A Life in Mission – Br Raymond Vercruysse cfc

In considering my life as an Edmund Rice Christian Brother, I am most grateful for God calling me to follow Blessed Edmund Rice. Like Edmund, I grew up on a farm. The family farm was on the east side of Rochester, New York. I attended a public (state) school for the first five years, then the parish elementary (primary) school. After the eighth grade, I went to Bishop Kearney High School (secondary). This is where I first encountered the Christian Brothers. I graduated from BKHS in 1973. On September 6, 1973, I entered the Christian Brothers postulancy at St Joseph’s Residence in New Rochelle, NY. Thus, it began!

The formation program at the time followed a rhythm where your first year was spent in postulancy while attending Iona College. The postulants were expected to carry 18 credits per semester and during the summer 9 credit hours. Then we spent the next year in West Park, New York where we received the Brothers religious habit as the sign that I was to begin the novitiate, located along the Hudson River.

At the conclusion of the novitiate, we professed first vows and returned to the scholastic for our two remaining years of college at Iona. I graduated in 1977 with a BA in Economics with a concentration on Religious Studies and Mathematics. My first assignment was to the community and school at Power Memorial Academy in midtown Manhattan, NY. This began the fulfilment of my avocation and vocation as an Edmund Rice Christian Brother.

Let’s circle back for a moment. When I was growing up, I was lucky to have both sets of grandparents living on the farm. They were an influence in my life as were my parents, and they helped support my interest in becoming a Christian Brother.  One lesson I remember very clearly from my father, is he would not give anyone a task that he wouldn’t first do himself. I know I used this practice in all my leadership opportunities.

As a young boy I was an altar boy, so I came in contact with my parish priests often when I served mass. I often got the 6:30 morning weekday mass, so I would have time after mass to speak with the various priest before checking into homeroom. From their example I was first considering priesthood. I had been part of the Explorer Club which meet in Seminary once a month. So, when I started high school and met the Christian Brothers, I saw a way to be a religious and a teacher. Most likely this starts my discernment to become Brother.

I probably was not the greatest student in school, but the Sisters of Mercy I had always encouraged me (us) to go farther and to become the best person God was calling me to be. This theme was reinforced once I met the Christian Brothers in high school. They seemed to care about and encourage us to develop our personalities and talents. My neighbour was a teacher, and my aunt was a teacher. They were both role models for me, so I think working as a teacher and living in a community of like-minded men seemed to be what attracted me to the Christian Brothers. And it is what has kept me focused for over the last fifty plus years as a Brother.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to minister in a variety of high school settings as a teacher, coach, counsellor and administrator. I have been blessed that I have enjoyed my experiences. I was the first Brother President of Bishop Kearney HS, which was my alma mater, that was special.

When I completed my leadership, I was given the opportunity to complete a doctorate at the University of San Francisco. After which I became the director of the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) program. This position gave me the opportunity to address a variety of groups regarding Catholic School leaders, Catholic Identity, faculty/staff faith formation and Board In-service programs.

Following the nine years in San Francisco, I was appointed to the North America Province Leadership Teams. For twelve years I had a graced opportunity of serving my Brothers in the province in a variety ways. This too was a special opportunity for me. If you were to have asked me in my early years as a Brother, what I thought I would do, neither being a president or a member of a PLT would have been on my radar.

Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “Life can only be understood by looking backward, but it must be lived going forward.”  I would hope over the 50 plus years as a Christian Brother those I encountered would have felt that I was a brother to them as opposed to just being Brother to them. A second experience over the years, is something Victor Hugo wrote, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” I would hope that I was able to see the face of God in those I taught and ministered with as I hope they were able to see the face of God in me.

In looking back moments that helped shaped me: first, my time I was the Province Vocation Director, I experienced a wider Church and met firsthand a variety of religious women and men, who served Church their various ministries. My experience in leadership has shaped my worldview along with being a chapter delegate has strengthened my understanding of the Congregation and its relationship with local Church. My experience in Waterford has convinced me that Edmund’s charism is still needed to influence our world. To allow students to become aware of those on the margins of society. To become advocates for justice.