marianist.com/donate • 9 n Saturday, May 18, 2018, surrounded by Marianists and family members, Marianist Brother Joseph Kurt Nugent celebrated his first profession of vows at Mount Saint John in Dayton, Ohio. Bro-Joe, as his students call him, was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. The formation journey that took him so far from his home and led to his profession as a Marianist began with seeds of great love — the first seed planted when he was just five years old. “My dad told me that Jesus loved me more than anyone, even more than he or my mom could love me,” recalls Brother Joe. “That blew me away!” Brother Joe comes from a large Catholic family with five sisters and a brother. When he was 10, they moved to Manitoba, Canada, where they attended church every Sunday. When he was 15, Brother Joe started feel- ing as if God was inviting him to do more. So when his pastor, Father Gerald Langevin, invited him to deepen his faith through an intergenerational retreat, he accepted. The experience introduced him to a shared faith commu- nity and awakened him spiritually. “I felt Jesus was inviting me to a living relationship with God,” says Brother Joe. After high school, he attended Catholic School of Evangelization in Manitoba for its formation program and also joined a Catholic Outreach team. Brother Joe recalls, “We worked, prayed and attended classes. I loved the prayer life and living in community. I felt like I was my best self there.” A small whisper Brother Joe’s call to religious life was subtle at first. “Then a small whisper grew as I got more involved,” he says. “I felt it more deeply.” Brother Joe researched and traveled to meet with different religious orders, but nothing seemed right. After meeting his pastor’s spiritual director, Marianist Father John Kracher, Marianist life piqued his interest. “One day, I finally said to Father John, ‘Tell me about you guys,’” says Brother Joe. “The more I learned, the more I fell in love with the Marianist charism. It is dynamic and allows God to challenge all of me. I was 20 at the time, and I knew that I would pursue being a Marianist for the rest of my life, no matter if it meant being religious or a lay person." A moment of clarity Brother Joe entered the Marianist aspi- rancy program in San Antonio in 2014, the first step to becoming a brother. He then earned a master’s degree in theology from the city’s Oblate School of Theology. Having felt a deep connection with Marianist life, Brother Joe entered the Marianist novitiate in Day- ton in 2016. Discernment was a time of self-discovery, active ministry and prayer. Brother Joe says, “I struggled a bit about whether this was what I really wanted. But in a precious moment of clarity, I saw how happy I was with God and God’s people. I realized God was giving me the space to discover what was within me, and that God was with me through it all.” Brother Joe now teaches 11th-grade religion at Saint Louis School, a Marianist-sponsored school in Honolulu. He excitedly shares his passion for faith with the young minds of the future and eagerly shares community life with 10 fellow Marianists at the Hale Malia Community. “I look forward to the gifts we share and being challenged to let Jesus take possession of my life in a way that I can’t do alone.” As he begins his journey as a Marianist, his love for God has grown deeper. “Jesus calls us and graces us to be more than we can be alone,” he says. “Jesus loves us more tenderly and dearly than we can imagine. I challenge anyone: Dare to let Jesus take possession of your life.” ■ SEEDS of GREAT LOVE Marianist Brother Joseph Nugent reflects on seeds of faith that were sewn on his journey to becoming a Marianist. By Bernadette McCaffrey Groner Brother Joseph Nugent, SM, enjoys the camaraderie of community life. If you know of anyone considering religious life or would like more information, please contact Brother Mark Motz, SM, at [email protected] or call 314.250.4505. God is calling Help our vocation ministry. We invite you to assist our vocation ministry financially through monthly giving clubs and other options. To donate now, use the enclosed envelope or go to marianist.com/ donate or contact Brother Alex Tuss, SM, 937.222.4641, ext. 3003, or alex.tuss@ marianistmission.org. O ALL PHOTOS: DEREK MIYAHARA