WHO KNEW THAT Lovers of the Holy Cross Sr. Van Yen Nguyen and Sr. Christen Nguyen were closet magicians? Or Seminarian Alan Hoetker had been a rock musician for 20 years? Or Fr. William Goldin, a professional opera singer? Or that Bishop Kevin Vann has played the piano for 65 years and has a particular love for the old-school MGM musicals?
These and other hidden stories and skills were unearthed this summer at the inaugural Habit and Collar Talent Showcase held at the Arboretum on the Christ Cathedral Campus.
SEMINARIAN ALAN HOETKER AND THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL BAND PERFORM DURING THE JULY 25 TALENT SHOWCASE. PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Priests, seminarians, sisters and members of the Diocese of Orange family unveiled their talents for a crowd of more than 500 parishioners and fans.
“We’re not professionals,” event emcee Fr. Cheeyoon Chun, joked before the show. “Which is good, because if we were too good maybe that’s not good. Maybe you’d say, ‘Father needs to work more on
his homilies.’”
The showcase featured a variety of musical genres from religious to rock to opera to show tunes. There was also magic of the Sisters Nguyen, producing live doves from books and other sleights of hand, an unadvertised comedy/magic sketch by Anthony Vultaggio, a strategist for the Orange Catholic Foundation, and a unique demonstration of yo-yo prowess from Fr. Daniel Seo. The show led into the Bishop Vann’s playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” on piano and a rollicking version of “Chopsticks.”
FOR THE DISCERNING
In addition to delighting parishioners with the hidden talents within the diocese, the event raised funds for a planned house of discernment for young men considering priestly vocations. The project involved converting a former Sisters of St. Joseph convent in Santa Ana into a house of discernment. The funds will “refurbish and breathe new life” into the former convent according to Vultaggio. Discernment, overseen by the Diocese of Orange Office of Vocations, is the process men who are considering the priesthood or other holy paths undertake. Dedicated houses for discernment are somewhat rare, although they exist in some parishes, and can serve as a kind of pre-seminary.
According to the diocese, the house of discernment will be “a place where young men can continue their studies and careers,= while intentionally exploring what a life devoted to Christ, supported by the Church and lived in community, might look like.”
The house will be staffed by clergy and include dorm-style rooms where potential applicants can stay for whatever time they need before deciding whether to commit to the seminary. Going into the seminary is no small feat and, depending on the scholastic route, can easily extend from six to 10 years, or more, so it makes sense to allow the young men any extra time they may need to decide and understand God’s plan.
VATICAN INSPIRED
The Habit and Collar event was the brainchild of Susan Strader, who co-chaired the event with Lynh Nguyen. Strader, a long-time philanthropist in local Catholic circles, said she first came across the idea seven years ago in Rome while attending an event at the Pontifical North American College, which included a talent show segment. She said the idea seemed like something that would be good for the home diocese.
THE HABIT AND COLLAR EVENT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF CO-CHAIR SUSAN STRADER (PICTURED WITH FR. CHEEYOON CHUN, DIRECTOR OF PRIESTLY VOCATIONS IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.
“Then along came COVID,” she said, which derailed the plan. However, she said the bishops were supportive of her idea and all she needed was a deserving partner and cause. When the House of Discernment project came along “we latched onto that,” she said.
CALLING ALL ENTERTAINERS
The first challenge, she said, was finding participants. When organizers announced auditions, she said, “no one came.”
Apparently for all the latent talents in the Catholic community, extroversion is not among them.
So Strader and her crew put the word out and began the process of recruiting and cajoling performers to participate. The showcase ended up with a talented roster, including some formerly professional entertainers and serious hobbyists. In addition to the entertainment, Habit and Collar included an art showcase, in which a whole other group of undiscovered gems were unearthed. Artists ranged from retired Msgr. Mike Heher to seminarians, who placed works for exhibit and sale. The exhibition also included one artist, Seminarian Michael Jeong, who live-painted his latest work “The Divine Essence,” at the exhibit.
Showcase Performers included:
■ Fr. Ben Tran, singer/guitarist performing “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake.
■ Fr. Christopher Pham singing hymns in Vietnamese.
■ String Ensemble: Fr. Cheeyoon Chun, cello; Sr. Mari Josephine Chun, violin; Sr. Clara Choi, piano; and Seminarians Matthew Wong, Stephen Pham, violin, performing from “O Magnum Mysterium.”
■ Fr. William Goldin, opera singer, accompanied by Dr. Julia Oh, piano, singing selections from “The Magic Flute” and “La Boheme.”
■ Seminarian singer and bassist Alan Hoetker and Orange Blossom Special Band, performing rock cover tunes.
The event concluded with Fr. Goldin leading the cast of performers and the congregation in the Marian hymn “Salve Regina.”