Gray Robes

So, I sent the brothers to Mexico this summer. For a few months, they are expected to leave the Juniorate House of Formation and serve in our SOLT missions. I must admit, I had some nerves, this being the first time I had sent the men out. To grow in Christian brotherhood, to be challenged, to serve and to find Christ in the anawim (the lowly and marginalized who depend on God) were the principal objectives. Fr. Flanagan, our founder, spoke of the anawim often and delighted in serving them.

The brothers studied Spanish in Querétaro and served at Santa Maria del Mexicano, our boarding school for troubled and abandoned children and youth. They spent five weeks in Nuevo Laredo serving in our large parish and helping in the smaller communities.

Now, ministering, interacting, and teaching in a second language is not always easy. Plans change at the drop of a hat in the missions. Traveling on long bus rides, eating the local food, no hot water, no air conditioning (and Nuevo Laredo basically feels like walking in a large oven...even the breeze is warm), sometimes no transportation, being aware of violence and danger caused by the cartels, are just some of the unique conditions that require effort, love, and grace.

However, the brothers began to correspond with me as they left Detroit. They sent pictures and made me laugh with their texts. They shared funny stories. You would have thought I sent them on vacation! Gratitude and joy had overwhelmed them. They appreciated being amongst the anawim and serving them. As you might expect, this pleased me very much.

The character of their “head brother,” Br. Greg Rice, may have contributed to this. A cheerful extrovert who leads and serves with authentic concern, he made his Perpetual Promises on July 3, 2025. As I reunited with them in Corpus Christi for Br. Greg’s Mass and festivities, they recounted in person their experiences. It felt like family.

Celebrating with the larger community and witnessing how the brothers served dissolved my unease and filled me with gratitude. I could hear St. Paul speaking to me: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Phil. 4:6).

The joy and thanksgiving of the brothers, even in the difficult missions, reveal the work of the Holy Spirit. They serve with the spirit of our founder. Thank you for your generosity with them, witnessed by your prayers, your friendship and your financial support.

Know of our prayers for you!
In Christ,

Fr. Jeremy