Duc in Altum

Cultural Immersion Experiences

Jesus said to Peter: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Although Peter had been fishing all night without success, he was obedient: he steered his ship toward deep waters, cast his net, and received a harvest of fish so great that it threatened to overwhelm the boats. Thus began Peter’s life as a disciple. Duc in altum, “put out into the deep” – these are words of bold encouragement and confident hopefulness.

In that spirit, the Humanities Program invites Providence College students to participate in our Duc in Altum cultural immersion experiences. Through these experiences, you will steer toward “the deep,” toward places of profound spiritual, intellectual, and cultural significance, to receive once more from God’s abundant generosity.

Duc in altum! These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence.
St. John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte (2001)

Duc in Altum experiences will introduce you to Catholic and humanistic intellectual and cultural life through immersion in ideas, history, culture, and locations nearby and around the world. Imagine spending two weeks in Krakow, Poland, studying the lives and writings of John Paul II, Faustina Kowalska, and Maximilian Kolbe; or two weeks in Oxford, England, studying C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and John Henry Newman. You might travel to Mexico City to encounter Our Lady of Guadalupe, or join thousands of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

What to Expect

Duc in Altum experiences emphasize four core elements:

Study and conversation,

centered on texts, works of art, or music with a special connection to the places we are visiting (you might read and discuss C. S. Lewis’s The Four Loves in “The Eagle and the Child,” the Oxford pub where Lewis, Tolkien, and the other “Inklings” met regularly to converse and read one another’s writing).

Prayer and reflection,

often in places of special historical importance (students in Krakow, Poland might pray the chaplet of divine mercy, beloved by St. Pope John Paul II, at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy just outside his native city).

Fellowship and friendship,

the hope of all young people, receives special depth and significance when a group is bound together closely for travel, study, prayer, and exploration, focused especially on shared meals and recreation (students kayaking on the Green River in the Moab Desert in Utah might cook and eat together on bare ground as they grow in friendship and confidence).

Walking in the steps of the saints,

the desire of all pilgrims, is the context for the study, conversation, prayer, reflection, and fellowship of the Duc in Altum immersion experiences. Catholicism is a religion of place, and of the senses, and students who pray where Newman prayed, or stand where Thomas Becket stood when he was martyred, thereby join themselves to the communion of saints and the universal church in a special and profound way.

It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do what we did. To study a beloved author where he wrote, and to appreciate the things that he appreciated where he appreciated them… It seemed to accomplish all that the Humanities Program at PC is trying to accomplish, which was to grow in experiences that lead us to the truth with other members of the PC community. My scope on the good, the true, and the beautiful is truly expanded after this trip.
Surprised by Joy: C. S. Lewis’s Oxford (2023)

Four Types of Duc in Altum Experience

Although all Duc in Altum experiences emphasize study, reflection, fellowship, and imitation of the saints, experiences are also divided into four core categories: the life of the mind, leadership development, works of mercy, and pilgrimage. Some Duc in Altum experiences are organized by the Humanities Program, while others are hosted by campus partners such as the Chaplaincy (see for example this Providence College news article on the “Footsteps of St. Dominic” pilgrimage). Listed below are upcoming Duc in Altum opportunities and application information.

**Upcoming Duc in Altum Experiences**

Works of Mercy
FaithWorks
Providence, Rhode Island – August 23-28, 2025

FaithWorks is a service-immersion program in Providence, R.I. for first-year students that takes place in August before Fall Orientation. Organized by Campus Ministry, FaithWorks helps new students build community with their peers, serve vulnerable populations in Providence, and reflect on the significance of this work for their lives. The program is facilitated by a campus minister and student coordinators in collaboration with many faith-based organizations in the greater Providence area. For more information, contact Fr. Clement Dickie, Associate Chaplain.

The Life of the Mind
Thomistic Institute Intellectual Retreat on Neuroscience and the Soul
Washington, D.C. – December 5-7, 2025

Join the Thomistic Institute for an Intellectual Retreat on neuroscience and the soul at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Students will attend talks from renowned scholars, participate in Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Divine Office with the Dominican community, and attend socials with students and friars throughout the weekend. Cost is $50 per student and space is limited. Room and board will be provided to all accepted applicants. Additional information and application can be found here.

