Wednesday - Still raining in beautiful Paris

Despite the continued cold rain in Paris, on Wednesday our fearless delegation ventured out to explore the city. We visited the Eiffel Tower and then the Arc de Triomphe where we climbed 245 stairs to get to the amazing view from the top. Students enjoyed a lovely lunch and a little shopping before going to the famous Sacred Heart Basilica. It was another memorable day in France!

Uganda: Welcome to the YES Center

Our first stop on our first full day in Uganda was at the YES (Youth Encounter the Savior) Center Parish where we learned all about the work of the Catholic Church in Uganda. The YES Center parish priest is our dear friend, Father Joeseph Luzindana. Father Joe serves the community and is particularly focused on youth. Uganda has a very young population with most people being under the age of 30 so there is much work for Father Joe! At the YES Center, we visited the new chapel which was made possible through a gift from a very generous Ursuline alumna who met Fr. Joe when he visited Dallas. At the YES center, there is also a thriving vocational school where students can study sewing, music, hairdressing or catering. We had a wonderful time visiting our friends at the YES center!

Paris in the rain

Today our Paris delegation walked thousands of steps across Paris from the Bastile Tower in the historical district to City Hall. Along the way, our group visited a beautiful Jesuit Cathedral. We had hoped to visit the Eiffel Tower but it was raining too hard. Despite the challenges of the weather, we enjoyed our walk through this beautiful city!

Uganda - Welcome to the Pearl of Africa!

At long last, our Uganda delegation arrived today in Kampala, the capital of Uganda which is also known as "The Pearl of Africa." At the airport, we were greeted by old and new friends from St. Peter's Catholic School as well as the YES center Parish and vocational school. Of course, our dear friends and partners, Agnes Kasule and Father Joe Luzindana were there to welcome us and to help coordinate the details of our arrival. A few things that impressed and surprised our students were the amount of motorbikes (known as boda-bodas) and the lush green landscape of Uganda. It took most of the day to get settled into our hotel and to enjoy our first delicious meals - we can't wait for our first full day in Kampala tomorrow!!