Last year, I spoke to Brother Bryan de Porres to get to know him better. He was extremely sweet, and I learned that he is the youngest Brother of The Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Brother de Porres is truly an inspiration for young boys looking to join the brotherhood. 

Interviewer: “Hey, Brother! For my first question, I was hoping you could just tell me a little bit about yourself!”

Brother: “My name is Brother Bryan de Porres. I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on January 21, 1969. I attended Holy Rosary Elementary School and St. Patrick’s High School.  My first job was working in St. Elizabeth Hospital, first as a volunteer in the ninth grade, and then as an employee in the eleventh grade. It was in these formative years that I decided to become a religious brother.”

Interviewer: “When did you join the brotherhood?”

Brother: “I joined the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in September of 1988. I’ve been a teacher at McClancy since September 1995. “

Interviewer: “How did you know you wanted to become a brother?”

Brother: “What attracted me most to the brothers was their communal living.  They prayed together, ate together, worked together, and celebrated together.  What attracted me the most turned out to be the hardest part of living religious brotherhood.  God put that desire for brotherhood in me at a young age, and He put in my path people who were role models.  For all those people, my family, the brothers, the sisters, I thank God for them and pray for them every day.”

Interviewer: “What’s your favorite part of being a brother?”

Brother: “My favorite part about being a brother is being a brother to the other brothers, being a brother to my students, and being a brother to the teachers. I love being with my students and watching them develop bonds of friendship with each other, which I know will last their lifetime. I consider it a privilege to be a part of your life.”

Interviewer: “Okay Brother, for the more loose-ended questions. Do you have any hidden talents? What do you like to do for fun?”

Brother: “A talent that I have developed is sewing.  I use this skill for the brothers and the religious sisters who need religious clothing. Making a garment from scratch takes time and patience. I think the patience learning has helped me in other settings. My skills developed right before the age of the internet, cell phones, and tablets. I’m not sure if these skills would have developed if I had those distractions. 

Interviewer: “Do you have a favorite food?”

Brother: “My favorite foods are Italian and Portuguese.  My friends are Portuguese and I always look forward to their cooking.”

Interviewer: “My last question for you is, is there any advice you have for any younger generations thinking about joining the brotherhood/sisterhood?”

Brother: “Some advice I would give to a person considering religious life is to ask themselves if this is something they could see themselves doing.  I would advise them to pray to the Blessed Mother and ask her help and guidance. She really looks out for you. And I would advise them to speak with one of the brothers.”

Brother de Porres continues to be an inspiration and guiding light to every student here at Monsignor McClancy. He currently teaches Religion to freshmen classes and has such a cheerful and welcoming attitude to his incoming classes. Having a teacher like Brother de Porres is one of the best things you can have handed to you when being greeted into the new, scary world of high school. Try sparking a conversation with him one day, and you could learn something new!