My Story

Accepting the challenge of the Call

By Br Kevin Mascarenhas, Presentation Brother

My name is Br Kevin Mascarenhas. I was born in Pakistan. My family was always Catholic. I have a brother and a sister. Pakistan has a very small Catholic population made up of only 2% of the total population. It was difficult growing up in a predominately Muslim country.

I went to a Catholic school, but had many Muslim friends. We played together and did many things young people would do. It was very difficult however for a non-Muslim to get a good job. Catholics were not allowed to practice their religion freely while I was growing up. I was part of the St Vincent De Paul Society and worked in the local church. I was very fortunate with regards to this. In other parts of Pakistan, Christians faced persecution because of their faith. Some were hanged and tortured.

I left Pakistan 14 years ago. My brother and sister left 20 years before me, and got married and settled in England. My first stop was England where I worked with a Catholic Youth Ministry called Faith Alive. This group was made up of eight young people from different countries including Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, and Pakistan. We visited schools in England, Ireland and Slovakia. It was a challenging time for me as it was the first time I lived out of Pakistan. The culture adjustment was difficult as the food was very different. After living on spicy food all my life it was something that took a long time to adjust.

I then moved to Canada where I lived for five years and I was able to get Canadian nationality. Canada was easier as I had friends there from Pakistan. With a Canadian passport it was easier to travel. It was in Canada that I first came in contact with the Presentation Brothers. It was a big decision to make as I was working and did not want to leave my job.

During the discernment time of joining the Brothers I had to face many difficulties. My father died and my mother was left alone in Pakistan. My decision to join the Brothers changed as now I had new responsibilities towards my mother. I was discerning to go back to Pakistan when I received a letter from some friends of mine that they would look after my mother that I should continue to join religious life.

After joining the Presentation Brothers I was sent to St Lucia in the West Indies. It sounds a beautiful place to be sent to. But there is great poverty there. It is different when you go on a holiday to St Lucia. I worked there for a year with young people who had to leave school early or couldn’t find another school. I taught there for a year. This was another cultural adjustment

While I was in St Lucia my mother had a fall and had to be put in hospital and then in a nursing home. I felt that this was the end of my vocation as a Brother. But when I was leaving St Lucia I was given a cross and on it was written the following words that helped me to continue in my vocation,

“My son you have made the right choice. Why doubt your ability. I am your father trust in me. I LOVE YOU”.

These words were given to me by young people who never knew what I was going through at that moment.

After this I went to Ireland to study and do my novitiate. It was a new culture again. People in Ireland were very open and friendly. I worked with the homeless in a centre called Little Flower Centre in the inner city of Dublin. I lived for five years in Dublin. It took time adjusting to a community who were all Irish. But I received great support from my community.

The biggest challenge was when I was invited to go to Waterford to be part of another new venture. This was to start a new ministry with four Christian Brothers in Mount Sion. This is the place where our founder Blessed Edmund Rice first started his work with young people. I accepted the offer and this has turned out be the best part of my ministry.

The ministry which I now head up is work with new communities- refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. We provide them with information and support. This is only one of the ministries we are doing in Mount Sion. The others are a Project for Early School Leavers called ASEOP and Youth Ministry.

This is the best part of my life as a Brother because I know how difficult it is to adjust to a new country after changing five cultures in the fourteen years out of Pakistan. I want to give back to people from other countries the support I was given when I travelled to different countries.

I am happy to have accepted the challenge of religious life. As a Presentation Brother I have been helped and supported along the way by my Congregation. I have been encouraged to be the person I always wanted to be. The Presentation Brothers have helped me to do the work which most suits me. I have had many life experiences during this ministry and I can say that I am happy to have made this decision to join religious life.

More information about my work at Mount Sion, click here.