Why Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., Chose Norbertine Life

By Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

Growing up in a Norbertine parish, there were often a variety of Norbertine priests that would cycle through to celebrate Mass. My family and I were always left with the feeling that Norbertines were community-minded men. Still today, I value community life as a great source of support and challenge. It is nice to know that on this journey toward God, I am not walking alone but have the support of my brothers in the community.

… I value community life as a great source of support and challenge.

—Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.
Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem. (standing, right), at Notre Dame de la Baie Academy.
Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem. (standing, right), at Notre Dame de la Baie Academy.

The opportunities for ministries that our community affords has been a great blessing. I have very much enjoyed my time as chaplain at Notre Dame de la Baie Academy and being able to carry on the mission to another generation of students at the school. Often I hear stories from alumni about their beloved Norbertine teachers. Being able to share in the legacy that exists at Notre Dame is a great blessing to me.

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Podcast Episode 011: Norbertine Encounter—Drawn by Community

Deacon (now Fr.) Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., on the day of his priestly ordination.

Deacon (now Fr.) Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., on the day of his priestly ordination. Read “Reflections on a Restless Heart” »

Vocational seeds are often planted in the most unexpected or unusual ways. Join our two co-hosts as they reminisce about their journey toward priesthood and how God and the Norbertine community drew them in.

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Come and See: Learn About Priesthood and Norbertine Life

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi [which translated means Teacher], where are you staying?”

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”

—John 1:35-39

By Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem. (right) at St. Norbert College
Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem. (right) at St. Norbert College

It was a cool, crisp October day when I first visited St. Norbert College (SNC) as a prospective student in the fall of 1994. One of the highlights of that visit was sitting down with Fr. James Baraniak, O. Praem., and listening to his vocation story and enthusiasm for priesthood and Norbertine life.

This past fall, serving as assistant director of Norbertine vocations, I found myself on the other side of that conversation when I had the opportunity to welcome another prospective SNC student to discuss his interest in SNC and Norbertine priesthood.

Given this encouraging visit, as well as the growing interest of several young men from Notre Dame de la Baie Academy (NDA) who are also discerning the priesthood, Fr. Baraniak, Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and I decided to host a Come and See evening for high school students at St. Norbert Abbey in early January. After joining us for Mass, Vespers, dinner with the community, and abbey tours, an NDA freshmen told me, “I’m really glad that I came tonight!”

This high school Come and See evening is one of four vocation experiences that our abbey community has hosted throughout the last several months. These well-received evenings have included men from Silver Lake College and SNC, as well as individual visits from college-aged men across the United States.

We hope to continue our journey with these young men as they discern God’s call to serve God and neighbor as members of our Norbertine community.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know might make be interested in joining the Norbertine community, we encourage you to contact our vocation office to schedule a similar Come and See experience!

Norbertine Vocations Team »


Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The First Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The First Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—Ash Wednesday 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

Ash Wednesday features a message by Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

Lenten Lessons and Chants 2017 at St. Norbert Abbey

The Church of St. Norbert Abbey

Lenten Lessons and Chants 2017 in the Church of St. Norbert Abbey

Sunday, April 2, 2017 | 7 p.m.

Join us for this time of Word, silence, and song.

LentIn this season of Lent, the Church invites us all to prepare for the Easter Feast through a deepening life of prayer, fasting, and works of mercy.

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Norbertine Community of St. Norbert Abbey is offering Lenten Lessons and Chants.

The abbey church will be filled with praise of God’s Mercy through Word (Scripture and other Christian writings), rich silence, and sacred music sung by Norbertine cantors and the Abbey Singers of St. Norbert College.

View event details »

April 2, 2017 — Lenten Lessons and Chants 2017

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo


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More opportunities to celebrate the sacred season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

The “Clickbait” of the Cross

By Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

By no means would I consider myself a social media aficionado. To be honest ­(or “tbh”),  Twitter is too much for me to figure out, my LinkedIn profile is left wanting, I’ve tried and tried again to make it in the blogosphere, and I’ve never even visited Reddit. Instagram is slowly growing on me, and the students and staff at Notre Dame de la Baie Academy know how much I pride myself on crafting ridiculously “catchy” hashtags: #ShamelessPlug.

Yet, I’m still a sucker for “clickbait.”

You know—clickbait: those sneaky headlines that tantalize your imagination and make you second-guess scrolling past them. It could be something as innocent as, “Did You Know This Common Household Item Could Do This?” to more edgy slogans like, “Top Vatican Official Reveals the Truth.” And it never fails; I click on the bait.

I’m not sure why I fall for it … am I secretly hoping to discover the cleaning potential of sliced lemons? I don’t think so! Still, the clickbait is just so tempting, there are many times I can’t seem to take my attention from it as I’m browsing my social media accounts.

It’s strange, though, that as much as lemon-based cleaning products and supposed Vatican truths can catch our eyes, we’ve grown blind to the clickbait that Jesus presents.

