By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

WEST END - Cincinnati Museum Center officials expect thousands of children - from private and public schools - to visit "St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes," an exhibit which opens today and runs through April 18.

For Tom Monaco, director of the upper school at Summit Country Day and a European history teacher, a field trip to the exhibit was something he couldn't pass up.

After talking with the school's teachers, he decided all 320 students in the Catholic high school would participate.

"Almost all of us (teachers) had some course connection to an exhibit that encompasses 2,000 years of history through the church's eyes," Monaco said. "The teachers are all very excited. We're sure the students will be thrilled."

But he expects there will be something even for the 35 percent of the students at the school who aren't Catholic.

"My hope is that the 360 of us (students and staff) will take away whatever happens to hit us. It will be a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but there's something for everyone," Monaco said.

"It would be really foolish if we were sitting here in the same city with this amazing exhibit and didn't use it."

Rachelle Rowe, the special-programs coordinator for the exhibit for Clear Channel Exhibitions, said the exhibit is presented with an educational and an entertainment concept in mind.

In Houston and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the previous sites for the exhibition, students and teachers found applications in history, math, science, social studies and the fine arts.

"Hopefully, kids can go through the exhibit and this will ignite something in them and help them to find something they'll be passionate about," Rowe said.

Not all about Catholicism

But the exhibit is not only about passion. It, along with a supplementary lab on archaeology geared to third- through eighth-grade students, meets at least two of the state education standards in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, said Peter DeDominici, director of education and special programs for the Cincinnati museum.

He cites elements of the exhibit, such as a chalice used by Catholics held at the Auschwitz concentration camp and the archaeological science behind the discovery of St. Peter's Tomb, as being relevant to students.

"There is so much that can be done while totally avoiding Catholicism," he said.

The museum Web site offers activity guides for teachers to accompany the exhibit. The guides were compiled by Ephriam Dickson, director of adult programming for the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

The guides offer suggestions ranging from discussing the architecture of the basilicas, to studying leadership and the oldest continual electoral tradition - the election of the pope. A separate guide to assist religion teachers is also available.

Dickson said there was hesitancy in Houston among some public schools because of the religious aspect of the exhibit, but both public and private took advantage of the learning tool.

Fran Mulcahy, curator of education for the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, experienced a similar response from schools in her area.

"There's so much history involved in the exhibit that religion didn't become an issue," she said.

"It definitely covers the papacy, and it talks about the popes. And you learn about the history of the Christian religion; but included in that, there's an opportunity to learn about how that religion is intertwined with world history."

Getting most out of it

Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Museum Center hosted a six-hour teacher training for the exhibit that drew more than 30 teachers, including a few from public schools.

Mary Chase, social studies content coach for third through sixth grade in Cincinnati Public Schools, attended the training. She plans to encourage many of the teachers she works with to use the exhibit in some way.

Chase said the exhibit would be ideal for many of the district's sixth-grade classes, which are learning about the five major world religions as part of the state and district curriculum.

"I think in the public schools, it's our responsibility to make students aware of all religions to improve understanding among people, and to make this a better world," Chase said.

Sections in the exhibit

Introduction: The exhibit begins with a handwritten letter from Pope John Paul II and a film about the 1950s discovery of St. Peter's Tomb.

Tomb of St. Peter: This scene includes a recreation of the second-century Vatican Necropolis, including a life-sized monument that marks St. Peter's tomb.

Building the Basilicas: This exhibit contains architectural drawings, models and frescoes that tell the story of Constantine's basilica and the modern-day St. Peter's Basilica.

The Sistine Chapel: This exhibit gives the illusion you are standing on Michelangelo's scaffolding as he paints the ceiling. It also includes artifacts that explain the ritual surrounding a pope's death and the election of a new pope.

Papal Liturgies: This section of the exhibit contains liturgical objects used to celebrate Mass at the altar in the Basilica, which is located above the tomb of St. Peter and below Michelangelo's dome.

The Papacy into the World: This exhibit contains artifacts concerning the popes' involvement in missions all over the world.

Into the New Millennium: This section begins with a recreation of the Holy Door of St. Peter, which is opened and closed in Jubilee years, and includes artifacts from Pope John Paul II, including his original silver pastoral staff (due to his age, he uses an aluminum one now) and a bronze cast of the pontiff's hand.

More educational opportunities

Jan. 22: A discussion with Father Edward Smith of Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Anderson Township, who was a tour guide in the Vatican for 10 years. 4 p.m., Museum Center's Newsreel Theater.

Feb. 3: "Christianity and Art," 4:30 p.m., Newsreel Theater.Feb. 17-18: "Just for Teachers" 4:30-6:30 p.m., Museum Center.

March 19: "Biblical Inspiration: Christian Subjects in Art," at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Reservations: 721-ARTS.

Continuing: "Who's in St. Peter's Tomb?" a laboratory for students in third-eighth grades. Reservations: 287-7021.

How to get tickets

What: Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes

When: Through April 18. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave.

Tickets: $18.50; $9.50 ages 3-12; $13.50 seniors. Museum member tickets: $12.50; $6.50 ages 3-12. Groups: (15-plus purchased in advance) $13.50; $6.50 ages 3-12.

Information: 287-7001 or toll-free (800) 733-2077, online at www.cincymuseum.org or at the box office.

There's more: Tickets are timed at 15-minute intervals. Allow 90 minutes to view the exhibition. An audio tour is included in the admission.