On May 1st, Southwest celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a special community Eucharist. Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park, Assistant Professor of New Testament, organized the event along with several students. Southwest alum, the Rev. David Sugeno, preached and presided at the Eucharist. He is the son of the Rev. Frank Sugeno, former professor of church history and first faculty member of color at Southwest.
Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park shares, “The Eucharist was a joy- and spirit-filled time. I am immensely grateful to the Rev. Dave Sugeno for his beautiful sermon, in which he graciously shared his memory of his father, Professor Frank Sugeno. The message that we, Christians, are immigrants who temporarily reside in this world deeply resonated with many. I am also thankful to Tina Francis Mutungu and Iwao Asakura, whose creativity made this Eucharist meaningful, from the chapel decorations to the special music. I’m glad this AAPI Eucharist has become an annual celebration in the SSW community.”
After Eucharist, the community was invited to enjoy dinner together on the Motte from the local food truck, Chi’lantro, a Korean Tex-Mex fusion restaurant.
The chapel was beautifully decorated with dozens of handmade origami paper cranes! Watch the Rev. David Sugeno’s sermon here.
