Finding Community 4,000 Miles from Boston

This summer we traveled to Upper Austria to study Theological German at Katholische Privat-Universität (the Catholic Private University) in Linz. The trip was made possible by an Erasmus partnership between KU and CSTM, offering us the unique opportunity to learn and immerse ourselves in a new language and culture.

The group of us studying in Linz this summer was small; we were five students in total (three master’s students from CSTM and two doctoral students from the BC theology department). By nature of our being together, we grew in relationship throughout the summer as we navigated living and studying in this new place. In class, we supported one another as we learned all sixteen ways of saying “the” in German; bonded during class trips to Vienna, Gmunden, and Sankt Radegund; and accompanied one another as we explored and got to know the place we called home for two months. Together we coordinated our own trips to get to know Austria and each other more deeply, traveling to iconic monasteries, mountains, and museums and learning about the culture and history that surrounded us.   

A shared interest of ours is singing, so when we heard about a choir at KU, we immediately knew we had to join. Showing up to our first rehearsal, we met the brilliant Dominik, a researcher at the university who channeled his energy and passion for music into the formation of a choir made up of staff, faculty, and students. We joined the choir as they were preparing for the end-of-year liturgy and immediately found ourselves singing pieces in English, German, and even Estonian. After just a few rehearsals (since the Austrian school year was wrapping up just as we arrived), we showcased our hard work and raised our voices in praise at this university-wide liturgy. Along the way we enjoyed getting to know some of the members of the university community who were most welcoming and accepting of our last-minute entry into their group!

Over the course of our stay in Linz, it was a great honor to meet people from around the world who now call Austria home. Alexis – an English major in another life – joined a book club started by local expats who have formed community around a shared love of reading English literature. While discussing Big Little Lies, the conversation proved stimulating as people from various countries and contexts weighed in on topics like gender and social status. Meanwhile, Keighlee wandered into a vintage market one day and walked out with friends immersed in the Upper Austrian arts scene. From backyard barbecues and musicals in Linz to art galleries and mineral baths in the Burgenland, invitations to experience Austrian culture through the eyes of those who not only live it but work to create it was a priceless gift.

Our group also quickly became fond of the pub quiz (trivia) nights hosted by Linz’s Irish pub. While our team, “American Idols,” didn’t start off too strong – winning the prize awarded to the team that places dead last – Monday nights at Chelsea Pub became sacred as we watched EuroCup matches or the Olympics, chatted with new friends we invited to join our team, and made educated guesses about the Gen X-leaning questions our trivia master, Kieran, threw at us.

From the Catholic praise and worship nights in the local hospital chapel to the Carmelite Church gift shop, friendly faces greeted us each week in Linz. Another beloved place of ours was Johann’s, a cafe located on Linz’s busiest street, where our favorite waiter, Siyaram, worked. He helped us practice ordering in German while we helped him plan his first trip to the United States!

A particularly special connection we formed was with Sam, who was an exchange student at CSTM from KU Linz. During his time in Boston, Sam met Alex (another member of our delegation) who was an M.T.S. student at the time. Though an ocean apart, they’ve maintained a strong bond ever since, and we got to watch them reunite, this time on Austrian soil. Sam and his girlfriend, Anya, shared their families, hometowns, recipes, and laughs with us and it was a reminder of just how beautifully small our universal Church is.

While it wasn’t easy to leave the friendships we had forged in our first year at CSTM and the joyful candor we share each day in Simboli’s hallowed halls, as we reflect on our two months of studying, traveling, and falling in love with Österreich and its people, we’re so grateful for the pockets of community that both challenged us and made our time abroad feel like home.