Br. Maximilian, OSB giving encouragement to with our college football team
Monks at St. Vincent have a long history of being involved in athletics (especially with the teams here at our college.) Since our earliest days, monks have served as coaches, chaplains, mentors, and sometimes even players on our various sports teams.
Br. Gabriel Myriam, OSB watching and cheering on our Bearcat basketball team
The monks taking in a game
"Br. Max" is seen above ministering to both the men and women Bearcat basketball teams.
Today the tradition of monks being involved in athletics continues in order that we may evangelize, promote good sportsmanship, and teach our students leadership skills rooted in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"Br. Max" praying for an injury free and Christ centered game
This past year, our wonderful campus minister Father Vincent Zidek, OSB and our beloved Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, OSB created a new campus ministry position (a full-time athletic chaplain) and they appointed our Br. Maximilian Maxwell, OSB to the position. "Br. Max" as the student’s affectionately call him has excelled in the position and has opened our student’s hearts and minds to new ways of following Jesus by allowing them to use their love and talents of athletics to affectively minister to God's people. Many of our student athletes have taken "Br. Max" up on his invitations to pray with the monks, to work at homeless shelters, and soup kitchens and to assist in the various campus ministry programs. It is safe to say that both students and monks have been touched in a powerful way by the work of the Holy Spirit in regards to our campus ministry program and its athletic chaplaincy program.
The monks playing a little volleyball
I will close this post on a less serious note. With all this talk of sports I must point out that many of the monks of St. Vincent enjoy following our local sports teams - the Pirates, Penguins, and especially the Pittsburgh Steelers who train at St. Vincent during the summer. “Br. Max” is, as you would expect (being the fact that he is the athletic department chaplain) is also an avid sports fan. The problem is that he is a Philadelphia sports fan and a HUGE Flyers hockey fan (Note: Br. Maximilian is a native of the city of "Brotherly Love"). This past Friday he decided to show his team spirit by wearing his Philly Flyers jersey over his habit which prompted our college students to have some good-spirited fun with him as they rooted on their beloved Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, some of our great St. Vincent employees (when hearing I was doing an article on Br. Max and the athletic chaplaincy program) asked me to post a survey to vote for what look you like better on Br. Maximilian ("Br. Max the Flyer" or "Br. Max the Penguin"). You can vote on the side bar for the remainder of the playoff series.
"Br. Max the Penguin fan"
"Br. Max the Flyer fan"
Our Lady of Victory…pray for us!!!
