Don Escarro with his family
This article is part of our Summer 2018 Newsletter, where we interviewed our Alumni: men who, out of their desire to pursue the Lord, have investigated the life of the Servants of the Word but, through their investigation and discernment, decided that their path of discipleship lay in a calling other than the brotherhood.
Many of our alumni observed that one of the things they noticed when they lived with us was that the Word stands out in “Servants of the Word”. Here’s what they said:
“It was in the brotherhood that I discovered my desire for Scripture and developed a taste for it. I love the brothers’ ability to take the Word of God and connect it to my life in a personal fashion. Even if I have heard a passage numerous times, the brothers have always had an ability to expound it in a fresh way” (Sergio Marenco).
“The impact of my years in the Servants of the Word was phenomenal and complete. I remember how surprised I was when I entered seminary to see how much grasp of Scriptures I already possessed” (DJ).
“I became theologically literate in the Servants of the Word” (PM).
Brett Lockhart, who is about to be ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church, says: “It was learning to read the Scriptures and the Church Fathers which really gave me a vision for the breadth of the church, both geographically and historically.”
“The number of courses we went through was astounding, and I enjoyed most of it” (DW).
“I still go back to the Psalms Course for inspiration and clarification” (AJu).
Leo Banong and his family
Here is a short description of some of the men who were interviewed:
Andy Jordan (AJo), 30 years old, married with one boy and one child on the way. Youthworker in Glasgow, Scotland.
Andy Juan (AJu), 55, married with 4 children. Manager in a large, multinational corporation, currently self-employed and also senior coordinator of the Ligaya ng Panginoon community in Manila, Philippines.
Brett Lockhart (BL), 59, married with 4 boys, barrister and Queen’s Council in Northern Ireland.
Corey Mantel (CM), 59, married with five children, computer engineer, living in Chelsea, Michigan, USA.
Fr. Dan Jones (DJ), 64, Catholic priest, Associate professor at the Sacred Heart Seminary and Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary, both in Detroit, USA.
Dave Wittgens (DW), 44, married with 5 children, practices general medicine in Detroit, USA.
Don Escarro (DE), 58, married with 5 children, engineer and consultant in the power-plant business in Manila, Philippines
Leo Banog (LB), 49, married with three children, IT consultant based in Manila.
Luis Fernando Aragon (LA), 59, married with two children, professor at the School of Physical Education and Sports Sciences and director of the “Human Movement Science Center” at the University of Costa Rica.
Luis Brenes (LB), 51, married with four children, agronomist and organic agriculture consultant in Costa Rica and senior coordinator of the community “Arbol de Vida” in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Peter Mackenzie (PM), 53, married with two daughters, Anglican minister and currently vicar of St. John & St. James in West London, UK.
Salim Baz (SB), 32, Lebanese, married with two young children, currently working on a PhD in Finance at Imperial College-London.
In interviewing these brothers their observations seemed to fall into seven categories. Click on the following links to read more about each takeaway:
- Radical Dedication
- The Brotherhood as a Band of Brothers
- Prayer is at the Heart of Brotherhood Life
- The Word Stands out in the “Servants of the Word”
- The Maturity and Character of the Brothers Attracted Them
- Formation in Character and Skills Has Given Shape to Their Lives
- Their Careers Have Been Positively Impacted by Their Time with the Brothers
