My name is Michael Pastore. I grew up in Union, NJ and I am the youngest of three boys. I attended Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, NJ. I am glad to be part of the Marist Young Adult Evangelization Community. Esopus is my home away from home and the Marist Community is my second family.

Being in Esopus is giving me an opportunity to do the things I enjoy and to use my talents. I like climbing, hiking and camping and am involved in the outdoor adventure retreats. I enjoy writing and use my skills to prepare retreat talks. I am good at working with my hands and use those talents around the property. I am also a good cook and I contribute some fine cuisine to our community dinners!

I’ve worked a lot of jobs since I graduated from high school but none of them was right for me. I’m taking this year to find myself and to find what it is that I am meant to do.

mpastore@live.com

My name is Siobhan Skerritt. I am a graduate of Roselle Catholic High School and Marist College. I have been involved in the Marist Youth and Marist Young Adult programs since my sophomore year in high school. I have also been part of many retreats at the Marist Brothers Retreat House. I am happy to be able to share my Marist values and my gifts and talents as a member of the Marist Young Adult Evangelization Community.

I am an outgoing person so I enjoy building community among the retreat participants - and the retreat team. I am energetic and use my energy to get others excited about the Marist spirit. I am prayerful so the retreats give me an opportunity to share my spirituality with others. I have the gift of song and share this gift by singing at liturgies and including songs in my retreat talks.

I hope that during my time of service in Esopus I will be able to give to others the way the Marist community has given to me. I also hope to grow as a Marist and as a Christian.

Siobhan.Skerritt@marist.edu

My name is Michael Grabowski and I am from Monroe, CT. I graduated from Marist College in 2009 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in American Studies. My career goal is to work in the Intelligence/Bio-defense community as a member of the military or as a civilian government employee. My personal interests are broad and diverse but include reading, weight training, running, swimming, hiking and cooking.

Throughout my college career I took advantage of many opportunities to get to know the Marist Brother community. This was a whole new experience to me since I did not attend a Marist high school. Extracurricular activities such as campus ministry and a men’s spirituality group allowed me to develop strong working relationships with several of the Marist Brothers. The Marist Young Adult Evangelization Community was mentioned to me by one of the Brothers and it caught my interest; it was something that I wanted to do if time allowed.

As it turns out, the hiring processes for all of the positions I am considering are long, giving me time to be part of the community. My time in Esopus is rewarding both spiritually and emotionally. I have the chance to give back to the community that did so much to support me during college. I am sure that I will grow into a more balanced, centered individual as a result of my service experience. I know this will be an experience that I will carry in my heart for a lifetime.

Michael.Grabowski1@marist.edu

My favorite experience in my time at the Young Adult Community in Esopus was being able to be around the students from different high schools. The vibrancy and energy that was exuded on a weekly basis was incredible. Every time I would second guess myself and think I wouldn't be able to make it through a retreat with my eyes open I would be amazed at how the teenagers seemed to instill me with their energy.

My fondest memories were of the times I spent with the teenagers both in prayer and on retreat - reading scriptures, talking about life experiences, and playing fun games. However, if I try to say that the Marist Brothers played no role in my experience during the year I would only be deceiving myself. The Brothers make themselves known on the property every day. Whether it was helping Br. Don Nugent with the daily maintenance tasks or helping Br. Joe Matthews prepare the food for the coming retreat, the Brothers set an example for me of how to serve others. I mainly worked with Johnny McEntee and Br. Steve Milan preparing and running retreats which was really fun and a good learning experience for me. I got the chance to learn much more than I ever thought possible about how to lead a retreat from Br. Steve. He set an awesome example of how to put yourself before others at all times.

Between working with the teenagers and interacting with the Brothers my time in Esopus was well spent. In my down time I would spend time hiking in the Hudson Valley or reflecting on the occurrences of the past week or two. The year offered me a chance to take a step back from my life and look at the things I wanted to change. The Brothers were excellent spiritual guides and examples of how to better ourselves in Marcellin and Jesus' images. Overall, it was a very fulfilling experience for me and one that I strongly recommend.

roland.varriale@gmail.com

As I sit here and write this reflection, I can’t help but be a little anxious since I am at work. It’s not because I shouldn’t be on the computer, but because I work as an Emergency Medical Technician; at any point I can get a call, which would mean I would lose my train of thought. The reason I say this is because while in Esopus, I didn’t have to worry about my job, or “real world” responsibilities. The ten months I spent in Esopus were incredible because it was a time of service that allowed me to focus on an area of my life that I neglected during college.

While I was away at school, my concentration was on maintaining a job and doing well in my classes. One of the areas that I neglected was my spiritual life. Rather than getting up and going to church on a Sunday morning, I used that time to catch up on sleep. I always felt like I was missing something, but I was too concerned about being well-rested for upcoming tests. When I learned about the service opportunity in Esopus, I knew this was God’s way of allowing me to rebuild my relationship with Him while taking a break for myself.

Words alone cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for the experience in Esopus. I walked away with a better understanding of myself, a stronger relationship with God, and another family in the Marist Brothers. I think about Esopus often and all of the great experiences I shared with so many people during my time there. I wish I could spend more time with the Marist Brothers, but unfortunately those “real world” responsibilities can only be pushed aside for so long.

I hope that everyone who has the opportunity to spend time in Esopus takes the Marist Brothers’ offer to be a volunteer. The experience will not only allow you to strengthen and explore your relationship with God but it will also benefit the Marist Brothers by allowing them to continue to offer youth retreats at an affordable cost. I look forward to returning to my New York home and will always cherish my time spent in Esopus with the Marist Brothers.

johnemcentee@gmail.com