Head of School Brendan Sullivan Delivers Opening Remarks

Good morning, Arrows! Welcome to the 2024-25 school year.

BE A GOOD WITNESS, WITNESS THE GOOD

Last spring, as I prepared to become St. Sebastian’s tenth Head of School, there were a few questions I knew would be answered in time, and others that were more time-sensitive and needed my attention.

Among those considerations were the traditions of an All School Read and a theme for the year. The first All School Read was in 2008; it is a tradition, but not a long-standing one. Luckily, I had access to a lot of thoughtful people during this process, who gave me valuable guidance and sage advice. Regarding the question of a theme, one of my mentors told me, “Be patient, you’ll find the right answer.”

But the truth is, it was more like the answer found me.

On the evening of March 4, Artie Boyle—parent of former NHL star Brian Boyle ’03 and grandfather of Christian ’22, Jacob ’25, and Daniel ’29 Pichay—led a Rosary in our Chapel for a group of parents, faculty, and even a few students. As Artie shares in his book, Six Months to Live, he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. The following year, he went on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje from which he returned cancer free. When Artie’s cancer first appeared, Brian was an eighth grader at St. Sebastian’s and I was his baseball coach. Now, 25 years since that grim diagnosis, Artie continues to share testimony of his miraculous healing, as he did that night.

I sat in the Chapel next to Lisa Ogrinc, mother of Matthias ’25, who was deep into her own battle with cancer, a battle that would claim her life three weeks later. After the Rosary, I walked with Lisa to her car. Despite her poor physical health, I could feel her spirit soaring. She was so moved by the prayers and the support from the St. Sebastian’s community, a community she had only recently joined. We talked about Artie's testimony, his witness to faith. Hope and peace radiated from Lisa. It was such a privilege to walk with her. At that moment I knew that I would choose Artie’s book as our All School Read and "Witness” as our theme for the year.

We will hear from Mr. Boyle and more about his story next Monday.

After proposing “Witness” as a theme, Mr. Nerbonne was the first person to teach me that the Greek word for witness is martus, the root of the word martyr. It evokes thoughts of our patron saint, Sebastian.

I was not surprised to learn that lesson from Mr. Nerbonne, but I was surprised when the message was reinforced by Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla! He discussed Saint Sebastian while hosting a session of the “Saints in 7 Days” series on the Hallow prayer app this summer—five minutes a day for seven days.

Coach Mazzulla grew up in Rhode Island and went to Bishop Hendricken High School. As a dedicated athlete who treasures his Catholic faith, he has a special devotion to Saint Sebastian. He would end each episode with this prayer: “Dear Jesus, help us to imitate the courage and resilience of your witness, Saint Sebastian.”

To be a good witness is to be attentive: notice when things don’t seem right or someone is down and needs a friend; listen closely to and learn from each other, whether it’s your Chapel Speeches or sitting around the lunch table in Ward Hall; look for opportunities to celebrate one another. Be a good witness this year. It strengthens our community.

That image of Saint Sebastian as a witness was illuminated in such a powerful way in the latest edition of The Quiver, our literary and artistic magazine. Please listen closely to this poem by junior Michael Rohatgi. He wrote it while contemplating the statue that stands just outside of this church.

The Soul of the Statue

Alone I stand strong in the sunlight,
Towering tall with tremendous power.
With pride I point to heaven above
And give glory to the greatness of God.

I have never waned nor wavered weary from my task,
But gladly guard the gates of Sebs,
With a stern set gaze in a fearless face,
Arrows held in hand,
A sacred symbol to the students. 

But I was not always so important and proud.
Many moons ago I was but meek unmolded metal, a meaningless mass.
I spent millennia drifting dreamless in the dark, devoid of dignity,
Far beneath the earth I was nothing, nobody, I knew not fame nor honor.

But then there came a sculptor who shaped me in glistening grandeur,
I was given the form of the holy soldier Saint Sebastian.
I feel blessed to bear his armor, yet unworthy to wear it all the same.
When I was positioned in this perfect place my life was given purpose,
So here I dutifully dwell and do nothing but observe.

I hear the church bells loudly lauding the Lord with hymns,
Or young students playing beside me, or people praying in the Peace Garden,
Or the rambunctious roaring of the Arrows across the road, rooting for their team.

I see some arriving anxious, or others only half awake,
New students frantically fixing their tie, or old without one at all.
I see them leave late, lingering long after the bell.

I have watched countless grades grow and graduate, grateful for their time,
Yet through a decade I’ve remained, rooted upright and revered.
I give thanks to God in heaven, for here is my home.