Works of Mercy
Louisiana Immersion
Martinsville, Louisiana – January 4-10, 2026

Organized by Campus Ministry, the annual Louisiana Immersion experience cultivates, through active service in the light of faith, solidarity with people living on the margins in Louisiana. Participants join in the work of Saint Teresa Center for Works of Mercy, a ministry committed to living out the Gospel through direct service to those in need. Located in the heart of Louisiana and run by the Community of Jesus Crucified, the Center provides essential support such as food, clothing, and shelter, while also fostering spiritual and emotional healing through compassionate outreach. Live simply and in community together, participate in prayer, daily Mass, and reflection, and share in this community’s culture, music, food, faith, and stories. For more information, contact Fr. Clement Dickie, Associate Chaplain.

The Life of the Mind
Stillness in the Floating City
Venice, Italy – January 1-11, 2026 – Includes Course Credit

Venice inspires our wonder at the splendor and magnificence of human achievement. This interdisciplinary Humanities January-term course, led by Dr. Iain Bernhoft and Dr. Jiyoon Im, invites you to enter into the world’s most beautiful city at its quietest season. We will cultivate our habits of attention, receptiveness to wonder, and interior silence by appreciation of Venice’s artistic and architectural masterpieces. Through visiting Venetian Gothic churches, studying the greatest paintings of the Venetian Renaissance, and participating in daily group walks, students will expand their receptiveness to beauty and wonder. For more information contact Dr. Iain Bernhoft, Humanities Forum Coordinator; 3 credits; limited financial aid is available.

The Life of the Mind
Surprised by Joy
Oxford, England – Spring Break, 2026 – Includes Course Credit

Join Fr. Isaac Morales and Dr. William Hogan for an in depth consideration of the life, writings, friends, and communal life of C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest Christian apologists of our time. Explore Oxford, the home of Oxford University, J. R. R. Tolkien, St. John Henry Newman, and the Inklings. Read some of Lewis’s and Tolkien’s greatest stories and essays together at Blackfriars Hall, the home of the English Dominicans of Oxford. Limited fellowships for students are available. Part of the the C. S. Lewis Fellowship at Providence College. For more information contact Fr. Isaac Morales, Associate Professor of Theology. Applications are due in the fall of 2025 and are submitted through the PC study abroad website.

Works of Mercy
André House
Phoenix, Arizona – Spring Break, 2026

Organized by Campus Ministry, participants share in the work of André House, a ministry rooted in the traditions of the Catholic Worker Movement and inspired by Saint André Bissette and dedicated to serving individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Located in “The Zone”, André House offers a welcoming space where guests can receive meals, clothing, showers, and compassionate hospitality. The mission emphasizes dignity, community, and justice, inviting volunteers to engage deeply with those on the margins through acts of service and presence. This experience fosters a spirit of solidarity and reflection, encouraging participants to see Christ in each person they encounter. For more information, contact Fr. Clement Dickie, Associate Chaplain.

Leadership Development
Christ in the Desert
Moab Desert, Utah – Spring Break, 2026 – Includes Course Credit

Led by Fr. Gabriel Torretta, Dr. Gary Culpepper, Dr. Colin King, and Fr. Bruno Shah, Christ in the Desert emphasizes leadership development within the spiritual and intellectual context of the Catholic and Dominican tradition. Participants will travel to the Moab Desert in Utah where they will learn outdoor skills, including kayaking and canyoneering, within the context of Lenten spiritual and intellectual reflection and professional leadership development exercises. Hosted by COR Expeditions. Open by invitation only. For more information, contact Dr. Gary Culpepper, Associate Professor of Theology.

Pilgrimage
Fatima
May, 2026

More information TBA. For more information, contact Assistant Chaplain Fr. Damian Day.

Works of Mercy
Guatemala Immersion
San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala – May, 2026

Organized by Camus Ministry, participants in the Guatemala Immersion experience serve as volunteers for Friends of San Lucas, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with San Lucas Mission in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala. The long-term goal of San Lucas Mission is to improve and develop the full person—spiritually, intellectually, and physically—by treating the root causes of poverty and its immediate impacts. Participants will share in daily Mass, group reflection, and a visit (with Mass) to the room where Bl. Stanley Rother was martyred. For more information, contact Fr. Clement Dickie, Associate Chaplain.

Leadership Development
Verso l’Alto
Wind River Mountains, Wyoming – August, 2026 – Includes Course Credit

Led by Dr. Gary Culpepper and Fr. Brendan Baran, Verso l’Alto (“To the Heights”) is for rising seniors and emphasizes leadership development within the spiritual and intellectual context of the Catholic and Dominican tradition. Participants will travel to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming where they will learn outdoor skills, including unsupported backpacking, within the context of spiritual and intellectual reflection and professional leadership development exercises. Part of the Humanities Program’s Duc in Altum initiative. Hosted by COR Expeditions. Open by invitation only. For more information, contact Dr. Gary Culpepper, Associate Professor of Theology.