Being a Brother brings him joy

"The Sisters of Saint Joseph taught me to teach," he said. "The Carmelites taught me to pray."

In addition, the Brothers of Christian Instruction taught him in high school, and his older brother is a Franciscan priest. But it is the life of Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, that influences Brother Beaudin's life daily.

Special touch

Whether it's in a prep school in Westchester County, an elementary school in Harlem, a boys high school in the South Bronx, or Schenectady's Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, where Brother Beaudin is principal, the Brothers are reaching out and meeting the needs of children and youth, he said.

"Edmund Rice teaches us to love the kids," the principal said. "That love is shown by providing them with structure and a lot of time, and by providing them with an excellent education that will provide them with opportunities."

Following a call

However, he postponed pursuing a religious vocation until after college. At Siena College in Loudonville, he had what he describes as a typical experience for the first two years. By sophomore year, he decided that "I wanted to do something important in life."

Brother Beaudin's decision to enter religious life was supported by his family. "For my family, it was not a big surprise. It was a big surprise to my friends," he said. "I tell the kids when I talk to them about vocations that the ones God chooses are the ones you least expect."

Joys of vocation

One of the joys is the opportunity to be involved in full-time ministry. "As a religious, you have the opportunity to enter full-time in the conversion process. That's a wonderful thing," he said.

Being a brother has provided Brother Beaudin with the opportunity to use his gifts to benefit schools that influence many young people. "I know I'm good at proving structural change so that schools are academically excellent and kids feel good about themselves," he said. "I can see what's there and can motivate."

As the Church moves into the next millennium, Brother Beaudin said religious orders will continue to have a role, although it may be different.

"Religious communities have a life-cycle," he said. "We now have new religious communities forming. Many new religious institutes are coming into existence that are addressing certain needs."

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