A REFLECTION ON THE MARIANIST VOCATION WEEKEND

This past weekend, I had the privilege of going to the Marianist Vocation Conference at St. Mary’s University with three of my classmates. None of us had any idea about what to expect, but it ended up being a pleasant surprise for all of us.

We got to learn a lot about vocations, something that we had little knowledge about. We got some first-hand information from Brothers and Sisters about how they live. They explained how they gave up everything they owned and share their salaries with the communities in which they live. They also showed us that they live “normal” lives. One Brother even told us how he likes to go to professional sports games in his free time. Many of the Brothers said they liked to go hiking so that they could enjoy mother nature. Many of us simply thought they stayed in their communities, working and praying.

We also got to meet a lot of new people from around the country. There were people from nine different states. There were even two people from Puerto Rico! All of us got along with each other as if we were childhood friends seeing each other for the first time since grade school. The majority of us made friendships that we will keep for the rest of our lives. We had a great time together during our visits to Mission Conception, the Riverwalk and Market Square.

The Brothers and Sisters we met, things we learned, relationships we made and places we visited will not be forgotten. This weekend was a memorable one. The end of this weekend brought me to a sad realization: It’s too bad that we can only attend this conference once.

— Andres Gamez ‘08