The Brother Martin Class of 2027 took part in their Senior Ring Mass, celebrated by Fr. Tony Rigoli, on Thursday, August 27th, at St. Dominic Catholic Church in New Orleans. At Ring Mass, a Brother Martin senior puts on more than his senior ring—he puts on the mantle of leadership, he puts on the legacy of all Crusaders who have come before him, and he takes on all underclassmen as his charges, committed to returning the graces that he has been given and Forming Young Men for Life as he has been formed. The Mass and ring reception ceremony rightly order the school year for our seniors.

Principal Ryan Gallagher ‘00 offered a concluding reflection before the seniors received their blessed rings: ”As you embark upon your senior year and beyond, you will experience a myriad of opportunities: a college acceptance, a career opportunity, a leadership position.

But some of life's most important opportunities will not look like opportunities at all.

Sometimes the opportunity will be the classmate who needs someone to listen.

Sometimes it will be the moment when you have to decide whether you will do what is right when nobody else is watching.

Sometimes it will be a moment when God asks you to trust Him even though you cannot see what comes next.

As Father Coindre says, “Courage and Trust.” Courage does not mean that you are never afraid. Trust does not mean that you always know what lies ahead. Courage means moving forward even when you are uncertain.
Trust means believing that you do not have to walk into the future alone. “Courage and Trust” is more than a motto. It is part of the legacy you have inherited as Brother Martin Crusaders.

Father André Coindre encountered young people who were neglected, abandoned, and forgotten. And his response was not simply to give them an education. He gave them hope. He believed in them. He trusted that their lives could become something greater than their circumstances suggested. These ideals are reflected in the Brothers of the Sacred Heart’s tradition of holistic education.

Through your experiences so far at Brother Martin, you’ve prepared your minds, and you’ve formed your hearts. You’ve become men who lead through service. Men who succeed, but who also recognize that success without purpose is empty.

Brother Martin reminds us: “We are not here to teach boys how to make a living, but how to make a life.”

The difference between a living and a life is profound.

Making a living asks: What will I do?

Making a life asks: Who will I become?

Making a living is about earning.

Making a life is about meaning.

And that is our hope for you.

We certainly hope you become successful, pursue your dreams, find work that challenges you and brings you fulfillment. But we also hope for something more. We hope that you become men of faith. Men of integrity. Men who recognize the dignity of every person. Men who have the courage to stand for what is right. We hope you are prepared not only to make a living, but to make a life.”