How Catholic Trojans Do Easter
By Maddie Walsh ‘20
If you know anything about Catholic families, you know that we don’t mess around when it comes to Easter, and my family is no different. Not only do we attend mass throughout Holy Week and invite my entire extended family over for The Big Day, but we go hard for the forty days leading up to Easter, also known as the holy period “Lent.” For as long as I can remember, my father and I have given up all processed sugar during Lent as part of a symbolic fast intended to strengthen our relationship with God. For someone who eats as much ice cream as I do, that is NOT an easy sacrifice (I guess that’s the point) but it makes me appreciate Easter that much more. Fortunately, there’s always plenty of sugar available to make up for lost time. After Easter mass in the morning, my family makes a ceremonious trip to Dairy Queen for extra large blizzards, soon followed by a buffet of desserts courtesy of my talented aunts and cousins. I look forward to this day all year long.
This year, however, I dreaded it.
Homesickness is always weighing on me, but when holidays roll around it hits me a little harder than usual. Thinking of my family preparing the house for our big celebration, and knowing that I’d be missing out on the annual trip to Dairy Queen brought a sinking feeling to my stomach that only worsened as Holy Week drew nearer. Not even the thought of eating ice cream for breakfast could ease my mind (although… it helped a little).
In an attempt to beat the not-home-for-the-holidays blues, I decided to throw myself into whatever the USC Caruso Catholic Center had to offer. Turns out, it was a lot.
Everything begins Thursday night, a.k.a Holy Thursday, at 8pm mass. During the service, members of the congregation are invited to come forward and have their feet washed as part of a Catholic tradition that mirrors what Jesus did for his disciples during The Last Supper. When the mass is ending, everyone in attendance processes out of the church and is given a candle. Then the procession continues for about half a block, circles the church, and returns to Newman Hall (the Caruso Center’s event space) where many attendees remain following the mass for a period of intense prayer. This was a new one for me– never had I been asked to process during a service in this way. In fact, I can’t think of any comparable experience where I have been part of such a public demonstration of faith. However, this wasn’t even the last surprise. As the procession ended, we were met with small lanterns decorating the plaza and a projected light show illuminating the church. It was a simple touch, but the overall effect was stunning and I left with a greater appreciation for the level of thought that the Catholic Center puts into the Holy Thursday experience.
Good Friday is an all-day affair at the Caruso Center. It begins with live stations of the cross at 3 pm. The reenactment is cast with students and starts in front of the Tommy Trojan statue, then progresses towards the church. For those of you who aren’t familiar, stations of the cross refers to revisiting the process of Jesus’ sentencing and crucifixion, which we follow step by step. It is a very intense and humbling experience, so I have a lot of respect for the students who decided to take on roles this year! In the evening, there is another mass at 8 pm, followed by a screening of The Passion of Christ in the library. Despite the heavy subject matter of the film, it was really fun to pack into the chairs and couches of the library with my fellow students for a movie night. I discovered that after the movie is over, it is a tradition to go out for food (usually iHop), even though by this time it is around 2 in the morning! I never would have expected Good Friday mass to turn into an all-night festivity, but this blend of religious and social traditions is just what the Caruso Center is all about.
Saturday brings the notorious Easter Vigil. The three hour mass is not for the faint of heart, but it is absolutely worth it. It wasn’t my first vigil, but it’s one that I will always remember thanks to the beauty of the choir, bells, readings, and floral decorations that brought the church to life. In the middle of the service, after baptizing new members of the church, the entire congregation is invited to dip their hand in the font and renew their baptismal promises, which was a very wholesome and refreshing way to honor the foundation of my faith alongside my friends in the community. There is no movie screening or iHop after the Easter Vigil, but there are refreshments! You can always count of the Caruso Center to provide food after mass. It will be waiting for you immediately after you exit the church. Many people stay to eat and socialize while some (like myself) return home to get some sleep before mass the next morning.
This year, Easter was a gray, cloudy morning, but that didn’t dim the brilliance of the church at all. The walls and alter were bursting with colorful orchids, and every possible seat was filled with families dressed in their Sunday best. Sounds pretty stereotypical, right? The service was full of “hallelujahs” and Father Ken gave an impassioned homily about turning to Jesus to find the courage to love, trust, and hope after we have been hurt or rejected. It was an important message, and one I definitely needed to hear.
Finally, to round out a full weekend of celebrations and traditions, there is the Easter get-together hosted by the Focus missionaries (young adults who work at the Caruso center to do outreach and enhance the spiritual lives of current students). This was definitely the highlight of Holy Week for me. It began in the afternoon and when I arrived, there was already a table filled with all of my brunch favorites. Students come and go throughout the party, and some even bring family members. In true dad-fashion, a visiting father fired up the grill and everyone chowed down on a dinner of ribs, chicken, carne asada, potatoes, salads, mac-n-cheese, veggies, and fruit, followed by an beautiful cake. I originally didn’t expect to stay very long, but time flew by and five hours passed before I knew it. I spent some of the time cooking and playing games like spike ball and volleyball, but for most of the party I was able to just sit and chat with friends. It was really a perfect day!
So I did it. Four masses in four days, plus the many unexpected traditions. I won’t say that being at USC for Easter was better than going home– nothing compares to being with family– but my Catholic Trojan family stepped in right when I needed them. I am incredibly grateful to the Caruso Center and my friends in the community for turning Holy Week into a rewarding marathon of intense spiritual and social experiences. The level of thought and preparation that goes into the various celebrations is astounding! Most of all, I feel blessed to have celebrated this holy time with such kind, genuine, and loving people.
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