Novice Profile: Brother Steven

Hometown	Gutenberg, NJ
High School	Nicholas Senn High School CPS
University	Lewis University
Degree	B.A. Education with a concentration in Math

What was your first experience of the Brothers?

My first experience with the Brothers was back on July 17, 2016. I remember the exact day because it was my 23rd birthday. A really good friend that works in the Fe Y Vida summer workshop at Lewis University introduced me to Br. Alan Parham, FSC. Br. Alan and I met up for a birthday breakfast and met for the first time.

What was significant for you in the Postulancy experience that affirmed you and your desire to enter the Novitiate?

There were many significant moments in the Postulancy experience but two of the most noteworthy would be community prayer and dinner time.

Praying in community for each other and coming to a realization that our daily routines are part of our daily prayer. The presence of God is everywhere.

Second, dinner time was more than a time set apart to eat. It was about coming together as a community and sharing our daily lives. Sharing our joys and struggles. Even washing dishes was a moment to share in the community.

Discernment is a process. How has your discernment journey led you one step at a time (maybe in a way you didn’t foresee in the beginning)?

Prayer, prayer, and more prayer!

I would say that is how my discernment journey has helped one step at a time. Prayer has helped me to accept others and accept myself and realize that it is ok to struggle and ask for help.

What is exciting/energizing for you about religious life(particularly Being Brother) today?

Being a witness of God especially to the young people. Listening to their joyous and struggling moments in life. Being a brother to each other in the community.

What do you look forward to about the Novitiate experience? How do you see it shaping the way you live your vocation as Brother?

I am looking forward to deepening my prayer life and getting to know more about my novitiate classmates. And just living the moment as a novice and centralizing my focus on God and my community.

Hobbies?

I have started developing a hobby for photography. I do plan and hope to develop my photography skills more during the novitiate and share my work online. Connecting each photograph to a small reflection about the Founder or sharing a small personal story.

Travel?

Interesting story about travel: Summer 2019. Family vacation to Cancun, MX. One of the activities that we did was snorkeling in the ocean. My little sister and I were together and out of nowhere, we got lost from our boat group. For a good 30 minutes, we were stranded in the middle of the ocean until another boat passed by and “rescued” us and brought us back to our boat. A pretty scary and unforgettable story, if I have to say!

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