Our Stories

You will never know if you don’t give it a try. The most profound moment for me was when I realized that the Brothers were not asking me for a lifetime commitment from the very start. Rather, they were asking me to consider an invitation to learn more deeply what it means to be a brother, and that they would walk with me each step of the way. In the 10 years I thought about the Brothers the one thing that held me back was the fear of not ‘making it.’ I’ve since learned that the greater fear is never knowing what could have been, and that is something you can only experience by accepting an invitation.

My Hobbies:

• Hockey
• Sports
• All things NY

Favorite Reads:

• De La Salle Today, Spring 2018
• Novitiate Deepens Vocation and Energizes Brothers

My first experience with the Brothers was back in December 2014 when I met Br. Thomas Casey and Br. Fran Eells in Freeport, Long Island at the De La Salle School, a Catholic middle school (grades 5-8) in the Lasallian tradition. I look back on my postulancy and I am grateful for the opportunity to have volunteered at La Salle Academy in North Philadelphia and to teach in different Lasallian learning environments, as I did on a secondary level at Central Catholic in Pittsburgh. I have had different and supportive living experiences and this has encouraged me to take the next step into the Brother’s life.

After one year of living in the novitiate, I’m happy to be appointed back to Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. In the 2018-2019 school year, I will be very busy teaching; Human Geography, World History and Religion. Also, I was assigned to be a moderator for the Lacrosse team. My knowledge of this sport is very limited; however, I do like challenges and stepping out of my comfort zone.

In looking back at my year in the Novitiate, I know that it has changed me into a better Christian and Brother. I have adopted the necessary skills to be a successful brother in my personal life and in the classroom. I’ve learned the Founder’s meditation and I have been practicing it every morning. I have found that it has helped me to be more compassionate with myself and others, and to be patience in stressful times, and a willingness to live in the moment and not to rush things. I look forward to a new chapter in my life with the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

My hobbies:

• Cooking Italian; Baking Bread
• Learning about world languages and cultures
• Supporting student athletes, especially soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse

Favorite Reads:

• The Hobbit, J.J.R. Tolkien
• Researching Family Genealogies

Discernment is like a roller coaster. There are highs and lows, twists and turns, and different experiences whether you’re sitting in the front, middle, or back of the cart. If you truly embrace the discernment process, it’s an enjoyable ride filled with surprises. In a society that promotes individualism, there is something very extraordinary about being Brother. Your vocation is to be “brother” to fellow Brothers, colleagues and students, and by doing this, you prioritize the care and concern for the “other” over yourself.

My hobbies:

• Bowling
• Board Games
• Batman Comics

Favorite Reads:

• Discerning the Will of God, Fr. Timothy Gallagher
• Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher

I have come to understand that ultimately our vocation is to love and be loved.  Therefore, it’s about asking ourselves how is God calling us to love in this world?  How will I love best?  A love that is generous and freely given.  For me, I have discovered that I love best as a De La Salle Christian Brother…serving young people, especially the poor, through the ministry of education.

My Hobbies:

• Watching Baseball
• Spiritual Reading
• Urban Walking
• Card games
• Table Fellowship

Favorite Reads:

• God’s Marvelous Choice, Bishop Robert Barron (podcast)
• Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God, Casey Cole OFM (book)