I didn’t enjoy high school very much. Putting aside the standard teenage disposition of angst and immaturity, I look back on my high school years and I recognize that I did not find my experience to be very compelling. When I entered the Oblates, I did not pay attention to the fact that our primary ministry in the US for the last century has been education. I never supposed myself to be a teacher when I entered, I even told my superiors that I didn’t have any strong desire to work in a school. Yet two years ago, I arrived at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE for my apostolic internship. While cliche as this is, if I could have traveled back in time to encourage myself for the journey ahead, I would jump in that time machine as fast as I could.
Our founder, Bl. Louis Brisson, OSFS, is quoted to have said, “We should live by two great mottoes: First, whatever we do, we must do it passionately. Second, let us be full of courage.” When I look back at my time at Salesianum that is exactly what I associate with them: passion and courage. It was in the classrooms and hallways, the fields, the courts, and the stage. This Salesian ethos of passion and courage I witnessed was vibrant. It was in the students, faculty, and staff. It was in my Oblate brothers and it was contagious. This is what changed my perspective on the value of secondary education as a whole.
What I found at Salesianum was a tenacious passion to make young boys not only into smart young adults but into young Salesian gentlemen. In the classroom, the students had the opportunity to learn and discover their God-given passions and desires, hone their skills, and grow in their talents. Outside of it, they had opportunities to grow in humility and gentle strength, develop healthy self-confidence, and engage in leadership at all different levels.
In every corner of the building, they were encouraged through faith to be who they are and be that well for it brings honor to God who made them that way. They were reminded at Mass, in confession, on retreats, in reflections, and in prayer that God loves them and has called them to shine as a beacon clear and bright in this world. They were challenged to be brothers to one another and to the world and to not take that challenge lightly. Ultimately, they were called to follow their school motto (Tenui Nec Dimittam) and take hold of what God has permitted and gifted to them in their time at Salesianum and not let go of it.
Fr. Chris Beretta, OSFS, Salesianum’s principal, would remind them over and over again to make three commitments every day of their Salesianum career: “Pray, study, and take action.” This became such a part of the Salesianum zeitgeist that students came to our office humorously reciting it to us while trying to mimic his rhetorical style. Students recognized the value of the education they were receiving at Salesianum. A young man can learn reading, writing, and arithmetic anywhere. For this young Oblate, what made my internship so special to me was the passion and courage of Salesianum School to aspire for their young men to want to not only learn more but to want to be more and be that well; to not settle for comfort but for the greatness purveyed for them by the Divine.
In the seventh chapter of Matthew Jesus says, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). Education is a holy endeavor and a Salesian education, I have learned, is a pearl of great value. The tenacious passion I witnessed in the faculty, staff, students, and my brother Oblates at Salesianum has taught me that what I thought was merely a rock in hand, was, in fact, a valuable pearl to cherish and celebrate.
I offer one more quote from an Oblate confrere. In one of his talks to the students, Fr. Brian Zumbrum, OSFS, said, “Your vocation story is not about you… it is for the sake of the world. Your story cannot be true until you realize that your story is intertwined with the rest of the world.”
Until my story became intertwined with the story of Salesianum, I recognize that I did not understand the value and potential impact education can have. Now that this chapter of my vocation story has been written, the plot has thickened with new potentials and horizons. Two years ago, I would never have presumed that I would be excited about educational ministry. Now, if God wills it, I look forward to hopefully doing it again. With immense gratitude for the people who made my internship so wonderful, I can say that what I experienced at Salesianum was a surprisingly joyful plot twist to this story. Yet in hindsight, I shouldn’t be too surprised at the twist. I’ve heard that Our Heavenly Author is often very good at writing those.
Mr. Jonathan Dick, OSFS
Professed Scholastic
Theological Studies at the Catholic University of America
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