Along with every new school year come new faces in the hallway. This year, Brebeuf welcomes three new Jesuits. Br. Mark Mackey, Mr. James McGivney, and Fr. Gregory Ostdiek work in different areas of the school, but are all excited to join the community and learn just like the rest of us. 

Br. Mark Mackey is new to Freshman Bio, but is not new to the Brebeuf Community. Mackey previously taught AP Environmental Science in the spring of 2017, and has returned to teach after his previous plans were changed. “I was supposed to spend two years in India working with the local Garau tribe and the Jesuit high school and college in that area”. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic however, Mackey’s plans were moved to next year, and he will remain at Brebeuf until then. Mackey still looks forward to the time he will spend here, saying, “As much as it wasn’t the first plan, I was really happy to get to come back to a place I really got to know and love”. He is currently covering for Mrs. Sutton while she is on maternity leave, and after she returns Mackey plans to shift more into working with campus ministry and retreats. “I like the tight knit community at Brebeuf,” says Mackey, “I went to a big all-boys Jesuit school, and I think the smaller coed environment really contributes to that”. 

Mr. James McGivney is currently in regency in the process of becoming a Catholic Priest. Regency is the process of young Jesuits experiencing active ministry. For McGivney in his first year, this meant working as a chaplain, or a spiritual guide for patients at Loyola University Medical Center. Now in his second year, McGivney helps co-teach various math and social studies classes at Brebeuf such as Algebra 1, Geometry, Intro to Business, and Personal Finance and Entrepreneurship. “What I like most about this school is the positive perspective everyone has” says McGivney, “There is a very positive attitude that really drives me to come to school everyday with a happy face, to be excited to be here”. 

Fr. Gregory Ostdiek was ordained just last year, and now is at Brebeuf will he will work admissions sometime in the future.  “I’m in a bit of a waiting period for this year,” says Ostdiek, “Right now I’m just going around and seeing how the school operates, meeting people, figuring out where I can be most helpful”. This school was recommended to him due to the compatibility it presented as well as its location, as it keeps Ostdiek close to family. Although he is still getting a feel for the Brebeuf Community, Ostdiek feels that Brebeuf is a good fit for him. “I really like the people here,” he explains, “Brebeuf has a very welcoming atmosphere that I like a lot”.