Monastic Laundry

I was only "Brother Sean" for a red hair over four years, so while priests and religious who give their whole lives to similar missions may be smug to my perspective, it really comes down to this: you can kick the boy out of the monastery, but you can't kick the monastery out of the boy. Who I am is forever changed because of those four years, and more succinctly, because of who I chose to become in all the years since. March 31, 1994 Dear Brother George Edward,      Throughout the past nine months, I have had the opportunity of forming many friendships; friendships with my Brothers, friendship with God, and friendship with myself.   I am very grateful for the blessings that I have received and for the opportunity to grow more fully in the life of Jesus Christ.   Though I have had some stumbling blocks along the way, I have learned to see them as stepping stones on the sometimes bumpy path of religious life.      I have a strong dedication to our Bl

Sharing some delicious quotes and personal reflections today about the book Care of the Soul , but first, here's a letter I wrote to my sister Esther in California. Note who the speakers were at the communion breakfasts we hosted in the high school that year. March 5, 1994 Dear Esther,      I know this is not the same as a birthday card, but I wanted to write to you anyway. How are things with you? Do you enjoy living in the new apartment? How is your car running? (You may prefer to answer these questions to yourself... answering out loud will probably make others think that you are crazy)      Well, all is well with me. I am doing well with my studies at Manhattan College and am looking forward to a successful semester. I am currently listed as undecided for my major, although I intend to major in English Literature. I have not begun any of my studies for my major, so I will begin to do so in the fall of 1995. This is because beginning in June of this year, until rough

My sincere apologies for the extra long delay in posting a new update here. I'm back on this project again now, so keep an eye out! At this point in my story, it's March of 1994. I'd been living in the monastery since June of 1993. On March 16, 1994, 27 years to the day as I post this online , I passed my road test on my first try, I got a temporary license, and then received my official driver's license soon after. As I'd been depending on my friends Lex, Mark, and Brendan for rides throughout high school, and needed my fellow Marianist Brothers, old and young alike, to drive me anywhere once I entered the community, it was a huge relief to put this behind me at last. Brother Michael Gillen (my Assistant Novice Master) taught me how to drive--on a stick shift, no less--and I was able to take a night class at a Mineola driving school just a few blocks from the Brothers' house. This was Lent of 1994, and I would soon experience my first retreat as a monk. Twice a