A Brother's Vocation Story

Brother Stephen LaMendola, CSC
President, Holy Cross High School, Flushing

A number of years ago, the soft drink company that produced Dr. Pepper began an extensive advertising campaign. In advertisement after advertisement the marketing company made sure that the public recognized Dr. Pepper as the misunderstood cola.

To a large extent within the Catholic community, the Brother's vocation  may be considered the misunderstood vocation in the Church. It's not uncommon for people to ask me questions like,  "When are you going to become a priest?" "How come you can't get married?" and "What's the difference between a brother and a priest?"

I would like to answer these questions by relating my own vocation story. First and foremost, any vocation is a gift from God. Each vocation contains a certain element of mystery that cannot be explained, and the vocation of a Brother is no exception. I  began to think about a vocation to the Brotherhood long before I even met a Brother. My older brother attended a high school conducted by Brothers, and it was clear that he admired and thought a great deal of his teachers. 

When I was in the seventh grade, I attended a  summer camp conducted by Brothers, mainly to see for myself what a Brother was all about. And when it came to attending a Catholic high school, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend a school conducted by Brothers. I now realize how blessed I was to have such contact with Brothers. Because the number of Brothers is limited, some of the mystery that surrounds our vocation is the result of  Catholics never having the opportunity to meet a Brother personally.

It soon became apparent to me that a Brother's vocation and that of a priest's was clearly different: not better, not inferior — but simply different. (An apple is different from an orange.  A person may prefer one to another, but that does not diminish the importance of either.) A priest's vocation centers around the sacramental ministry of the Church: celebrating Mass, administering the sacraments, and formally preaching the Word of God. 

In contrast, a Brother's vocation  is a special way of publicly living out the message of the Gospels. By my public profession of vows, I as a Brother, commit myself  to live chastely and simply while seeking to do the will of God in all of my activities. I freely choose to do these things in the company of other men who share a similar vision of trying to make the Kingdom of God a reality on this earth.  By taking time to pray with those with whom I live and seeking other times of private prayer, I  focus more intently on my relationship with God. 

And for me, the best part is that all of this can be accomplished in a wide range of ministries. A Brother's public witnessing of Gospel values can take place in a school, hospital, or local parish. Brothers can be lawyers, farmers, doctors, or social workers. In the Congregation of Holy Cross to which I belong, Brothers are postmasters, food service directors, printers, and even firemen! The opportunity to be a brother to all is limitless.

And so when people ask me about what it is like to be a Brother, I do tell them that it is something that I chose to be because I did not feel called to be a sacramental minister of the Church. While I hold the Sacrament of Holy Orders in high esteem, I choose not to become a priest, and I did not get married because I want to be more available to the people to whom and with whom I minister.

For 35 years I have had the wonderful opportunity to serve God and the Church as a Brother of Holy Cross in the educational ministry. This is God's gift to me.