A place in history

Published:July 08, 2024

Author:Carrie Gates

Spanish immersion teachers travel to DC for a firsthand look into American history and government

On a breezy early summer day, a group of Latina teachers walking through Washington, DC, happened upon a life-size bronze sculpture of 140 migrants huddled together in a small boat, titled "Angels Unawares."

They found the sculpture-a second casting of the original in St. Peter's Square commissioned by Pope Francis to honor migrants and refugees-on their first day in the city, after attending Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception nearby.

It felt like a sign.

The 15 teachers, who are almost all immigrants to the US themselves, were in DC to learn more about American history and government, with support from Notre Dame's English as a New Language program through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). But first, they took a moment to reflect on their own journeys and how they fit into the larger history of migration-from the Holy Family to the present day.

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• Faith