“I Love it Here”

But since an ordinary game of water polo wouldn’t be challenge enough, students first coated themselves in Crisco, while the prefects slathered the watermelon that would serve as the game ball. As soon as the referee threw the slippery watermelon into the water, the game began! Each team tried to get the watermelon to the opposite side of the pond, while their opponents pushed against them. The players created waves by jostling for the gourd, which, of course, kept slipping out of their hands. Eventually, the teams achieved their goal, and the games came to an end, though the men broke open two watermelons in the process! 

Soaking wet and still slimy with Crisco, the high schoolers trooped back to upper campus to find a giant slip n’ slide waiting for them. They poured soap over themselves to create some extra slip, then launched themselves down the slide while prefects sprayed them with hoses. Students lined up, took running starts, then let momentum, gravity, and soapy water do the rest! What better way could there be to beat the heat on a sunny afternoon?

For dinner, instead of heading inside St. Joseph’s Commons to the dining room, the programmers stayed in the sun at a picnic barbecue on the lawn outside. Prefect Luke Connelly (’26), famous among his fellow students for hosting a weekly “Meat Club” during the school year, treated the high schoolers to homemade brisket, which he smoked for over 23 hours in preparation for the dinner. The students piled their plates with brisket and mac and cheese, then found their places on picnic blankets around the lawn to enjoy the meal together.

Exhausted from an afternoon of fun, the programmers next attended Study Hall in St. Bernardine of Siena Library …

… then gathered in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel to spend some time in prayer and recollection. Rev. Sebastian Walshe (’94), the Summer Program chaplain, exposed the Blessed Sacrament to the students and offered a reflection on the story of the prodigal son. “A child is always the son or daughter of their father, and no sin can blot that out,” Fr. Sebastian reminded his listeners. “Jesus Christ did not die to purchase slaves. He died to purchase his brothers and sisters, that we might come back to God as His most beloved children.”

Students prayed the Rosary together and, kneeling, adored the Lord truly present on the altar before them. Fr. Sebastian, as well as TAC’s head chaplain, Rev. Robert Marczewski, and Rev. Barnaby Johns, a visiting priest, offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout Adoration, while prefect Anna Santine (’22) led a choir of her fellow prefects and filled the building with peaceful hymns of worship. The high schoolers left the Chapel after benediction, refreshed and revived, remembering that amid all the busyness of the day, the Lord is truly at the center of life at TAC.

With new energy and joy, the high schoolers came together in St. Patrick’s Coffee Shop for milkshakes. After choosing between chocolate and vanilla, they drank their shakes while chatting at tables, playing games, or strumming guitars. Some left the Coffee Shop to play volleyball and frisbee, or to take their last opportunity to audition for this weekend’s Open-Mic Night. “I love it here,” said Maria M. at the end of another busy day. “I love the people, the experiences, everything.”

Finally, it was time for the programmers to return to their residence halls for some well-earned sleep. Come back to the Summer Program Blog later today to read about the last classes of the week, as the students wrestle with some big questions about God’s existence!