Alumni Spotlight: Br. Vincent Mary Bernhard, O.P., ’17
Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
This month’s Alumni Spotlight is on Brother Vincent Mary Bernhard, O.P. (Will Bernhard, ’17).
Br. Vincent Mary discovered his vocation as a Dominican during his years at Aquinas College. He and his eight classmates are now assigned to the Priory of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. There they will further their philosophical and theological studies at the Dominican House of Studies. Amid the busyness of seminary life, Brother Vincent Mary took a few minutes to speak with Aquinas staff.
Q: What was your major at Aquinas? Why did you choose it?
Br. Vincent Mary: I studied philosophy at Aquinas College. I chose philosophy both because of the great caliber of the philosophy professors in the School of Arts and Sciences and with the thought of either entering seminary after college or going on for further studies.
Q: How did your time at Aquinas prepare you for your life now?
Br. Vincent Mary: The balance of community life and study at Aquinas allowed me to grow as a human person overall, learning more about myself and what God is asking of me.
Q: How did your experience at Aquinas support your vocational discernment?
Br. Vincent Mary: Religious life was not on my mind when I came to Aquinas; I actually met the Order and came to know it more through student life events. The structure of Aquinas provided me with a place to relax, study, and grow in my faith. In other words, to allow myself to be formed by God. Over the four years, the idea of becoming a Dominican gradually became more and more attractive, and eventually I told Him I’d give it a shot.
Q: What was the greatest gift you received through your education at Aquinas?
Br. Vincent Mary: The lessons that I have taken from my experience at Aquinas overall are a solid discipline and love for study, the importance of real friendships in one’s life, and the reality that God is in control and we are meant to follow him wherever he leads us.
