Thy will be done

Following Mary and inspiring others

by Elisabeth Román

Marianist Brother Reinaldo Berríos had just earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico when he met a Marianist priest during a retreat that forever changed his life. Berríos was so impressed by the priest that he kept returning to visit with all the Marianists until he could no longer resist the calling to join.

“I didn’t know anything about the Marianists, but their openness, their accessibility, and the fact that they took the time to talk to me was impressive and really appealed to me,” Berríos says. The warmth, kindness, and sincerity of the Marianist community, combined with his own devotion to the Virgin, led him to accept the calling to love and serve Mary, just as Jesus did.

When I told my mother, who is deeply religious, I was going to join the order she said it was a blessing and my dad said he supported my decision, as did my five brothers and sisters,” Berríos recalls, adding that his parents often stay at the Marianist House when they visit him and have become a part of his new family.

Berríos, who has since earned a Ph.D. in counseling and guidance, is dedicating his efforts at Colegio San José in San Juan, Puerto Rico to guiding others toward Mary and Jesus. Established in 1938 by the Marianists, San José is a boys school from grades 7 through 12, which evangelizes through quality education services.

The current governor of Puerto Rico is a 1979 graduate of San José, his wife taught science at the school, and their son is currently enrolled as a high school student.

Brother Reinaldo is the guidance counselor for students in the 7th and 8th grades and also works with San José’s scholarship and financial aid programs. In addition, he teaches at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. Through his work, just like the Virgin Mary, Berríos is inspiring students to say “yes” to Jesus and to do “whatever he tells you.”

“At San José we are educating students to become leaders and agents of change. We also teach them to accept challenges, particularly if it means following a religious vocation. I tell students that if the calling is there, they should go for it and not be afraid.”

The Society of Mary is an international order of brothers and priests who live and minister as equals, while modeling their lives after the Mother of Jesus. Their founder, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade believed teaching was a means to fulfill their mission of introducing faith everywhere and multiplying the number of Christians. Inspired by him, the Marianists have made education one of their most important ministries.