Colgate University’s Newman Community has a longstanding tradition of weekly dinners hosted in the Colgate Memorial Chapel basement on campus. The Catholic group hosts these community dinners as a way to bring a sense of community onto campus.
According to Newman Community president Luke Lostumbo, the group implemented a new idea towards these weekly dinners by creating a three-week cyclic schedule to allow students to receive a catered dinner from Rio Grande, a student-made meal and an evening of volunteering in Utica at a soup kitchen. Each of these evenings brings out different values from their community specific to the Catholic Church.
“It’s a great sense of community, really living that Christian value of sharing and breaking bread with people,” Lostumbo said. “The third week, we will go to a soup kitchen and we will spend a few hours helping to prepare and serve food.”
During the dinners hosted at the chapel, there is a talk given by either a chaplain or a student. These topics vary over a wide range of Catholic topics including the relevancy of Christianity in current events or the history of feminism in the Catholic Church.
“These dinners are about strengthening our Christian sense of community and discussing Christian values, and kind of trying to bring ourselves closer to each other and to God,” Lostumbo said. “That being said, anyone is welcome to attend, there are definitely people from all different interfaith groups who like to show up. We like nothing better than to break bread with anyone who is willing.”
These dinners are meant to make these Christian values something that students live by every day. The discussions bring forth the core values of the Catholic faith, allowing students to demonstrate their faith both in the Catholic community and throughout the Colgate community.
Junior Nathan Molloy agrees on the importance of the Newman Community dinners in building community.
“The goal of the dinners is to provide for the Newman Community and anyone interested, a place to gather, celebrate and learn about the Catholic faith as we grow closer together as community members and learn more about one another,” Molloy said. “I have learned so much more about my faith through some of these dinner discussions, and I have been able to connect on a much deeper level with many of the other members of the Newman Community through these Wednesday night dinners.”
Junior Ariza Meza echoed Molloy and emphasized the community-building nature of the dinners.
“Newman community dinners provide a great way for members of our Catholic community or non-members to enjoy a meal together and take time to learn more about Catholic faith and some of its impacts while connecting with others,” Meza said.
Students are given the opportunity to discuss important issues and values within their faith, bond with members of the Colgate community, give back to the community in need and express their skills and creativity through volunteering to cook for others. And, Colgate students can get a warm, home-cooked meal.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the pasta with clam sauce prepared by Luke Lostumbo and the garlic bread made by Taylor Crabtree and Helen Reichert earlier this semester,” Molloy said.
Students interested in attending dinners or learning more about the Newman Community can subscribe to the group’s weekly newsletter.
