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From Rosati-Kain to Rome: St. Louis high school chorus sings to Pope Francis

After some lows this year, the girls got a reminder to believe and they were able to end the school year on a high note.

ST. LOUIS — Hymns are in harmony at Rosati-Kain High School.

A group of girls has been rehearsing since the beginning of the school year in order to meet Pope Francis.

Thirty-five members of the advanced chorus went to Rome for spring break along with teachers, parents and chaperones.

It was an eight-day pilgrimage and it was used as a trip to get closer to God.

St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski supported the trip by writing two letters to Vatican officials.

5 On Your Side also learned donors covered nearly all the costs of the trip for the students.

Rosati-Kain's President, Elizabeth Ann Goodwin, was the one behind it all and through connections, the girls were able to perform concerts at churches in both Rome and Florence and sing at St. Peter’s Basilica and Sant'andrea della Valle in Rome. 

During the trip, Pope Francis did his weekly papal audience with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. 

Papal audiences are held on Wednesdays if the pope is in Rome, giving pilgrims and visitors the chance to see the pope and receive the papal blessing or apostolic blessing from the successor of the Apostle Peter during their visit.

The group learned they would be able to be there for that moment 24 hours prior. 

But at the event, they soon realized that they would be able to sing to the pope and share their voices in Vatican City.

"We never really knew we were actually going to meet him except like seconds before. I was thinking, we are meeting the holiest guy in the world right now!" Junior Audrey Zelenka explained with a laugh.

Nancy Kowalczyk is the choral director and a Rosati-Kain alum.

"As soon as he heard our violinist play the first few notes, he turned to look," the 1981 grad explained as she turned her head to the left simultaneously. "The song was an arrangement of an Italian Catholic hymn. It was the most amazing experience."

She told 5 On Your Side, before going on the trip, she researched what the pope liked and chose specific songs.

Kowalczyk also wanted to choose different songs to reflect the diversity of the chorus.

"He loved Mozart. We chose an Ava Maria by an Argentinian composer because he comes from Argentina," Kowalczyk said. 

She recalled the pope walked up to them and waved to the girls. 

"Nothing can top that in my whole life, I was in the front row," Zelenka said with a grin on her face.

Kowalczyk said the crew was prepared well beyond the singing. 

One of the girls, junior Lorelei Beck, had a zucchetto in her hands, which is a small silk skullcap worn by Roman Catholic clergymen. 

Beck gave the zucchetto to the pope. 

Pope Francis then took off his, placed the new one his head, and then returned their zucchetto to the group. 

Credit: Vatican Media

Kowalczyk added, "All of us felt this washed over lifted feeling of feeling blessed. Some cried, some laughed. What an experience and a gift to do that."

He even blessed one of their teachers battling cancer.

Maureen Polasek has been a math teacher at Rosati-Kain for 21 years.

She's been battling cancer for more than two years.

"I was in the second row and I came to the front and he turned around, he blessed me, which was unbelievable in the moment. All I was thinking, 'Wow this is really happening.' Him putting his hand on my forehead made it even more powerful," Polasek said.

Credit: Vatican Media

It's a moment senior Catherine Ohs will never lose sight of.

"We were all singing and he came up and he walked right by us and he looked each one of our eyes and he was smiling when we were singing to him. This year has been incredible and full of many emotions. I feel so lucky," Ohs said.

They said this memory is now a gift, especially after Rosati-Kain families got a scare that the school would close.

However, alums and families fought for it to stay open.

"I was in a state of questioning my faith but going on this trip and seeing the Pope, all of a sudden, all of us including me, we were filled back up. I have a renewed faith. That trip that we took helped a lot of us heal," Kowalczyk said.

After some lows this year, the girls got a reminder to believe and they were able to end the year on a high note.

Kowalczyk shared, "We felt like that was even more important to then go and sing for the Pope because we had gratitude in our hearts."

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