Club Spotlight: Catholic Exonians

By  JAYDEN OH, JINMIN LEE, ANDREW  YANG, and FORREST ZENG

Every Monday at 7 p.m., Catholic Exonians (CE) meet on the second floor of Phillips Church for activities ranging from attending Mass to field trips to nearby churches. For many, CE is more than just a club; it is a family of people with shared values that help each other through times of struggle. 

As a commnity of 12 to 15 people, Catholic Exonians is a community that “speaks about important topics like why do we go to mass, why do we believe in confession, and why do we believe in those values,” senior and co-head King-Diorr Wilsun described. “We also go over other things just like general theological arguments, what it means to live life as a Christian. It’s always been a goal of mine to provide comprehensive meanings that have relevance to our daily lives or deepen people’s understanding of the Catholic faith.”

Upper and co-head Joseph Vicente recalled his experience joining CE, explaining the impact Exeter alumni have made on his journey. “I’ve always been Catholic for my whole life, but I didn’t join the club until the end of my freshman year. I didn’t really know about the club because back when I was a prep, it was a relatively small club. But I met one of the older co-heads, namely Colin [Jung ‘24]. I met him in Grill; I saw he had a rosary in his pocket, so I talked to him, and he invited me to come with him to Mass.”

“The impact that Colin has made on my life is unquantifiable,” said upper Andrew Gould. “He’s changed the way I look at the world and the way I see myself and my role in society. I first came to Catholic Exonians by accident because I thought it was a Mock Trial meeting, but I was so impressed by Colin’s presentation. The way he argued his case for God captivated me and I found myself agreeing to most of what he said. We had many private talks where he helped me answer many of my questions. I also found the community to be very important and supportive.”

“Chris [Serrao ‘24] and Colin took the club very seriously; they took it with great responsibility,” commented upper Sam Altman. “For Colin, I remember the first meeting when he turned on a metronome, explaining how with each tick, our life was fleeting. Throughout the entire time he was co-head, he engaged with people with answers and arguments, and people came to him for questions. His goal was to make a difference in the world, and he was great at it. He removed obstacles to faith.” 

Altman continued, “Chris also made a huge impact on the club too. He constantly contributed to the club with his great knowledge about Catholicism. He was constantly encouraging people in the club to pray the rosary or go to mass. He helped members by being their accountability partner.” 

“Chris Serrao had a deep intellect and genuine passion and care,” Gould said. “He would always check on me whenever I struggled with my faith. He pushed me to become a better Catholic by aiding me make commitments to prayer. I’m very grateful for his help. He brought me to the core of the faith.” 

Lower Holden Sage-Murillo agreed. “Chris and Colin had a strong impact on my theological standing, especially regarding how I should live my life. Their mentorship really helped guide me. I have a memory with Chris when we were playing Among Us until very late at night. When we were done, he suggested we pray the rosary, and, although I was tired, that was the last time we prayed together before he graduated.”

Vicente elaborated on the goals of the club. “Catholic Exonians is a faith-oriented club that attempts to provide answers to important questions that Catholics and non-Catholics have all the time. We want to provide information about the church’s history and its doctrine. We want to help Catholics develop in their faith, such as getting their sacrament, a required checkpoint in a Catholic’s life.”

“My favorite thing about CE is being able to meet with people of like-minded faith and understand the different tools of our faith,” club advisor Nicole Benson said. 

Wilsun shared what CE does outside of regular meetings. “We also organize things outside of the club meetings that are in accord with Catholic life. For instance, we organize trips for people to go to the four different times we have for mass or church service. Also, we encourage people to come to adoration—a period of time on Wednesdays when Catholics visit the church to pray in front of the holy eucharist—or confession—when Catholics profess their sins. We send out emails and remind members of the community to do so.”

CE also makes special trips to different churches. “The club is growing in membership,” said Benson, “and we add in some of our field trips and special celebrations; it brings more interest in the unique aspects of our faith, especially around food and architechture, especially when we visit different churches.” 

“Going to Latin mass was tremendously impactful,” reminisced Gould. “Mass is always beautiful, but the serious nature of Latin mass broadened my perspective; it’s important for Catholics to not make mass habitual, and going to a new location can help remind ourselves of how special each mass is.” 

“We went to Latin mass, and I think those field trips are very important,” Altman assented. “Our church at Exeter is fantastic, but when we get off campus, it places us in a new environment with an entirely different experience. I’m very grateful that Ms. Benson took us there.”

 “St. Michael’s is great, but I love attending other masses, too. I was always curious about Latin mass because many people have different opinions about it,” Sage-Murillo said.

Catholic Exonians inspires its members through a community of support and faith. Its co-heads and faculty advisors work hard to help members live a Catholic lifestyle in Exeter’s rigorous environment. From going to Mass to field trips to churches off campus, these activities foster a tight community for members of the club and bind them under the Catholic faith.