There is so much that I love about this poem. I love the theme. I love the descriptive imagery. I love thinking about our faculty as sculptors. But mostly, I love the intelligence that radiates from this work. Human intelligence, nothing artificial about it. Working with his teacher, Michael produced something original, something authentic, and something beautiful. He takes the statue, something we’ve all walked past often without contemplating its glory, and he makes it extraordinary. He has such a talent for writing.

Michael’s poem and Mr. Boyle’s story are just two of the reminders that we are part of something much greater than ourselves at St. Sebastian's. Those inspiring moments, initiated by, and shared with, our faculty, students and families, fill me with hope, and with faith, and with love.

EMBRACE CHALLENGES, LOVE LEARNING

Inspiration from our students also helped me to answer another question from last spring: “should I continue to teach a class?”

That answer became clear when I did an exercise that looked to define my philosophy on education and my reasons for wanting to run a school. Two things about myself that I always knew were crystallized by this exercise: I love a challenge and I love to learn.

We all love a challenge, whether it is the daily Wordle, hiking up a mountain, running a marathon, or doing the brain teasers outside of Ms. Callini’s room.

I know that teaching a class will be a challenge on top of my responsibilities as Head of School, many of which I’m still learning. But I also know that while there are many great things that happen at St. Sebastian’s, the most important things happen in the classroom. It’s a place I want to be as long as I can.

More inspiration came to me last year when I noticed a student who was clearly embracing scholarship. Every time I saw him, he had a book in his hand, or was working through a problem set with classmates, or seeking guidance from a teacher.

I asked him what his inspiration was. Why was he so determined to go the extra mile? He told me that he was inspired by the story of Frederick Douglass. He first heard about Mr. Douglass in Mr. Cleary’s history class, and then read his Narrative in Mr. Adam’s English class. He talked about how Douglass did everything he could when he was enslaved—and when he was free—to read and learn. Douglass embodied the truth that pure education, learning for the sake of learning, is the path to freedom.

That student was telling me what inspired him, but nothing could have been more inspiring to me as an educator.

It became clear to me early in my career that teaching is probably the best way to learn, and this was another instance when I learned so much from a student. I had my answer: I want the challenge; I want to be in the classroom for that one period a day; I want to keep learning lessons from Arrows that I can’t learn anywhere else.

SEEK TRUTH THROUGH FAITH AND REASON

This brings me to the last question I had to answer last spring: “How do I prepare for the challenge ahead?” What exactly do I need to do? What are the steps? Where do I find the blueprints for success?

Once again, the answer found me.

For those who were here last spring, you know that we were conducting a self-study to prepare for our accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a process that takes place every ten years. It is a thorough look at our operations and our programs, and each standard that we assess starts with the same question: Do your programs align with your mission?

And there was my answer. When I need guidance, when I need direction, when I need a blueprint, I need to go to our mission.

Our mission statement is our North Star. It is fixed, and steady. It gives us a sense of where we are, and it guides us to where we’re going.

I’m going to deconstruct our mission for a minute and start with the last of the three sentences, the objective of the mission:

The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.

This is your to-do list. We expect you to develop your gifts while here at St. Sebastian’s, then we expect you to take those gifts and serve your community. And we expect you will do this as a gentleman, as someone who loves to learn, and you will be courageous, honorable and wise as you accomplish your goals. That’s an awful lot to expect from you, but we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t believe you could deliver.

The second sentence of our mission states:

By embracing Gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian’s strives to empower students for success in college and in life.

“Embracing Gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community” is at the heart of a new monument on our campus. Some of you may have noticed this magnificent sculpture, which stands between the Arts Center and the Oratory. Known as a Khachkar or Armenian Cross, this structure means so much to, and is a symbol of, the Armenian community. It is a gift from our Armenian families, a way to say thank you to St. Sebastian’s for supporting students who come from a faith tradition different from Catholicism. The Khachkar also serves as a tribute and memorial to Regina Najarian, mother of Avi ’25 and Sebu ’24, who passed away in 2022. It is such an honor to have this monument on our campus.

And finally, the first sentence of our mission:

A Catholic independent school, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason. 

When you look at the statue of Saint Sebastian outside, notice the words on the ground. He steps towards Veritas (truth), and on either side is Fides and Ratio (Faith and Reason). He is striding toward truth, through faith and reason—a physical depiction of our mission. You will not find a mission like ours at any other school. It is carved in our walls and represented by the statue about which Michael wrote so beautifully.

To summarize, here are the three takeaways from today:

1.      Be a good witness, and witness the good
2.      Embrace challenges and fall in love with learning
3.      Seek truth, and use faith and reason on your way

I give thanks to God in heaven for here is my home.

Thank you for being here this morning and serving as a witness to my inaugural Opening Remarks as Head of School. Have a great year!