The Little Brothers of St. Francis, a contemplative religious order in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood, spent a day at St. John's shortly before school wound down for the year.

The visit was a chance for the Prep community to reciprocate the hospitality of the brothers, who prepare home-cooked meals for Prep students participating in PULSE, the Prep Urban Life Service Experience. The PULSE program runs times a year, and that accounts for a lot of delicious meals and many thoughtful conversations with the brothers!

For the brothers, who live simply in community and minister to the poor and homeless in Boston, the visit to St. John's was a great success. They arrived by train, with campus minister Heather Angell picking them up for full day touring campus, sitting in on classes, and visiting. 

After lunch with faculty and staff who have been a part of the PULSE program, the brothers visited the Xaverian Brothers at Xaverian House. "It was as if the two groups had known each other for years," said Ms. Angell. "In fact, the announcement that the Little Brothers needed to leave was met with booing and plans to have the two groups of brothers send time together again in the near future!"

The brothers then split up to get a taste of academic life on campus, sitting in on Matt Witte's spirited math class, getting behind the pottery wheel in Ms. Bryant's ceramic class, and watching student presentations in Mr. Boutin's history class. After school, they visited with juniors who had attended PULSE, one of whom, Kevin Low '13, made Franciscan crosses as a gift for each of the brothers. To learn more about the brothers and their work, visit their website.