Brian Suehs-Vassel

I am blessed to work at Nazareth Farm, a Catholic Non-Profit that offers service retreats for High School and College students and provides home repair to local families in need.

This past year one of the Notre Dame students serving with us lead a prayer about Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and they were moved to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who could hear.

She shared that when the Holy Spirit spoke through human beings that day, the Spirit spoke through the voices of the poor - carpenters, fisherman, day laborers, folks who are just scraping by. God speaks through the poor. What a powerful message of good news this student shared with us in the midst of the week of service. “Pay attention, you may meet God in places and people you do not expect.”

This student made this profound realization during one of her introductory theology classes at Notre Dame. She is a History major and her dream is to open up an Early Childhood Education center in her hometown, specifically to serve children most in need.

This young women’s wisdom was a gift to everyone at Nazareth Farm and I think it will be a gift to all the children and families she serves in the future. Even though she is not a theology major, her study of theology helped form her as a loving person who understands that God has a special care for the poor and often speaks through their words and actions.


I hope that the Early Childhood Education Center that cares for all the children I know has leadership that studied Theology. I hope that those leaders can see God in all the small, vulnerable, beautiful children they serve. As an alumnus I would ask the University of Notre Dame to continue to form teachers, engineers, accountants, doctors and other professionals who have studied theology and thought deeply about how thousands of years of divine wisdom impacts their professional lives. #loveTHEOnotredame.

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