Jesus was all about using catchy stories and creative words to teach His followers about the Kingdom of God. Think about stories of lost sheep and lost coins (Lk 15:1-10), of wedding guests and street people (Mt 22:1-14), and of salt and light (Mt 5:13-16). Suddenly these images become too stale or boring for us. We view these creative lessons of Jesus as less about intrigue and truth, and more about obligation and duty. They land on our deaf ears.

Perhaps this Lent, we could change our browsing habits from household cleaners and suggestive NewsBytes to an even more elusive piece of clickbait: the cross.

All of Jesus’ teaching and preaching culminated in that moment where He hung on that cross, isolated from any followers. It was on that rugged piece of torturous equipment that the Lord hung and forgave us for having deaf ears. It was on that wooden harness that Christ gave His own Mother and Beloved Disciple to each other as a model for the Church. It was on that gnarly post that the Son of God spent Himself completely for all of us.

This Calvary-clickbait has echoed throughout Christianity for millennia, and still can be used today to inspire us toward a rejuvenated devotion to what the Lord taught us. Learn from His stories and example. Find ways to:

  • better support the poor.
  • 
feed and clothe the homeless.
  • visit the lonely or elderly.
  • welcome the relational or ideological other.
  • advocate for refugees and migrants.
  • love those who have different abilities than you.
  • pray for the dying.

No doubt, these merciful acts are not easy. They require that we give of ourselves, which is never an easy task. Instead of looking for followers of our own, suddenly we are being invited to follow Jesus alone. Although He gave His all on the cross, we are being asked to give a part of ourselves in service to our brothers and sisters. Yet, it was also His cross that ushered in the Resurrection.

This Lent, stop falling for the clickbait that leads nowhere. Instead, follow the clickbait of the cross. Use that event of selfless love, forgiveness, and service as a model for your own spiritual development, so that you, too, can join in Easter joy—transformed and renewed in your own call to holiness.

Lent2017: #Love. #Forgive. #Service.

Learn more about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in the Spring/Summer 2016 issue of Abbey Magazine (pages 4-5).

More opportunities to celebrate the sacred season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

Reflections on a Restless Heart

Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

As seen in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue of Abbey Magazine (pages 16-17)

On June 4, 2016, Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., was ordained to the priesthood. The Mass of Ordination was celebrated by Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay in the St. Norbert Abbey Church.

By Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

Deacon Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., on the day of his priestly ordination.
Deacon Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., on the day of his priestly ordination.

Norbertines are often quick to cite St. Augustine’s famous quote from his Confessions: “You have formed us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Indeed, this has become a favorite quote of mine as well, yet I was unaware of the restlessness of my own heart until my ordination drew near.

At first it was a strange sort of coincidence. The imagery and literature during my retreat in preparation for priesthood happened to center around the Sacred Heart of Jesus. My ordination Mass was held on the day traditionally memorializing the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the day after the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Bishop Ricken’s ordination homily also incorporated much of the homily Pope Francis gave to priests the day before on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. So by the time the homily was finished at my ordination, I was convinced that the Lord was trying to speak to me about something.

Green Bay’s Bishop David Ricken imposes hands upon the ordinand.
Green Bay’s Bishop David Ricken imposes hands upon the ordinand.

Then, as I knelt before the bishop, the only thing I was aware of—and, honestly one of the only moments from my ordination I vividly remember—was my heartbeat. My own heartbeat was the only thing I could hear as it pounded in my ears. My own heartbeat was the only thing I could feel as it almost punched through my chest. My own heartbeat seemed like it was jumping for joy at that moment of ordination.

What all this means, I’m still not sure. My own prayer and reflection on this significant moment for me is that my priesthood ought to be one of love. Just as the Sacred Heart of Jesus loves, so should I love all those whom I encounter. As Pope Francis said in his Sacred Heart homily, “The Heart of the Good Shepherd ‘tells us that His love is limitless; it is never exhausted and it never gives up.’ ” May it be so for me! May my heartbeat continue to fill my ears and pound out of my chest for the Church as long as I am a priest. Until I find rest in the Lord, may my heart keep me restless, pushing me forward, loving all people just as Christ would love them.

On June 12, newly ordained Fr. Vanden Branden returned to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in De Pere to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish. His beautiful homily was a tribute to God and the Faithful at this vibrant Norbertine apostolate.

View the Mass of Thanksgiving homily of Fr. Vanden Branden »

Newly Ordained Son of Norbertine Parish Returns Home

On June 12, 2016, newly ordained Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., returned to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in De Pere, Wisconsin, to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish. His beautiful homily was a tribute to God and the faithful at our vibrant Norbertine apostolate.

Mass of Thanksgiving Homily of Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

Video courtesy of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Read “Reflections on a Restless Heart” by Fr. Vanden Branden, as seen in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue of Abbey Magazine (pages 16-17).

View the June 2016 celebrations at St. Norbert Abbey »