By Nolan Leonard ‘26
As members of the Irish Christian Brothers organization, students at Brother Rice have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with other Christian Brothers schools from around the globe. These experiences include leadership conferences, immersion trips, and foreign exchange programs just to name a few.
Recently, students junior Keith Hecker and sophomore Marty Lakawitch, along with chaperone Mr. Muth, were “lucky” enough (pun intended) to spend a week in Ireland.
Hecker said, “It was my first time outside of the United States. I learned that people do some things in similar ways while some things are different, and I am very excited to travel internationally again.”
Their adventure started with landing in Dublin on Sunday, March 8. After gathering their bearings in a new land, our Crusaders spent time getting to know the families they would be staying with and visiting Edmund Rice College.
Next, our ambassadors had a history lesson while learning about the city of Belfast and the conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
Wednesday and Thursday were spent sightseeing, including seeing the birthplace of our founder Edmund Rice in Kilkenny.
Mr. Muth said, “This reminded us how we are all connected. It was great to see how the mission of Edmund is still important.”
Friday’s highlight was touring downtown Dublin. By the time Saturday came around, it had been a full week of activity, and our very own Men of Edmund were ready to come home.
Reflecting on his experience, Marty Lakawitch said, “My trip to Ireland was life changing. You hear a lot about Edmund Rice and all the good things he did, but to actually go and see his home makes it feel all the more real.”
Next year, Hecker and Lakawitch will host students from Tramore (County Waterford) when they come to experience the BRotherhood in Chicago. Both schools hope this will become an annual event.
