This past Memorial Day Weekend three contacts and three brothers gathered for a contact retreat at Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
This retreat allowed for college-aged men, discerning a vocation to the Christian Brothers, to pray, receive input, visit the school and Brothers’ community, and have some time for recreation together.
Daniel Gomez is a recent graduate of La Salle University in Computer Sciences and will be working in Washington, DC next year in cybersecurity.
Moises Pena is a graduate of St. Francis College in Brooklyn this year with a degree in criminal justice. Moises will be a live-in contract (living with the Brothers in community) next year at Ocean Tides in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Ocean Tides is a facility for court adjudicated youth.
James Brown is a rising Sophomore at Macoub County Community College in Warren, Michigan. James is also majoring in cybersecurity as well. They were accompanied by Brothers Francis Eells, Director of Vocations, Edward Shields, Called to Rise Coordinator, and Michael Andrejko, Director of Contacts.
Highlights from these days included, a day in the school at Central Catholic observing, interacting, and learning about the Lasallian mission of Central Catholic. Lead by Bro. Anthony Baginski, Principal, James Brown, Daniel Gomez, and Moises Pena interacted with students, faculty, and staff. These contacts were most impressed by the orderliness and intellectual prowess of the students at Central.
Bro. Thomas Johnson, Director of Novices, gave three sessions on the Enneagram and Myer’s Briggs personality tests. A major focus of these presentations was community life and the many different personalities that are present when living with different types of people.
For recreation, the contacts and some of the brothers went on a bus tour of the city of Pittsburgh as well as attended a Pirates baseball game versus the LA Dodgers on Saturday evening.
It is through events like this that young men discerning our vocation as a Christian Brother, can see up close and personal, what the day to day life of the Brothers is like: One of prayer, community, and apostolate.
The Vocation Program of the District of Eastern North America is thankful to both the School and Brothers’ Community for opening their doors for the contacts to have such a positive experience.