Campus Ministry Hosts First-Ever FRASSATI FEST
Image courtesy of Campus Ministry.
By Anthony Curioso
To kick off the schedule of events for the 2025 CUA Family Weekend, Campus Ministry hosted its inaugural “FRASSATI FEST” event on October 10 on the University Lawn.
The FRASSATI FEST was made possible by a $25,000 grant from the Associates of St. John Bosco, from whom CUA was one of three recipients of the organization’s RISE Awards. In addition to FRASSATI FEST, Campus Ministry used part of the RISE Awards grant to enhance this year’s outdoor “praise-and-worship” Holy Hour during Freshman Orientation weekend.
The night began with the 5:10 p.m. “Family Weekend Daily Mass” in St. Vincent de Paul Chapel, which was significantly more crowded than an ordinary 5:10 p.m. Mass. Fr. Maximo Stöck, the Chaplain for Undergraduate Formation and Athletics, celebrated the Mass and took time during his homily to invite the congregation to reflect on the graces that God has given to them.
After Mass, attendees moved to the University Lawn in front of the Law School, where the fun began with lawn and board games. The event featured plenty of pizza from the local chain Ledo’s, provided for all guests, and beer from Right Proper Brewing Company, provided for the parents and guardians.
Anthony Graf, a senior majoring in musical theatre, and Ciara Lacey, a senior majoring in theology, served as the emcees for FRASSATI FEST. They introduced Fr. Bernard Knapke, the Associate University Chaplain and Liturgy Coordinator for Campus Ministry, who led the opening prayer. Following that, attendees listened to an address from University President Peter Kilpatrick, who provided a brief introduction to the event’s namesake, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Pope Leo XIV canonized St. Frassati on September 7 alongside St. Carlo Acutis.
On how he landed the emcee role, Graf shared, “I was lucky enough to emcee one of the Coffeehouse events last year, so Julie [Cilano, Associate Director of Campus Ministry] and Fr. Ceslaus [Kowalkowski, Chaplain for Undergraduate Formation] asked me if I would like to come back for FRASSATI FEST, and I said yes.”
At approximately 6:30 p.m., Campus Ministry began transitioning into a selection of performances in a format similar to those at the previous Coffeehouse Friday Night Events (an event series which is now called Frassati Night Events as of this year). These performances included the Cheer Team showcasing their new members, along with several other small groups and solo performers who delighted the crowd with their talent.
The final Coffeehouse-style performance concluded at approximately 7:30 p.m. At that point, Graf and Lacey instructed the attendees of FRASSATI FEST to reposition themselves for an outdoor praise-and-worship Holy Hour on the lawn, which would begin at 8 p.m. and be led by the worship team leaders who organize the regular Wednesday night “praise-and-worship” Holy Hours.
During the FRASSATI FEST Holy Hour, four priests heard confessions from the four corners of the Law School courtyard, with penitents having the option to make their confessions face-to-face with the priests or behind a screen. The fountain at the center of the courtyard provided sufficient background noise, ensuring that the penitents’ confessions remained private and could not be overheard.
The line of penitents awaiting confession was extremely long once the makeshift confessionals opened, but slowly dissipated over the course of the Holy Hour. In the end, all those who wished to make confessions at FRASSATI FEST could do so with plenty of time before the Holy Hour ended.
The event description for FRASSATI FEST described the event as “[offering] a unique window into campus ministry for both students and visiting families” and “offering a beautiful, prayerful snapshot of what makes faith life at CUA so special.”
Julie Cilano, the Associate Director of Campus Ministry, commented on the successes of FRASSATI FEST.
“It was really special to have everyone together at the Holy Hour – be it students, parents, grandparents, and younger siblings,” Cilano said. “Also, based on the fact that St. Frassati was an outdoorsman who brought together community in Christ, it was absolutely perfect to honor him in this way.”
Graf echoed this sentiment, and offered his thoughts on what he hopes for FRASSATI FEST in future years.
“The Coffeehouse events started my freshman year in one room in The House, and evolved into hundreds of people packing into Caldwell Auditorium,” Graf said. “That’s so incredible, and I am excited for the prospect of FRASSATI FEST experiencing similar growth in the future.”
