Pictured is Brother Matthew J. Rehagen, C.S.C., left, with tour guide Rami overlooking Jerusalem during a visit to the Holy Land.
Joining a band of men with an altruistic spirit, a brotherhood uniting in a common interest of serving God, and a familial bond were just some of the many reasons Brother Matthew J. Rehagen, C.S.C., chose the Congregation of Holy Cross.
“I think the Holy Cross community was by far the biggest influence in my discernment of vocation and what sustained my call to Holy Cross. I was a freshman at the University of Notre Dame when I first saw and met a lot of the priests and brothers for the first time, and their example of community life, watching them pray together, serve together, joke around with each other, reminded me a lot of my own family growing up,” shared Brother Matt. “I’m the youngest of four boys, and the relationship that my brothers had with me, I could see that in the relationship that the Holy Cross priests and brothers had with themselves. So, it was a very inviting community life that I was drawn to join.”
When entering the community, men choose either the path of a priest or of a brother.
“I think the simple answer is that I never felt called to be a priest,” said Brother Matt of why he followed a path to becoming a brother rather than a priest. “Whenever I joined Holy Cross, I joined for the community. What I discovered in my own prayer and my own discernment was that God wasn’t calling me to celebrate the Sacraments. I love the Sacraments and I love partaking in the Sacraments, but I could never envision myself as the priest who is consecrating the Eucharist or in the confessional. I was drawn to community life, to give my life over to God in the Church, to serve God and the Church, but to do so in non-Sacramental ways, particularly teaching.”
Brother Matt found the process of formation and community building with the Congregation impactful. The long-lasting relationships formed with mentors, leaders, and fellow classmates have had a huge influence on his life and ministry.
As a Brother of Holy Cross, men are devoted to God through ministry and prayer, striving to make a difference by being present and available to people and communities served.
Holy Cross Brothers dedicate their lives to Christ through the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. These evangelical counsels are virtues that aim to conform the professed man to Jesus Christ, his model and example. The vows are also intended to direct one’s life toward the service of God and neighbor. Holy Cross Brothers are laymen called to be with the People of God in fraternal solidarity, love, and service. Their vocation manifests the universality of the brotherhood begun by Christ and Saint Joseph is their patron.
“I think brothers can do so many things. That’s one of the beautiful parts about the vocation. What we do comes directly related to our relationships. It’s like a three-fold relationship being a brother. Relating to Jesus Christ as a brother, recognizing that he is our older brother. Relating to the community as a brother, being a brother to all those in Holy Cross, both priests and brothers. And then being a brother to those I serve. So, what we do is entirely relational, to be a brother to God, to the community, and then to those we serve. I express this relationship right now as a teacher, a brother, and a teacher to the high schoolers in Indianapolis,” shared Brother Matt who teaches at Cathedral High School.
The formation journey comes with many inspirational moments.
“I think a really powerful one that sticks out to me was the summer before professing final vows with my nine classmates, being able to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Going through the different sites and locations of all the major events in Jesus’ life, being able to relate that, and to be able to renew our vows on Mount Tabor, which is where the Transfiguration happened, really stands out to me. It was just a powerful way to connect my own life and my own giving of my life to God, to Jesus as well,” recalled Brother Matt.
Along his path to religious life, Brother Matt has been influenced by many different people.
“I think my parents are huge role models for me. They were the ones who raised me and my brothers in the faith. They’re the ones who set the example of what it is to live a life committed to their faith and a life of love,” said Brother Matt. “Since joining Holy Cross, Brother Edward C. Luther, C.S.C., has become a big role model for me. He was 90 years old when I was in the Old College undergraduate seminary program, and every day he would walk over, he’d bake bread, and he would just talk and pray with us. He provided me a great witness of what it meant to be a Holy Cross brother and the simplicity and the prayerfulness that it requires.”
The future is full of endless opportunities.
“Right now, I feel called to education. I would love to stay as a teacher for as long as I can. I just recently was a fifth-grade teacher the previous two years and then moved to high school. I just love the energy and the enthusiasm of a classroom. I’d love to just stay teaching. I don’t necessarily know what, don’t know where. I’m open to a lot of different things, but I just love the energy of the classroom and then maybe someday go into administration or become a principal someplace too, but stay rooted in education,” said Brother Matt.
His goal is to make an impact in the world.
“I hope to be able to lead people to Jesus Christ, to inspire others to take their lives of faith seriously and to be able to help others see the world differently because of the loving mission of Jesus Christ for us. It’s nothing that we’ve done and nothing that we do, but it’s the way we can partake in the new creation through Jesus Christ, and helping others see the created world leads them to God who loves them to the very end.”
