Passion for our vocation, hope for our future

10/4-5/13 – Long Branch, NJ – Over 55 Brothers gathered in Long Branch, New Jersey, answering Brother Visitor Dennis Malloy’s call to make Vocation Promotion a top priority. Over the course of 21 hours, Brothers participated in intense group discussions, strategic planning, and prayer to explore where to best put energy in future Vocation promotion efforts as part of this Vocation Summit.

From the youngest Brother, David Deradoorian, age 26, who traveled from the Novitiate in California to attend, to the oldest Brother, Matthew Maloney, age 94, who opened the Summit with prayer and reflection on the fulfillment he has received being a Brother, all the men gathered expressed passion for their vocational call.

“I was successful at teaching, but there was something missing in my life,” said Anthony Baginski, a Brother in Initial Formation, as he reflected on his time as an educator during a presentation to those gathered. “The Brothers do hard and rewarding work and that’s what called me, and still does.”

With each session, guided by two poignant questions, Brothers first centered themselves in prayer before engaging in lively discussion as to how best to respond and put solutions forward for consideration by the Summit.  At the conclusion of each session, the “dotting” of each solution took place, with Brothers discerning and choosing what they thought were the best solutions by placing a colored dot next to it.

Now, with these solutions decided upon, the District’s Vocation Promotion team, along with the rest of the Brothers and invited Lay-Partners of the District have a guide to follow to engage young people, and invite them to consider the Christian Brothers, or another religious call.