The Brother Martin community gathered together on Friday morning in the Conlin Gymnasium at their monthly school wide liturgy to celebrate its founders, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, during a Mass that called us all to walk in the footsteps of the Brothers and to be the shepherds who carry on their mission.
The Mass, a reminder of the first brothers, Brother Polycarp, Brother Xavier, and others who followed our founder, Fr. Andre Coindre, is an annual tradition whose beginnings are deeply rooted in the mission of these men. Their ministry to this day remains, at Brother Martin, the spiritual formation of young men entrusted to them in the unyielding love of Jesus.
The Mass was made a little more special by a gift hand-made by one of our senior Student Ministers, Alex Genois, who built a 12-foot cross that stood in the center of the Conlin Gymnasium.
The simple design featured an image of the Sacred Heart emblazoned at its center. Rays of light emanate from this heart. This cross is modeled from the mission crosses that Fr. Andre Coindre placed in small French towns where he successfully preached.
Symbolizing the Brothers’ escutcheon and Fr. Coindre’s first ‘call’ as he reached out to two young girls on the streets of Lyon, France, in 1821, senior Student Minister Andrew Butler ‘18, designed placards in the shape of hands. The ‘hands’ represented the marginalized, the students, the faculty, and the alumni, a symbol that we are a community who helps one another.
The Mass, celebrated by Brother Martin’s Chaplain Fr. Paul Hart ’70, included a homily where Fr. Paul shared a message of love to all present. To students, in particular, he reminded them that he, too, was a student once, and faced occasional loneliness, but realized that he was surrounded by adults, both Brothers and lay, who let him know that they cared about him and the young man he was becoming.
“But here (at Brother Martin) you are not alone,” Fr. Paul reminded students. “We love you. We mean that. We are here for you and you are loved. You are not alone. You are not without friends.”
During the celebration, Fr. Paul asked current Brothers of the Sacred Heart to stand, which included, Brother Neri Falgout ‘46 SA, Brother Neal Golden ‘57 CJ, Brother Dwight Kenney ‘71, and Brother Ivy LeBlanc. In addition, faculty and alumni were asked to stand to be recognized as individuals who are carrying on the mission of our Brothers.
Students who participated in the Mass included Acolytes Benjamin Chanes and Beau Robinson; Crossbearer Tanner Olsen; Readers John Buchert, Joseph Aguda, Roger Baudry and Matthew Tate. The Offertory was presented by Alex Genois, Ben Chaplain, Justin Leal, and Brothers Neal, Dwight and Neri.
Following the Mass, Brother Martin honored incoming freshmen and eighth graders who received academic scholarships. This year, 32 Crusaders received the honor.
