He Who Began a Good Work: Reflection on a Journey of Faith and Formation

I began studying for my Master’s (MDiv) degree in 1999. At that time, my intention was to finish the degree within four years and pursue a career as a Director of Youth Ministry. Twenty-seven years later, I am graduating!

There were two things I was warned not to do if I wanted to complete a Master’s degree: “Don’t get married and don’t buy a house until you finish,” I was warned. A degree demands focus. Marriage, children, and houses also require substantial focus. A few years later, I was married… and bought a house. My life had taken a new direction.

My wife and her daughter lived in Syracuse, so I bought a house there. I attempted to commute to what was then called St. Bernard's Institute (SBI). However, the demands of the family, the extensive travel for each class, and the need for increased income shifted my focus. I stopped taking classes in 2003. There were no online classes. My daughter, Anna, was born in 2004. I remained active as a youth catechist for a parish near Syracuse until 2006. However, the reality of finances and the need for family time limited my capacity to continue in ministry. I opened my own business and focused on raising a family.

Back when I started my degree in 1999, St. Bernard's shared a beautiful campus with several Protestant divinity schools near Highland Park in Rochester. It was a traditional graduate school setting. Student housing was available along with a dining hall, traditional classrooms, an extensive library, and a Tudor chapel. It was a lovely campus environment. The greatest advantage was access to student and faculty conversation and socializing outside of the classroom. The collegiate social atmosphere amongst students and faculty provided opportunities for shared conversation, prayer, and meals. However, that environment came at a cost. The buildings were old and extremely expensive to maintain. The cost of living on campus was high. The cost of maintaining the old campus, even as a collaborative effort, was prohibitive. The seminary institutions began to seek more affordable environs to keep their costs in check.

It wasn’t long after I left in 2003 that the present campus for St. Bernard's was envisioned and built. The present campus setting is also beautiful and, importantly, much more cost-efficient.

My daughter, now an adult, has moved out on her own, and my responsibilities as a parent have entered a new era. I began to think about studying again, and one day, I called St. Bernard's to inquire if I could continue my education. The answer was an inviting yes, and in 2023, I returned. The transition back to studies could not have been easier, as the staff at St. Bernard's were very accommodating in assisting me.

The important thing to note is that I could not have returned to St. Bernard's if they had not also envisioned a new direction for themselves. When I called, I discovered the school was incredibly accessible, as St. Bernard's had redesigned itself as a distance learning institution. In 2003, a student could only take one course long-distance, whereas in 2023, a student can take all their courses long distance. The decisions the school has taken over the last decades have made education accessible to me and many others; I would not have finished – certainly not at the pace I was able – without the technology and accessibility available to me at St. Bernard's.

I have experienced firsthand the changes at the school, and while I miss the library and being able to share meals with other students, the fact of the matter is that the school would be inaccessible to me, both financially and logistically, if the present mode for educating students hadn’t been envisioned and pursued by good stewards years ago. I see my graduation not only as a personal achievement, but as a witness to the thoughtful vision of many leaders who were wise stewards that provided me with a path for continued education. It is obvious that the school understood its essential mission and planned accordingly.

There were some losses, as having direct access to books in a traditional library is extremely valuable. However, in the last three years, accessing books has not been difficult, as I learned how to access them online. I have also had several opportunities to socialize and collaborate with students directly, attending a few on-campus activities, as well as attending a weeklong retreat at the Abbey of the Genesee in 2025 with several other students. The retreat was a deeply rewarding spiritual experience, and I will be attending another weeklong retreat this summer. The more things change, the more they stay the same. With all that has changed, the core experience and primary mission of this institution have continued to serve its students well. My personal experience suggests that this institution has learned to engage in its mission with greater economic efficiency and better educational accessibility without losing its essential ability to provide a high quality and sound Catholic education.

When I came to St. Bernard's originally, I intended to complete a degree and pursue a career in Youth Ministry. Instead, I married, raised two girls, and started a business. Now, I return with a different perspective–not with a plan of my own, but with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to learn and a heart open to His will.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work…will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).