David Marshall

When did you first feel called to religious life? Do you remember a specific place? A person? 
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In the summer of 2017, I had an assistantship with a group of Marianists in LA. I felt a sense of belonging to the communal lifestyle. There ARE people who want to lead intentional lives devoted to growing in relationship with God, and I was inspired to pursue discerning which community to join! At a 2018 FOCUS conference, Fr. Richie Mercado invited me to a discernment weekend in Ocean City, NJ. I continued to grow in relationship with the Augustinians through the next 4 college years, then was so eager to enter pre-novitiate as soon as I graduated! 

What's something fun / something you enjoy about living in community?  
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I really enjoy celebrating all of our differences in backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities. Hearing about my brothers' cultural and familial backgrounds helps me widen my own perspective on how God interacts with humanity and myself. I feel so valued when they rejoice in my strengths, and I am thankful when their strengths counterbalance my weaknesses. 

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What is the best kept secret / most underrated aspect of the Tradition and Spirituality of Augustine?  
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There are a lot of old Augustinian manuscripts and books out there containing Augustinian chants and devotions lost to time. I enjoy seeking them out to learn how we can praise the ever-ancient, ever-new God with increasingly ancient and increasingly new music and traditions! 

   

Do you have a hobby / passion that you enjoy spending time on?  
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I enjoy baking bread, though I haven't quite mastered the ever elusive sourdough. I think my brothers enjoy this hobby as well... when it's not a kitchen disaster haha!