It was God who has drawn me to my ministry of teaching.
The Lord gave me the love all things that relate to history, and the ability to relate and work with young people.
I find that God puts people in our lives to show the way to our future. There have been two such people that God had his hand in leading me to a vocation as an educator. Mrs. Ventura and Mr. Alexander, two Social Studies teachers from my high school days that made the subject easy, interesting, and enjoyable.
Eventually, God led me to teaching and my vocation as a Brother of the Christian Schools.
My experience as a Brother has been adventurous.
Each academic year, I get the opportunity to meet and teach new students from diverse economic backgrounds.
The Christ-like attributes that each student possess have given me a lesson on how to be a better teacher and Christian Brother.
This past academic year, I taught five classes of sophomores; three classes of Religion and two classes of World History.
While, there are many responsibilities as a teacher, as a Brother, I am also charged to instill the five core Lasallian principles in the lives of young people. Those are:
- Faith in the presence of God.
- Concern for the Poor in society and to fight for justice.
- Show respect for all peoples.
- Give my students the best quality education.
- To be an inclusive community where everyone is valued.
In addition to the classroom, I’m a moderator for the JV and Varsity Lacrosse teams. My main responsibility as a moderator is to be a liaison between the students, parents, and coaches.
It is another way to be Brother and share the Lasallian core principles with our educational community.
When I think about my own discernment to this life, I encourage anyone discerning their vocation to find a good spiritual director that you feel comfortable communicating with whether they are a priest, a brother, a sister or a layperson. Also, you can ask for a religious Brother who can mentor you and answer the questions that you may have pertaining to our life and charism.
And ultimately, have patience, don’t be afraid, and trust in the Lord. Try the religious life, nothing is written in stone.
Brother Steven Barbaro, FSC is a Brother of the Christian Schools who lives and ministers in Pittsburgh, PA.
Similar Content
The Call to Community, An Experience of Brotherhood
The best part of living in community is the continual Lasallian and fraternal challenge to live out the best version of myself.
Young Brothers Follow Footsteps of Founder
Brothers in Initial Formation spent July 23 to August 3, 2019 on a pilgrimage.
Postulant Profile, Brother Kyle
My first connection to the brothers was…