I was always the kid in high school religion class with her hand up. I had questions about everything. I attended a Catholic Jesuit high school in Chicago, and I consistently struggled with whether to continue in my faith, especially at the college level.
Luckily, I have found Saint Thomas More and the Catholic community to be very inviting. I either attend the five or ten pm mass on Sunday, where most of the congregation is also a group of undergraduates. It’s also a welcoming place to bring my parents when they visit, because we travel to Davenport after 10 am mass for Sunday brunch.
Saint Thomas More at Yale also has the largest Catholic center at a non-Catholic university. When I attended Bulldog Days, my parents and I were stuck by how beautiful the center was. The original church is surrounded by the Thomas Golden Center that has comfy couches, meeting rooms and late night study snacks. I have also had access to speakers, prayer vigils, dinners and other events that remind me of my church at home.
Easter at college has also become one of my favorite holidays. This is primarily due to my Filipino group organizing an annual “Cholesto-fest” and Easter egg hunt at the Asian American Cultural Center. The joke about Filipino breakfast is that it is pretty much just rice and cholesterol-laden dishes. This includes eggs, sausage, corned beef hash, bacon and ham. My group goes to church together and crams our faces with food. Finally, for a violent and noisy finale, every KASAMA member scrabbles to locate each egg in the house.
I am speaking from my personal experience in faith. However, I have also been able to take part in many different religious celebrations on campus. I have had delicious Kosher meals at the Jewish Chabad house several Fridays. I have thrown paint at my classmates in the Hindu spring celebration of Holi. I have sang at Sunday services in the Yale Gospel Choir at the Black Church at Yale. All in all, Yale provides the opportunity for a glimpse at many rich spiritual lives.
