Community Life Starts in the Kitchen
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May 8, 2024t’s 8:00 pm, we’ve finished our long day of school filled with tests and presentations, but here we are gathered in the kitchen – a new meeting space that we created this year. Sean Wu is tucked in a corner munching on popcorn, Huy Pham is doing inventory, Dang Nguyen has a camera in hand, and Cody Hill, Son Lai and I are at the island whipping up fresh scones and cakes. Growing up, the kitchen was always the space our families came together – to do homework, cook meals, and so much more. It’s amazing that we’ve been able to build that space in our Bronx formation community.
When I asked the other students what their highlights of the past year are, Huy shared that his include Spring Break in DC and our evening walks on the High Line. The four of us hoping to proceed to Novitiate – Cody, Son, Dang and I – actually instigated our pastry and dessert rotation. Cody shared similar insights about our baking and bonding as a community, Son said that he has enjoyed spending time with his favorite classmate, Cody, and is proud to be able to learn the skills to start his own bakery. “If anyone wants cake, call me to order,” he said.
Whether the cameras are rolling or we’re just speed running a cake into the oven, I believe the central part isn’t what we’re making, it’s that we’re doing it together. Some nights, we’ll come down to the kitchen and merely slice up cheese and make ramen – and even then we’ve been doing it together. Yes, the other Redemptorists trickle in and out of the kitchen as we’re making a mess – but we’ll stay there even till 11:00 pm just to finish our pastries. It’s a real testament to what the students have been able to accomplish, aswell as our larger community.
Besides the kitchen, our hallway lounge has been a second meeting place for us. It all started three years ago – my first year – with us pulling sofas and chairs into the hallway outside our rooms. Now it has become a permanent fixture of our community life, and it’s grown beyond just us: Fr. Richard Bennet is keen on coming down and joining us as he grades Catechism quizzes; Fr. Greg May plops down in one of the chairs and spends time with us talking about almost anything; Fr. Bill Bueche periodically comes down to check in on how we’re doing; and even Fr. Frank Skelly comes down to visit us.
The bond the six of us have built shines beyond the green tiled walls of our kitchen and our hallway. Car rides to school could be full podcast episodes if someone added a mic and hit record. Our morning gatherings at Einstein’s on campus to do Wordle, Connections, Crossword, Spelling Bee and Strands are epic. We joke around with each other while we wait at the classroom doors for our Catechism students on Friday evenings. We use our bond to our advantage as we share Christ’s love with our brothers and sisters in need on the Hope Walk. In the Common Room, we shovel down popcorn and watch 10 minutes of whatever K-drama I’m watching (right now it’s Queen of Tears). And even sitting around the KBBQ grill waiting for our food to cook so we can dunk it in some ssamjang.
We had an amazing Spring Break in Washington, D.C. back in February, and this past Holy Week was the busiest one yet for us – countless rehearsals, planning meetings, and hours working with our parish community to prepare for the celebrations. We sang for all the liturgies and led the Stations of the Cross – our Confirmation students dressed up and reenacted the stations. We traveled to Beacon, NY, for our April retreat to visit the Redemptoristines and learn more about Blessed Maria Crostarosa.
Son and I attended the St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Convocation last week and received Certificates for Scholarship Excellence. We’ve also begun taking our pictures in our caps and gowns as we near graduation on May 19. We attended St. John’s Chamber Music Society’s Spring Concert earlier this week to support Adam Tran-Chung, the only new postulant for the 2024-2025 school year.
We will be hosting a Come and See for Baltimore prospects after final exams. School may be over, but we’re hoping to immerse our visitors into an experience of life here in the Bronx with their participation in the Hope Walk. Sean, Huy and I cannot wait to see the students we have formed during the past year finally receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit at the Confirmation Mass next week.
The six of us are holding the fort together as we wind down our busy year. Dang, Son, Cody and I have seen how Sean and Huy have grown in the community life that we share. With only Adam joining the formation program next year, we know that they will continue the same energy and foundation that we’ve built – even with just the three of them. We’ll be graduating soon and look forward to participating in the Student Gathering.
Sean and Huy will begin their summer ministries in Philadelphia and Baltimore, respectively. And as Dang, Cody, Son and I move on to the Novitiate in Mexico, it’s heartwarming to see that we’ve successfully shared community as one of the most important things we’ve experienced with next year’s postulants: Adam, Sean, and Huy.