Meet Br. Mark
The Midwest District interviewed Br. Mark Engelmeyer, a Brother serving at Christian Brothers High School (Memphis, Tennessee) about how our Senior Brothers have inspired him and influenced his formation as a Christian Brother.
Tell us about a Brother mentor in your life.
Brother Milton Barker was one of my mentor Brothers. I always enjoyed visiting with him when I was visiting the Twin Cities. Not only was he an easy person to talk with, but he offered very valuable advice on different situations that have helped me to grow in my vocation.
Br. Alan and Br. Mark pose for a photo while Br. Mark reflects on learning from the older Brothers around him.
“I’m honored to follow in his (Br. David Barth) footsteps as a Brother as I strive to be an excellent teacher.”
Tell us about some of the Brothers who inspired you.
Brother David Barth was a legend at DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis), and I had him for Honors Ethics and Intro into Honors Philosophy. He was an excellent teacher and demanded excellence from us. I’m honored to follow in his footsteps as a Brother as I strive to be an excellent teacher, holding my students to high standards, helping them to grow as disciples of Christ, in knowledge of truth, and as human persons.
Share a story about your time as a Brother, so far.
Brother Matt Kotek and I came to Christian Brothers High School (Memphis) after our Novitiate year, and we both were given a Freshmen Advisory. Our advisories would have a friendly rivalry where we would compete against each other in different competitions like two-hand touch football, basketball, ping pong, and dodgeball. It was a blast!
What is one wish you have for the next generation?
My wish for the next generation is that they will keep Christ at the center of their lives. There is so much loneliness, violence, hatred, and polarization in our society and the remedy is returning to Christ.
What is one gift you would present to your students?
It would not be a something but a Someone, the Person of Jesus Christ.
How has support for Senior Brothers positively impacted the Brothers in your community?
This past year in the community, there have been three Senior Brothers who were not able to drive, and they had a hard time getting to their doctor appointments because the other Brothers in the community were actively engaged in ministry. It got to the point where the Senior Brothers had to cancel their doctor appointments. Our nurse in Memphis was able to get us a person who would be available to drive Brothers to their various appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Senior Brothers have expressed how beneficial this has been.