The religious novitiate is an intense experience for anybody. No matter how religiously competent you are, receiving a letter in the mail from someone literally called the “novice master” with a detailed list of expectations for your one year stay at her or his novitiate carries a weight and force that is difficult to deny. Upon arrival, you receive a religious habit, a divine office book, a room assignment, and an obedience. Your name goes up on the cooking schedule—even if you’ve never prepared a single meal in your life—and out to local parishes that are eager to plug you into their ministry schedules. While most of the day is consumed by attending hours-long spiritual conferences and periods of manual labor, the evenings are an absolute delight: a community meal, followed by recreation, night prayer, and the descent into “grand silence.” This is where the logic of the novitiate becomes evident, as a highly intentional space that facilitates the opening of the inner ear, so that the voice of the Beloved may be heard and savored, especially in the silence of the night. What happens after the novitiate—vows, career path, vocation, ministry, etc.—matters very little, as one moment with the Beloved is enough meaning to sustain a person for a lifetime. In the week ahead, let’s make the decision to enter the interior novitiate that has already been prepared for us. There, we shall enjoy the sweet communion of our salvation in the silence of the night and beyond. Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
August 22, 2026
Published
Personal Reflections on My Experience with the Brothers of Holy Cross, the Novitiate, and the Scholasticate
There was never another period in my life when so many people were united in a common mission, culture, and spirituality. It was impossible not to be profoundly influenced by my experiences with the Brothers of Holy Cross at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York; the Novitiate [1968] in Valatie, New York; Moreau Hall at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts; Vincent Hall; and St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Many of us left home at a very young age, in our late teens and early twenties, to embark upon a shared journey of faith, learning, and personal growth.
Within that unique environment, friendships were formed that have endured for a lifetime.
Whatever paths our lives eventually took, those years represented a shared passage marked by growth, maturity, laughter, reflection, and discovery. The relationships and bonds that developed during that time have remained a constant source of affirmation and connection to a truly special and formative chapter of my life.
The Brothers of Holy Cross who educated and guided me throughout high school, college, the Novitiate, Moreau Hall, and Vincent Hall, together with the dedicated lay faculty of Holy Cross High School and the professors at St. Edward’s University, instilled in me a profound sense of self-worth. This was not an inflated sense of self, but rather a quiet confidence and appreciation of my own value and potential. It is a gift that has remained with me throughout my life.
Without question, the sense of self-worth fostered by the Congregation of Holy Cross and its educational community has been a lasting source of spirituality, strength, and well-being. I carry with me an enduring sense of gratitude and indebtedness for all that I received from Holy Cross. The values, faith, and encouragement I experienced have inspired a lifelong devotion to the Brothers of Holy Cross, St. Edward’s University, the Congregation of Holy Cross, community service, and, above all, my family.
I know in my heart that had I not been part of the Brothers, part of Holy Cross, part of Moreau Hall, part of Vincent Hall, and part of St. Edward’s University, I would not have achieved the successes that have blessed my life. Those experiences shaped the person I became and provided the foundation upon which my life has been built.
With enduring gratitude,
Kenneth F. Tedesco, Ed.D.
Holy Cross High School, Flushing, NY, Class of 1966
St. Edward’s University, Class of 1971
University of Holy Cross, Class of 2018
Holy Cross School [2021 – present]
Advisor to the President
Development Associate
This is such a beautiful reflection, thank you so much! I too was a novice (on two occassions), and it was the most graced experience of my life. It reminds me of a comment Lou Holtz once made about Notre Dame: “If you’ve been there before, no explanation is necessary. If you have not, no explanation is possible.” May God continue to bless you on your way!