I hadn't gotten the chance to eat with Father Doyle yet even though I had been meaning to. I got the chance on Thursday. I met him at the front of Corby Hall which is a big hall that houses a lot of the priests that serve on campus. Anyway, Father Doyle had decided to take me to Lulu's Cafe which is a cafe that is fairly close to campus, it's within walking distance. Krista and I pass by that place a lot and we've always wanted to go there and check it out. Anyway, once we enter the restaurant, I am surprised to see that it's a nice, little cafe. It's one that you wouldn't think was that nice or spacious from the outside. It seemed like an episode of Cheers because literally almost everyone knew Father Doyle. I had later found out that he is a regular at this place and that it was started by an ND grad who wanted to start his own business.
The food at this place was great. I think it's probably the best sandwich I've had in South Bend so far, rivaling even Panera (even though Panera is a chain restaurant). The soup I had was minestrone, and it was delicious, especially with the bread they had given me.
Father Doyle and I talked for quite awhile just about anything and everything. It was the first time that I had talked to a direct faculty member besides my advisor. He had a lot of interesting things to say and he had a lot of history behind Notre Dame. I had found out that back in the old days, students had to sign into their dorms but since he lived in Washington Hall, he didn't have to do such a thing. Many members of his family had actually lived in Washington Hall which is now the place for plays and productions since it has a big auditorium. They say the place is haunted on the third floor, but Father Doyle says that while he lived on the 3rd floor, he never ran into any ghosts and it was mostly piping that creaked and made noises.
I had updated him on my life and how my mother was doing. It made me sad at times just because I was bringing up that subject. I don't think I can ever thank him enough for the gracious donation he gave me, it will definitely go a long way in helping us. But it hasn't just been the donation, it's been the constant goodwill he has displayed towards the AAA community. After having a lunch with my advisor, I found that because of what happened with my family, Father Doyle has become even more open to members of the Asian community. I also found out that he felt terrible that he wasn't there when I had to leave when I heard the news about my father. He is a very caring individual that has played a big part in making sure that everything was set for me and I was excused from classes. I think that he probably even had a say in the financial aid decision for this semester.
After the lunch, he took me to a place that Charlie Weis has started building for handicapped kids. It's about a 30-acre piece of land that is being developed into a top notch place for these kids to grow up in. The charity name is Hannah and Friends, named after Hannah who is Charlie Weis' daughter. Father Doyle explained to me that eventually they will have several houses, a barn, a mini-grotto, and top of the line couches, TVs and other furniture in the houses. It really was inspirational going through that neighborhood and hearing about what Weis has done. It showed me a different side of Weis. I mean I know he is a great person and does a lot of side things but I had no idea he had this project going on. I think that may have been one of the reasons that he was kept as a coach. I don't think any other coach did that much for the community and gave back. He fosters that kind of behavior and therefore is worthy of being our coach.
Anyway, the day in general left me in an inspirational mode and I have since been thinking a lot about it. I hope that one day I can make a difference like that and help out the less fortunate. I know that even though I might be in a bit of a financial bind, there are always others out there that need the money and the support more than I do.
Famous Dave's
13 years ago
