First cadet chaplain helps define role

Classmates often kid Leo Fioravanti with predictions that he'll become a priest someday. That doesn't bother him, though. He says it's only to be expected when someone takes on the position of cadet chaplain for his entire school.

The 17-year-old senior at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany was already a member of the National Honor Society, color guard and LaSallian Youth Group when he heard that CBA was creating the new position of cadet chaplain this year.

Leo thought he'd be a good candidate for the job, since he attends Mass at Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany every Sunday. It also seemed like a perfect fit for a student who admitted he didn't want a command position as an officer at CBA, saying, "I'm more behind the scenes."

Ironically, Leo has been front and center this year, having been chosen from four candidates to become cadet chaplain.

Duties

Every day, during morning formation for the students, Leo and an assistant take turns reading announcements and a prayer to the school. Leo acts as a greeter at school Masses and is a Eucharistic minister.

That means working with Brother Casimir Gundlach, FSC, the school's campus ministry officer. Leo helps to write prayers for special occasions, like CBA's memorial service commemorating 9/11.

He sometimes worries he won't do a good job -- that "people are going to look at me strangely" -- but said that being cadet chaplain has helped him hone his public-speaking skills.

"I don't mind saying a prayer in front of the whole school," he commented. "I'm getting better at the routine."

On retreat

The rest of the routine includes visiting residents at Our Lady of Hope nursing home in Albany every Thursday and organizing retreats for students.

In fact, on the day The Evangelist visited, Leo was on his way to a retreat already in progress at St. Clare's Church in Colonie. He hoped to encourage fellow students to interact with their peers and find "ways to reflect on [their] faith."

Recently, Leo took on the responsibility of writing a prayer for CBA's commissioning ceremony for new officers.

"I wished everybody luck in their new duties as officers and fulfilling their duties," he stated, adding: "I have a lot of support among my peers. Because it's a new position, I get a lot of recognition."

Role model

The scrutiny of other students serves as a reminder to Leo to work on his own faith.

"There are times where I don't feel like going to Mass, but I find the time, because I don't want to turn away from God," he noted.

Being cadet chaplain "is an honor," he added. "I have to set the example; I'm a role model for our faith."

Future plans

Next year, Leo hopes to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, majoring in civil engineering. He keeps the thought of a vocation "in the back of my head" -- but in the foreground are the images of buildings and bridges he wants to build someday.

The public speaking he does every day as chaplain, he said, will help him in his future career.

"I've got to be able to speak fluently and with a purpose," he explained.

(Leo is also active in the Boy Scouts of America. He's currently working toward the rank of Eagle Scout by doing landscaping at Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany -- a job that encompasses both his faith and his interest in engineering.)

(11/11/04)