Recreation, Contemplation, Adoration — and Swing!

At the end of the period, the group made its way to Gould Commons for a dinner of juicy pernil pork, Puerto Rican rice pilaf, and fried plantains. Then it was time for study hall in Dolben Library, where students carefully parsed Pascal’s “Wager,” as well as J. Henri Fabre’s account of bee life, paired with an excerpt of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa theologiae on the existence of God.

After contemplation it was time for Adoration, with Chaplain Rev. Carlos Viego leading a holy hour in Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, including a meditation by Rev. Patrick Armano, a visiting priest from the Archdiocese of Boston. Fr. Armano gave an example of a woman whose life was changed by the Sacrament of Confession, 20th century French stage actress Eve Lavalliere. Despite tremendous worldly success, Mlle. Lavalliere was desolate internally. After staying with a priest and reading the biography of St. Mary Magdalen, however, she went to Confession for the first time. Upon absolution, “Jesus entered her heart and gave her the peace she had been searching for her whole life,” said Fr. Armano, which led her to dedicate the rest of her years to the service of God.

Fr. Armano concluded this story by reminding the students of the importance of Confession. “Remember to open your hearts and minds to God,” he said. “Ask the Lord for a good examination of conscience.” The two priests then took to the confessionals for students who wanted to avail themselves of the sacrament, while the group prayed the Rosary. The holy hour concluded as the choir sang soft polyphony, accompanied by Head Men’s Prefect Paul Dinan on the organ, after which Fr. Viego led benediction.

For the night’s last activity, students attended a dance class in Bl. Frassati Student Center. Their instructors, TAC’s College and Career Advisor Daniel Selmeczy and prefect Ana Patricia Cardenas (’25), taught them the basics of swing, starting with learning how to count steps and slowly progressing to the East Coast-style rock step. For many, swing dancing was a new experience, but everyone was willing to try it out, growing more confident as the night went on. The coffee shop opened at 9:30, serving chocolate, vanilla, and Oreo milkshakes to the thirsty dancers, who quickly cleared the counter of cups. The programmers were having so much fun dancing that prefects extended curfew to give them more time to practice!

At curfew, most students were so tired that they went straight to bed. A few stayed up a little longer to talk and eat pretzels, but they soon headed back to their rooms as well. Friday’s classes — Pascal, Fabre, and St. Thomas — beckoned. Come back to the Summer Blog this afternoon for the full recap!