By Nathaniel Thomas ’25 and Seth John ’26
On the evening of Thursday, September 26, 2024, dozens and dozens of seniors convened in the Activity-Athletic Center for a night of food, faith, and friendship in HUNGER, the Senior Evening of Recollection. Nobody compelled the students to participate – many had homework to complete and tests to prepare for – but they compelled themselves, wishing to take advantage of a rare opportunity to come together with their entire class. Unlike the Evenings of Recollection held for the lower grades, this event did begin with dodgeball or another organized group activity. Rather, students simply sat at a table, put their phones away, and interacted with their teachers and with one another, which reflected the maturity of the senior class, and the trust of administrators in the bonds that they had formed with one another. Everyone was lucky to enjoy freshly made steak, chicken, and waffle fries, which had many coming for seconds, thirds, and even fourths. All the while, everybody was able to enjoy each others’ presence in a way that is rarely possible with the stresses and distractions that are ever-present at this stage in life.
After everybody was (finally) finished eating, the students and teachers moved to Hearst Auditorium to be in the presence of the Eucharistic Jesus and to listen to a testimony from Mr. Matthew Chicavich ‘98. Although the details of the narrative will be spared for the sake of any readers who may attend HUNGER in the future, it was a moving and powerful story that affirmed the fundamental truth that God is real and active in our lives, even when we struggle to see it. The speech drew immense emotion from the audience, and everybody who heard it had their perspective changed on life, even if just for a moment. As the students knelt before the Eucharist, received a blessing, and then took a cookie while leaving the AAC, there was a distinct feeling of content among them, their physical and spiritual hunger having been nourished.
On Thursday October 3rd, 2024, a little under half of the Class of 2026 gathered at the Activity-Athletic Center to attend the school’s annual junior evening of recollection, a class-wide gathering for students to deepen their faith alongside their fellow Chaminade men. At the start of the event, the students & some members of the Chaminade faculty partook in a great class dinner of hamburgers and hotdogs, courtesy of the event organizers and student volunteers assisting them. Surrounded by faces both old and new, everyone took the chance to enjoy each other’s company and wind down going into the event’s latter half. After about an hour of eating and socializing, everyone headed into Hearst Auditorium to attend Eucharistic Adoration led by Fr. Peter Heiskell, S.M.’86. During adoration, Mr. Michael Dolce ‘99 recounted a life-changing encounter with the Lord during a particularly rough time in his life. In a very emotional retelling, he went on to explain how his faith and prayer life were instrumental in overcoming the challenges life threw at him and his wife on their journey to start a family and become parents. Following this, the juniors got the chance to pray silently and reflect upon Mr. Dolce’s moving story for 30 minutes. After which both Mr. Michael Griffin and Fr. Peter brought the night to its conclusion, firstly with a blessing and then a reminder to the junior class to go forth in their remaining time at Chaminade with a commitment to the values of community and faith.
chstarmac.com 