo or go to a
museum housed in an old church.
In contrast to the secular streets of New York, many NYU
students have
noticed that the increase in their exposure to religious
aesthetics has
spurred a parallel increase in their church-going habits.
"The religion is in your face," Matt Maggiacomo, a CAS
sophomore and
Catholic, said of Italy. "In New York, you can avoid
it if you want."
The Florence Office of Student Life has not noticed any
increase in student
inquiries about available religious services, but many
students said they
are attending church more often since their arrival in
Italy. Some students
maintain weekly mass attendance while others only attended
during Holy
Week. Still, others stop in occasionally to light a candle
and pray.
The ease of finding a church here is alluring to Catholic
students. Those
who have attended church more often have done so based
on the church
aesthetics, the duration of the mass, or the proximity
to their apartment.
On a weekend trip to the island of Capri, Steinhardt sophomore
Andrea
Fezcko attended Easter mass.
"It was a beautiful church," she said. "It was the first
time I could
understand the Italian and finally feel a part of it."
Life abroad can also afford students more free time to
devote to their
faith.
"In New York, there's so much to do," Maggiacomo said.
"We have more time
to do anything here, and it's a quick mass."
Some non-Catholics decide to attend mass more for the
experience and
education.
"It's more fun here," CAS senior Jen Goodwin said. "You
don't actually know
what someone's saying so you can just sit and relax and
listen to someone
talk in a beautiful language."
Goodwin, who is not Catholic, has gone to mass twice in Florence.
But for some students, living in Italy doesn't necessarily
translate to
more time in a confession booth.
"We're traveling so much," Melissa Daghini, a Catholic
Tisch junior,
explained. "In New York and at home, I have a set schedule.
Here I don't. I
don't feel inclined to go to church just because I'm
in Italy."
Students also point to a clear distinction between an
increase in
attendance and increased religious feelings.
"Obviously there's more to being religious than going
to church, but I'm
praying more, I want to pray more, and I feel closer
to it," Feczko said.
This physical presence encourages students to think more
about the history
of the religion.
"It makes me question it more," said Charlene Manuel,
a Steinhardt senior
who is Catholic. "People built beautiful, big churches
for religion. They
built them on their faith and now there's so much to
contradict the faith.
It puts you back in time."
Feczko agreed.
"You sit [in church] and you think about how long this
religion's been
around and what it was like to sit there thousands of
years ago when it was
beginning," she said.
Despite thousands of miles between them and their families,
some students
said keeping up the habit of going to church can even
make them feel closer
to home than they do in New York.
Maggiacomo smiled. "I'm actually proud of myself here
for going," he said.
"I can get back to what I do at home."