INDIANAPOLIS — The San Damiano Scholars program celebrated Halloween on Oct. 29 with its annual costume party and contest, held in the lecture hall of the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences.
The San Damiano Scholars program is a faith-based leadership and scholarship initiative unique to Marian University. Participants take part in weekly small groups, three annual reflection days, and service activities, and all complete at least a minor in ministry studies.
Each year, the program’s Halloween costume party gives scholars a chance to unwind, meet new people, and join in the festive spirit. This year’s event began with contestants divided into two categories: individual costumes and group ensembles.
Individual participants showcased their costumes first, drawing cheers and applause from their peers. Group entries followed, each adding its own creative spin to the evening. Judges included Patrick Verhiley, executive director of Catholic Franciscan Leadership Programs, along with several upperclassmen from the San Damiano community building team.
Costume Contest Winners
- First place: Christian Durcholz as Vector from Despicable Me (2010)
- Second place: Clare Diez as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
- Third place: Adam McIntyre as “Sir McIntyre,” complete with a cardboard crown and knight’s sword
“I chose Saint Thérèse because she is one of my patron saints, and I thought it would be fun to dress up as her and try out her hairstyle from one of the photos taken when she was fifteen,” Diez said. “I was excited to discover that I received first runner-up for this costume.”
Additional awards were given for creativity and group participation. The funniest costume went to Caden Lechner, who dressed as Billy Cross, director of the Missionary Disciples Institute. The best group costume was awarded to a San Damiano small group led by junior Lucy Caltrider, who coordinated a colorful “Trolls” theme inspired by the 2016 animated film.
Prizes for the evening included dinner at Verhiley’s home for the first-place winner, a coffee date with Julianne Lark, director of outreach and events for the Franciscan Leadership Institute, for second
place, and a hand-drawn portrait by Cross for third place.
“Marian does a great job with community-building and social events,” Lechner said. “I love all of Marian’s social events and try to make it to as many as I can—especially the Halloween ones.”
The night concluded with laughter, applause, and a shared sense of joy among the scholars. For many, the event was not only a celebration of Halloween but also a reflection of the San Damiano community’s spirit of friendship and faith.
