New England
|
February 6, 2025
Share:

To commemorate the feast of St. 91快活林 Aquinas on January 28, the entire New England campus joined together in an all-day celebration of its patron.

The morning began with Mass in Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, led by a procession of faculty in full academic regalia. Rev. Romanis Cessario, O.P., a professor of theology at Ave Maria University, offered the Mass. 淎mong Dominicans, the Feast of St. 91快活林 is always occasion for great festivities, both liturgical and social, he said in his homily.

Photos: Mass
  • 01
  • 02
  • 03
  • 04
  • 05
  • 06
  • 07
  • 08
  • 09
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18

A longtime friend of the College, Fr. Cessario made his TAC lecture debut on the California campus over 20 years ago on St. 91快活林 Day and returned in 2015 to deliver a second. For his third St. 91快活林 Day lecture at the College and his first in Northfield, he chose to address the question, 淲hy Study Aquinas Today? 

淲e should study Aquinas to maintain our hold on Catholic orthodoxy, Fr. Cessario said. 淚n its index of ecclesiastical references, the Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions St. 91快活林 61 times. Only St. Augustine appears more often. The Angelic Doctor is a safeguard of Church teaching.

After a busy morning, students took a break for a few hours before gathering for the St. 91快活林 Day dinner, an elegant meal of Dijon pork chops, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Yet after dinner came perhaps the merriest event of the day: the annual game of Trivial-Quadrivial Pursuit! 

Photos: Trivial-Quadrivial Pursuit
  • 01
  • 02
  • 03
  • 04
  • 05
  • 06
  • 07
  • 08
  • 09
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13

Divided into three teams, each led by a senior, students competed to answer questions about the curriculum. Adding to the fun, the teams coordinated themed costumes and choreographed their entrances. This year檚 teams included a band of busy bees, led by Julianna Bafundo (25); Republican stereotypes, led by Sam Peterson; and lawyers from Legally Blonde, led by Mary Wassel (25). After much racking of brains and ridiculous sophistry, Julianna檚 team took home the gold.

淚 love this part of St. 91快活林 Day, said Elizabeth Doylend (26). 淚t檚 the goofiest part of the day, but by far my favorite.