Chit-Chat With The Chaplains: CUA on Tap

Image Courtesy of Isabel Fay

By Zachary Lichter

CUA students walk around campus daily and might run into these five priests pictured above. Students are familiar with the chaplains from working with Campus Ministry or have seen them celebrate Mass on campus, but have they really gotten to know them? On September 12, students had an opportunity to engage with them at this month’s CUA on Tap event.

The chaplains include Father Aquinas Guilbeau, Father Joseph Hagan, Father Bernard Knapke, Father Hugh Vincent Dyer, and Father Maximo Stock. The first four are priests from the Dominican order in the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, and Father Maximo is a priest from the St. John’s Society.

Sophomore politics major Trey Murnane was the emcee and introduced each chaplain. Father Aquinas, University Chaplain and Vice President of Ministry and Mission led everyone in prayer.

Father Joseph is the Chaplain for Undergraduate Formation and has been a priest for five years. Father Bernard is the Chaplain for Worship and Director of Liturgy. He has been a priest for two years. 

Father Hugh Vincent is the Chaplain for Graduate Students, Faculty, and Staff. He has been a priest for 17 years. Father Maximo is the Chaplain for Undergraduates and Athletes and has been a priest for 15 years.

Students could submit questions to a specific priest or the entire group through a QR card on their table. 

The first question was for Father Hugh Vincent about his favorite poet. Father Hugh Vincent said his favorite poem was “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. 

The second question was for Father Maximo. Someone asked what it was like being the only non-Dominican priest on campus. He said he liked working with the Dominicans on campus because of a similar experience working with them at Oregon State’s Campus Ministry.

They then shifted gears with the first question for the group, which was the coolest place where they celebrated Mass. Father Joseph said it was at Carmel de Lisieux in Lisieux, France; Father Bernard replied that the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Kraków, Poland, was his. Father Hugh Vincent answered that it was the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Fultonville, New York. Father Maximo shared that it was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Father Aquinas answered by saying that it was the Ars-en-Dombes in Ars-sur-Formans, France.

A question was then directed to Father Joseph, asking if the Hillbilly Thomists changed their genre of music and what style he would want it. Father Joseph said he would want the new genre of music to be funk music because he’s a drummer. Then, a question was directed to Father Bernard about the most disorganized day of his life. He said it was the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, because every day was separate from the itinerary.

The host, Murnane, then asked them how they’d spend their day off from work. Father Maximo said either on retreat or playing golf. Father Bernard said jogging at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. Father Joseph said he replies to emails with, “sorry.” Father Aquinas said he would spend the day reading and going to Liturgy of the Hours. Finally, Father Hugh Vincent said read, go for a walk, listen to music, and drink way too much coffee.

Another question for all of them was if they ever recycled homilies. Father Hugh Vincent said that “trash gets recycled.” Father Aquinas said that every priest has two or three good ideas they repeat in their homilies, but they should be refurbished and not recycled.

They were then asked if they had a favorite Mass on campus or chapel. The consensus response was the St. Vinny’s Chapel.

Their last question was about their favorite thing about the priest sitting to their left. Father Hugh Vincent likes Father Maximo to be quiet when the Campus Ministry office is noisy. Father Joseph said that Father Bernard reminds him of St. Dominic because of his balanced personality of being organized and charitable. Father Bernard loves how Father Aquinas carries himself and preaches. Father Aquinas likes how Father Hugh Vincent could find grace in unordinary places people wouldn’t, and Father Maximo likes how hospitable Father Joseph is.

Liam Foley, a senior philosophy and mathematics major, commented on what he thought about CUA on Tap.

“I thought it was a great time to listen to the chaplains and just hear how they became more personal in this context of a Q&A,” Foley said. “I really like how it was a Q&A how we are the ones who ask the questions instead of them just talking about themselves, so the questions that are on our hearts are answered best.”

Father Joseph commented on what he thought about doing the Q&A.

“It was very well attended, and the priests said a lot of interesting things,” Father Joseph said. “I think all of us are who we are, so we sort of know who we are and there weren’t a lot of big surprises from each other.”