Let There Be Light!

USC’s Caruso Catholic Center marked its 13th Annual Tree Lighting Celebration and Anniversary Mass with a packed church and courtyard of over a 2,000 people.

By Anthony Bottino ‘26

For the 13th year, the USC Caruso Catholic Center held its biggest event of the year: the annual Anniversary Mass and Christmas Tree Lighting. Over a thousand people gathered at the church, with many more standing outside on the street to take part in the celebration.

Fr. Matthew Wheeler, Pastor of Our Savior Parish, led the Mass and delivered the homily, welcoming everyone to the special day. After the service, the crowd followed Fr. Matt and the choir into the courtyard to gather around the Christmas tree to watch it illuminate the center with Christmas cheer.

Caruso Catholic Center E-Board President Jeryn Dizon and Vice President Xander Lee served as the MCs for the event, welcoming everyone to the celebration. Before the tree was lit, they introduced the evening’s special guest, USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim. Kim spoke to the crowd, offering lighthearted jokes while emphasizing the importance of the event for the broader USC community.

“No matter what faith you belong to, the USC Catholic Center is a place that’s always welcoming to all students and all members of the community,” Kim said. “That’s part of what makes it so special.”

After his remarks, Kim was invited to begin the countdown. The lights went dark as he counted down from ten. The crowd joined in, and when they reached zero, the tree lit up the night sky, casting a warm glow over the courtyard as artificial snow fell onto the cheering crowd.

With the holiday season now officially underway at USC, the celebration continued. People lined up for In-N-Out, posed for photos with Santa Claus and the Christmas tree, and enjoyed live musical performances. The festive atmosphere brought together people from all walks of life, alumni returning home, South Central locals, donors, and students, including many who don’t regularly visit the center.

“It’s just a good event to bring people together,” sophomore Ogo Mgbemeje said. “Some of my friends who don’t come to church frequently were here, and seeing them was just amazing.”

A tremendous amount of planning goes into the event, and as the Catholic Center’s “Super Bowl,” the E-Board was eager to make this year’s celebration the best one yet. They worked hard to ensure everything ran smoothly and that everyone in attendance had a memorable night.

Those involved in organizing the event still found time to enjoy the celebration, marking the beginning of the Advent season and bringing people closer to Christ. Even amid the festivities, many reflected on what the center has done for their faith and what the tree lighting symbolizes for the community.

“It brings a lot of people together, and our hope is that they’ll keep coming back, returning and growing closer in intimacy with Christ,” junior Vice President Xander Lee said. “That’s the ultimate goal of the Catholic Center.”

“I’m blessed to be the president and have the opportunity to be the MC,” senior President Jeryn Dizon said. “It’s really a blessing, I never would have thought this would happen four years ago.”

Even first-time attendees felt the magic of the night.

“It’s always been a very highly anticipated event that I was very much looking forward to going to, and it exceeded all my expectations,” graduate student Jessica Silva said. “It felt like I was living in a real-life Hallmark Christmas movie.”

Not only did the evening offer students a joyful break before finals week, but it also fulfilled the Catholic Center’s mission: bringing people together through the power of Christ.