SVD Brothers share call to vocation

Bro. Vincent was a student at Divine Word College from 2013 to 2018, just like the men listening to his presentation. He told them about his personal journey in the SVD Brotherhood formation program, and shared stories about his Cross-Cultural Training Program (CTP) in Ghana. He showed photos of his work teaching music there, illustrating just how tailored the brotherhood vocation is to each individual and his God-given gifts. 

Thi Van Nguyen, an SVD candidate and student at Divine Word College, said the presentations were inspiring and helped him better understand the brother vocation. 

“I was impressed by Bro. Vincent's story about his time in Ghana,” he said. “He showed how being a religious brother can fit different talents, like his work teaching music. It was interesting to see how the brothers help in many ways, showing their dedication to serving the Church and the community.”

Next, Bro. Jim shared personal stories from his journey as a religious brother, including a recent mission experience in the Philippines. His presentation, along with Bro. Vincent’s, gave the candidates a clearer, more vivid understanding of what it means to live a consecrated life as a religious brother.

“They talked about sharing their gifts and the importance of community in the Church. This reminded me of how important religious brothers are in making society better,” Thi said. “The presentations helped me understand more about the religious brotherhood and the good work they do for the Church and society by showing me the different ways brothers use their skills to help others. This made me realize that religious brothers are not just focused on one type of work; they can use their unique talents in many areas, like education, healthcare, and community service, to make a positive impact wherever they are.”