Alive MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND ... - The Marianists

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Marianist Brother Sean Downing teaches religion at Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, Dayton, Ohio. 6 Call 1.800.348.4732 When a Sacred Voice Calls Marianists, novices and aspirants tell why they chose the Society of Mary. IT ’ S TEMPTING TO PRESENT Marianist Brother Sean Downing’s story as allegory: Before answering the call to religious life with the Society of Mary, he was in a pit. In his case, the pit was in the floor of a General Motors assembly line in Moraine, Ohio, where Brother Sean, 38, riveted frames to the bodies of SUVs as they passed overhead. The work was monotonous. Each day 550 trucks — B Y S HELLY R EESE nearly one per minute — passed overhead. During the 30-second lulls between vehicles, Downing would read spiritual books; he craved something more. That craving ultimately led him to the Marianists. In October 2005, Brother Sean professed his perpetual vows. Today he teaches Scripture to sophomores at Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, Ohio, and is working on a master’s degree in school guidance.
Marianist Brother Charles Johnson, vocation director for the Society of Mary As allegory goes, Brother Sean’s story is meaningful and tidy. There’s only one problem: It’s not entirely accurate. While Brother Sean may have labored in the pit, he wasn’t in a spiritual abyss. Although he sought a more spiritual life centered on prayer and service to God, his life wasn’t bad. “Being in the ‘real world’ was essential for me,” he says. “I experienced life — earning a living, paying bills, having a social life that was different from the one I enjoy today. I experienced the ups and downs of life and that helped me realize what really matters: Using my gifts and talents to serve others, rather than just collecting a paycheck and going out on weekends. I wanted a sense of mission.” Brother Sean’s story isn’t unique. Many of the men turning to religious life today are no longer boys and young men. They are adults who have lived in the world, signed bank loans, worked jobs, honed their skills and talents and made important life choices. Perhaps most telling, they are men who approached religious life as one of many options. THE ULTIMATE CHOICE The fact that these men were aware of their choices underscores the depth of their commitment to religious life, notes Marianist Brother Charles Johnson, vocation director for the Society of Mary. “The men we have in formation want to be Marianists. They don’t have to be, yet they’ve chosen to put their lot in with us.” In years past, religious orders accepted high school students who felt called to religious life. But most men entering religious formation today are in their late 20s or older. Brother Charles sees this as an advantage. “We’re looking for men who have life experience as well as spiritual maturity,” he says. “We’re not a club or a fraternity. This is a life commitment.” Age and life experience aren’t the only qualities that differentiate today’s candidates. Unlike before, says Brother Charles, when most men seeking religious vocation were raised in Catholic neighborhoods and surrounded by Catholic values, these men come from diverse backgrounds, have been raised in a post-Vatican II world and are products of the information age. “Being in the ‘real world’ was essential for me … I experienced the ups and downs of life and that helped me realize what really matters: Using my gifts and talents to serve others.” — Marianist Brother Sean Downing “I don’t know how people discerned between different orders before the Internet,” says second-year novice Bob Jones with a chuckle. “I did Google searches on religious life.” Bob, 30, was teaching math at an Indianapolis high school when, after years of considering religious life in an offhand way, he finally decided to explore it seriously. “What I had was good,” he says. “I had a good job, and I owned my own home. But I had a feeling I wanted my life to go in a different direction. I started looking into the idea of religious life and it really resonated.” He considered life as a diocesan priest. He called and visited vocation directors for a number of different orders. Like many of the other men in formation, what ultimately drew him to the Marianists was the sense of community. “While I explored other communities, I felt most at home with the Marianists,” says Bob, who now lives with the DeSales www.marianist.com/supportus 7
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Page 5 and 6: Top row: Erin Anderson, Leslie Cebu
Page 7: Sharing a meal: Chris Nieport, Davi
Page 11 and 12: Father Oscar Vasquez (left) at his
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Page 15 and 16: Hope is inseparable from faith Bria
Page 17 and 18: Hope gets us through life’s trage
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Page 21 and 22: In Their Words The boys from the Ma
Page 23 and 24: Marianist Brother Xavier Raj help g
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Alive MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND ... - The Marianists

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