Brother Rice High School Christian Brothers Community, Chicago, IL, USA

Two years ago, at a local community meeting, the school’s vocation program was a topic of discussion. Many different opinions were shared, some quite strongly. The format used successfully for decades “vocation talks” in theology classes was discussed prayerfully. Several brothers felt the need to create a new form as a gift to our dynamic school community, province, and Church. How could we use our collective talent, experience, and generosity to further Edmund’s vision?

It was agreed there is a need for our students to know us through vocation talks, especially in light of our small numbers, yet some members felt more was needed. After much study, research, and prayer, added to lengthy discussions, mainly on the front porch of our house, several members felt the need to supplement the “knowing us” element. Although not breaking new ground, elements of “being, praying, and working with us” were developed outside of “school time” with the long-term goal of promoting the developing Edmund Rice Network.   The new ground being broken is the animation of Edmund Rice Groups on college campuses when these young men leave us.

Sharing, animating, and enabling Edmund’s spirit of faith, community, and service, in a new intensive form became the focus. Several community members have been involved, based on individual schedules, personal commitments, and ability, in regular monthly meetings mainly with juniors and some seniors. Brothers Paul Ickes, Jay Toole, and Bosco Martin are directly involved in the educational ministry at Brother Rice High School. To their credit, Brothers Lucian Knaap and Bob Beckstrom minister elsewhere, but became actively involved, while Steve O’Keefe ministers in many different capacities on the Brother Rice campus. All worked with the group which came to be called the Edmund Rice Youth Leaders.

The service component was to take the form of what had been presented to the former Western American Province as a challenge by the present Congregational Leadership Team to develop Edmund Rice Camps along the lines of those in other provinces, while the faith and community components were monthly prayer meetings with an emphasis to grow as a Christian as understood by Edmund. The prayer meetings and community time after each meeting took place in our community house. The Brothers not directly involved in the program were patient and accommodating with the use of the house.

The young men were invited to the house for a barbecue, orientation, and prayer. Many Brothers in the Chicago area attended. At this initial meeting, Br. Owen Carty spoke about the early life of Edmund, while Br. Paul Ickes spoke of Edmund’s later years and the Congregation. Br. Paul Ickes led the group in a guided meditation followed by Br. Bosco Martin presenting our hopes in a power point presentation. Jim Antos, Brother Rice principal, and Br. Karl Walczak, Brother Rice president, also spoke encouraging the young men to continue to grow in Edmund’s spirit by involvement in this group. We sent them off and told them if they wanted to join to come back in August. Twenty-four young men returned and formed the initial group.

The concept of the Edmund Rice Youth Leader Group was presented to the Brother Rice faculty at our first meeting last August. Many faculty came forward offering their time, talent, and treasure to help this group develop and grow. Many faculty and staff were excited with the formation of this group as a continuing development of the Essential Elements of an Edmund Rice Education. Brother Rice’s President, Br. Karl Walczak, and Principal, Jim Antos attended several gatherings with the Edmund Rice  Youth Leaders, and fully supported the program. Several coaches rearranged their summer camp schedules to accommodate the camp. Brother Rice parents throughout the school year came forward also offering time, talent, and treasure.

After several meetings, Brothers Bosco Martin and Steve O’Keefe met with the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland parish, Fr. Dan Mallette, and parish youth leaders Terrance Streator and Justin Domingo, both LEO High School graduates, to discuss our fledgling program and the foundation of an Edmund Rice Camp. After another meeting at Brother Rice with the Edmund Rice Youth Leaders, St. Margaret of Scotland joined with us and expressed the hope the Edmund Rice Camp would be expanded beyond one week the following year with additional educational support throughout the school year.  

