Br. Kevin Fitzgerald

Kevin Fitzgerald came to religious life through an unlikely path — not through the Brothers who taught him, but through a conversation with his mother. He had been interested in religious life in some form, and during their exchange she mentioned the Christian Brothers who had once been present at De La Salle in Joliet, Illinois. That conversation opened a door.

Br. Kevin attended Joliet Catholic High School, where the Carmelites served as the religious order in residence. But despite the quality of his education there, the Carmelite vocation never drew him. What his mother had planted in his mind eventually grew into something more definite, and he found his way to the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

Over his years in religious life, Br. Kevin has come to see the KabarA Challenge as something far more than a fundraising effort. It is, he says, "a wonderful opportunity to say THANK YOU to God for the opportunity to have been educated by dedicated men, women and Christian Brothers who are committed to a Lasallian Education that is unique in the Catholic education tradition." Having seen firsthand how Brothers age and are cared for in community, he appreciates what that care means — physically, psychologically, and spiritually. The elder years, he says, "are rich because of the goodness of our many former students who support us."