Biduum Novi Eboraci is SALVI’s NEW 2-day Latin immersion program held at the beautiful and serene Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. Situated on the shore of the Long Island Sound, SIC offers the quies and seclusion that are conducive to an English-free environment, while at the same time, providing several cozy meeting spaces which foster conversation and sodality.

It has been a few years since SALVI was able to hold a biduum in the New York area, and we are so excited to offer one so close to the city, with accessibility by public transportation via the Long Island Railroad.

Bidua have proven to be quite popular because they offer the Latinist so much. For tirones, or those who have little to no experience speaking Latin, Bidua are a way to whet your spoken Latin whistle, without the week-long commitment of a Rusticatio. For Rusticatio or Biduum alumni, Bidua are a great mid-year Latin boost. But most importantly, for all involved, Bidua provide access to a community of Latin learners and educators, as well as a sense of fellowship and a nurturing atmosphere.

Program Dates:

January 15-17, 2027

  • Arrival: Friday, January 15, between 3 and 6 p.m.
  • Departure: Sunday January 17th, between noon and 3 p.m.

Features of Biduum:

  • supportive, intimidation-free environment
  • communicating entirely in Latin
  • high-energy conversation exercises
  • learning and relaxing in Latin
  • experiencing, as a student, active teaching methods
  • games for a variety of learning styles
  • techniques that will streamline your teaching
  • readings from Latin literature presented in Latin
  • pedagogical discussions

(Curious to hear what people think of SALVI programs? Take a look at reviews for Rusticatio.)

Why would anyone come back to experience a second Biduum or Latin immersion event?

Each time we immerse ourselves in Latin, we become better Latinists. Each Biduum introduces participants to a new curriculum, staff, and different teaching techniques that can be immediately implemented in the classroom.

Eligibility

You are eligible to attend this workshop if you have graduated high school, are at least 18 years of age, and have already learned Latin on paper and are interested in developing active command of the spoken language. Please note that Biduum is not an introductory Latin course and thus it is not for people who have no knowledge of the language. Typically, participants have completed, at a minimum, the equivalent of two years of traditional college Latin or four years of a high school Latin program. It is not necessary to have previous experience speaking Latin.

Location

We will reside and conduct all our workshop sessions at the beautiful Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. 

Retreat Center Address:
Retreat & Conference center of the Immaculate Conception
440 West Neck Road, Huntington, NY 11743

The lodging is in single occupancy guestrooms each with a private bathroom and shower. Visit the Seminary’s Photo Gallery to see pictures of the accommodations. 

To plan your visit and transportation options, please refer to the Seminary’s website: Transportation Info. 

Accessiblity

The main building of the retreat center is wheelchair accessible. Not all bedrooms are handicap accessible. Please indicate if you need an accessible room in the sign-up form, so we can check on availability.

Cost

$590 per person, all-inclusive, covering two nights lodging, five meals, tuition, and instructional materials.

Transportation to and from Biduum is not included (though SALVI can help arrange carpooling).

Refunds and Cancellations

You may cancel before December 15, 2026 for a full refund. After this date, we cannot refund your payment.

Biduum Instructors and Staff:

  • John (Iohannes) Young
    • John grew up in central Texas and earned a BA in Classics from UT Austin. He has taught latin and mythology to undergraduates at Hunter College, NYC, where he earned an MA in Adolescent Education in Latin. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Classics at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Chair of the World Language Department, he has been teaching Latin to middle and high school students at the Browning School in Manhattan since 2008. eE attended his first Rusticatio in 2009, which was for him, like so many others, was a road to Damascus. Returning to learn at SALVI programs as often as possible since then, John has also served as repetitor and curator at numbers Rusticationes, as well as repetitor and dux at various Bidua. He has served on the Institutions’s Planning Committee and Amy High Fellowship Award Committee. John served as Vice-President of SALVI from 2016-2018 and President of SALVI from 2019-2023.
  • Evan (Faber) Smith
    • Latin has been a part of Evan’s life ever since he dropped out of Spanish in 8th grade when his teacher sent him to the dean to be beaten for chewing gum in class. It was a horrible beginning to a wonderful and different sort of learning. After many years of study and more of teaching Latin and Greek in colleges and high schools, he attended his first Rusticatio in 2009 and has returned many times since then, both as participant and on staff. He reads and speaks Latin everyday, and loves coffee, baking, cheesemaking, and sauna.
  • Tina (Tina) Chronopoulous
    • Tina is a British-infused Greco-German transplant whose research and teaching interests range all over the Mediterranean and span more than a millennium, from Greco-Roman antiquity to the medieval period and beyond. Trained by old-school philologists, she enjoys deep dives into libraries and archives, as well as close readings of texts, contexts, and medieval manuscripts. She attended a SALVI Biduum in 2018 and has been a happy traveller on the speaking-Latin-road ever since.
  • Lyla (Lilia) Cerulli
    • Lyla was forced to learn Latin in the fifth grade at a Jesuit school on the upper east side of Manhattan. They struggled for the first three years of chart memorization, sentence translation, and disappointing their parents. Nevertheless, they persisted and continued to study Latin throughout high school and college, as it was the only thing they were good at after ten years of work. Lyla first started speaking Latin at the Paideia Institute’s Living Latin in Rome and continued their journey at Rusticatio Tironum in 2017. Since then, they have returned as a participant and staff member many times. Today, they teach Latin and are serving as the World Languages Department Chair at their alma mater, Dominican Academy, using a blended approach of reading, speaking, grammar analysis, and joy. On the weekends, Lyla enjoys comedy, ballet, and watching buhurtt.

Participant Behavior Contract

By registering for Biduum Novi Eboraci, participants promise to abide by the SALVI Participant Behavior Contract.

How to Register:

Complete the Google form below to register. You will be notified as soon as possible after your registration has been received.  

How to Pay:

Once you have received a registration confirmation email, please proceed with payment using the Pay with Paypal or Debit or Credit Card buttons below.

Alternatively, you may send a check payable to “SALVI” to the following address:

Edie Barry
SALVI Treasurer
3445 Hicks Road
Sebastopol, CA  95472

For any questions regarding payment, please email our Treasurer, Edie Barry at treasurer@latin.org. For technical issues with the Google form or payment, please email techadmin@latin.org.