On Friday, September 26th, Mr. Randazzo, Xaverian’s chorus, and a few members of the band traveled to St. John’s University for a special performance to honor the feast of St. Vincent de Paul. They were joined by the St. John's choir and their established conductor, Michael Fontana.

“This is a very valuable experience, and I’m very proud of you all for doing a great job,” said Mr. Randazzo, as he reflected on the chorus’s performance.

He also went on to describe how the singers sang, “a number of songs together, [with the] reflection hymn after Communion being Compassion Walks the City Streets.” This powerful song resembled the life of St. Vincent de Paul, and was sung to honor his feast day. Before the service began, MAX members were enlightened on St. Vincent de Paul’s life, who became a person of mercy, humility, generosity, and devotion to serving the poor. Between hearing this saint’s story and singing his dedicated song, many performers walked away with inspiration and enlightenment of values also reinforced in Xaverian.

One unique part of the experience was that the Xaverian chorus members got to be "led by Mr. Michael Fontana...he is the conductor of the St. John’s choir,” highlighted Mr. Randazzo. It was important for Xaverian’s performers, “to have the experience of following different conductors on the same piece of music to see how things are done differently, and that can be a learning experience.” He continued to express how everyone, including himself, learned new things about singing in a choir, which added tremendous value to the experience.
The event was followed by free lunches and t-shirts, which were generously provided by St. John's University.

Those who went on the field trip were able to interact and make connections with the faculty and choir members at the school. This was the third year that members of Xaverian’s MAX program were lucky enough to be involved in this mass. The Xaverian chorus hopes to continue this tradition and stay connected with Mr. Fontana and the choir at St. John's University. Needless to say, the Xaverian chorus did an excellent job during the mass and adjusted wonderfully to the co-conducting of Mr. Fontana. Students and teachers alike walked away with a new, unforgettable experience.