This spring, Carroll College was represented abroad in a meaningful way as Dr. Julie Crohas, assistant professor and director of the French & Francophone Studies Program, and Maria Szpilka, a sophomore from Helena, joined Father Patrick Beretta, former chair of the Carroll Board of Trustees, and 116 parishioners from Butte on an eight-day pilgrimage through France.
The group, ranging in age from 13 to 89 and including many Carroll alumni, traveled from April 8–16, visiting some of France’s most iconic spiritual, cultural, and historic sites. Dr. Crohas and Mary were invited by Fr. Beretta to help guide pilgrims throughout the journey, assisting with logistics, chaperoning buses, answering questions about French language and culture, and helping participants navigate the busy streets and subway system of Paris.
“We had two parallel objectives: receiving some help and offering an opportunity,” Father Beretta shared, explaining that the size and complexity of leading a group of 116 pilgrims required experienced support, while also creating a meaningful learning opportunity for Carroll College faculty and student participants.
“It is now clear to me that I could not have done it successfully without the invaluable support of Dr. Julie Crohas and Maria Szpilka. They were true blessings.”
The pilgrimage began with a special visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral, whose reopening following the devastating 2019 fire inspired the trip. Father Beretta explained that the idea first emerged after he gave a homily about the cathedral’s remarkable restoration, which required rediscovering centuries-old carpentry techniques to rebuild the famed wooden roof structure known as “the Forest.”
What followed was nearly 20 months of careful planning and an enthusiastic response from parishioners eager to participate.
During the trip, pilgrims enjoyed a Seine River cruise, a visit to the Eiffel Tower, tours of the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles, and a moving day in Normandy that included Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. Optional excursions included sacred sites such as Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
Participants also experienced a deeply personal side of France through Father Beretta’s own neighborhood tour, where pilgrims visited his childhood schools and family neighborhood, met members of his family and his lifelong friend François Laborde, and shared a celebratory meal at a traditional Parisian bistro. Throughout the trip, Father Beretta’s family and François frequently joined the group, offering stories, conversation, and local insight that created a more immersive and authentic experience for the participants.
Dr. Crohas said the journey offered rich cultural exchange and meaningful connection.
“It was a very intense human adventure, with a lot of emotions, joy and togetherness,” she said. “I am always thrilled to rediscover my home country through the eyes of other people.”
She also praised Maria, who experienced France for the first time while helping lead the large group.
“In just one week, her confidence in her ability to understand and speak French improved tremendously,” Crohas said.
Maria reflected on the experience with gratitude.
“It was an incredible gift to be immersed in the French language and culture, to experience the history of the Catholic Church, and to be amidst so much art and beauty,” she said. “I'm very grateful for the opportunity I was given to help lead such a wonderful group.”
For Father Beretta, the journey embodied the deeper purpose of pilgrimage.
“Pilgrimage is openness to the Spirit, an acute receptiveness to a new revelation,” he said. “The revelation can be about self, the true nature of community, or the presence of God within the fabric of our life-journey.”
The trip created lasting friendships, strengthened faith, and highlighted the value of Carroll College’s faculty and students sharing their gifts far beyond campus.