The local parish, St. Margaret of Scotland, singled out fifty of their neediest second through eighth graders to enjoy the Edmund Rice Camp.  St. Margaret, one of Chicago’s most affluent parishes at one time, presently has a school population where 85% of their families below the federal poverty level. Additionally, the parish has a school with an increasing enrollment, last year 475 students, 99% African-American, while all Sunday masses have an overwhelmingly European-American praying community. The parish has a shelter on its campus associated with the Maryville Academy of Illinois. Several residents of the shelter were with us throughout the duration of the camp. Fr. Mallette, similar to a modern day Blessed Edmund and St. John Bosco, would appear on the doorsteps of his poorest parishioners gathering up the youngsters to bring to the camp. Never once after our school buses (driven by Brothers Paul Ickes, Jay Toole, Brother Rice Director of Development Mike McShare, and principal Jim Antos) arrive on our campus did we turn any of Fr. Mallette’s late arriving “special ones” away. At one point our camp had fifty-four young people enrolled. Not a large number of students from this school attend Brother Rice although we are only four miles apart and are active in our invitation to them.

Br. Nick Morris was contacted about the Edmund Rice Camps worldwide. Br. Bosco Martin met with Nick Morris at a McDonald’s for lunch and left with a greater understanding of the Camps than just reviewing their websites. Nick emphasized three points; 1) the Edmund Rice Camp is to be eventually turned over to young people after our initial involvement, 2) the Camp is to be financed by the young people involved, and 3) there is a need to develop an  associate type program for college age students. The brothers involved in the camp, Brothers Jay Toole, Paul Ickes, Lucian Knaap, Bob Beckstrom, Steve O’Keefe, and Bosco Martin have continued to share throughout the day and at night our front porch with these young men after the closing of the camp. During this new “porch ministry” we have challenged these young men to begin to consider Edmund Rice Groups on their college campuses.

The Edmund Rice Youth Leaders completed a successful “Pennies from Heaven” program after Easter break. They pushed a cart during lunch periods collecting pennies to finance the camp. Their parents were invited to provide lunch to our campers and fourteen families responded by preparing the meals at home and delivering to our community’s kitchen. 

The Edmund Rice Camp enjoyed the vast facilities of Brother Rice High School, Chicago. Careful planning and scheduling had to occur as the Brother Rice campus is quite dynamic during the summer with upwards of ten different activities taking place on any given day. The Edmund Rice Camp, being the new kid on the block, used every inch of available space in most creative ways. Several of the already well-established athletic, academic, and day camps made adjustments for us.

One of the blessings realized from the Edmund Rice Youth Leadership group and the camp is the request of two young men to remain formally in contact with us leading up to joining the Congregation. One young man has already been in contact with Brother Raph McDonald. This young man also formally met with Brothers Jason Ford, Paul Ickes, and Bosco Martin to discuss the contact program and beyond.

Working with the Edmund Rice Youth Leaders, knowing our time limitations, our growing understanding of the Edmund Rice Network, and the resources available to us in Chicago, we invited Brothers representing different parts of the Edmund Rice Network to be with, pray with, and talk with the young men. Brothers John Dornbos and Tony Twomey spoke to our young men about the Associate and Immersion programs. On another occasion, Raph McDonald spoke to the young men about vowed membership and volunteer opportunities. The prayer session we had with Raph also included 35 seniors and lasted for one and one half hours. It was intense. We look forward to networking with other school communities at the ACTION Leadership Program in Plymouth, MI in September.

This new ministry, along side our students, was clearly uncharted waters for us.  We are grateful to the tremendous leadership in this area provided by the Edmund Rice Network throughout Oceania and Ireland. Outstanding materials are available through Edmund Rice Camps online and Edmund Rice Online. Many hours were spend reading the websites from Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.  The Marist and De La Salle Brothers were most helpful providing materials and even welcoming Brother Lucian Knaap at the Marist Youth Conference in Esopus, New York in May, 2006.

We are in the process of developing a CD that contains all materials we developed for the Edmund Rice Youth Leaders and the Edmund Rice Camp. We are most proud of the daily prayer developed for the camp adapting the Heart of Being Brother for use by both our community and the Edmund Rice Youth Leaders. Contact Br. Bosco Martin at Brother Rice, pbmartin@brrice.org, if you would like a copy.

We are also in the process of inviting the next group of juniors to join and preparing a continuing program for the seniors leading up to the development of Edmund Rice Groups on their college campuses.