Prayer bridges both the community aspect and the personal dimension of our Catholic faith. Individually, it allows us to connect with God directly, and as a community, it invites us to foster unity with our family of faith. Brother Patrick J. Lynch, C.S.C., was drawn to a gathered people of prayer by the work of Venerable Patrick Peyton, who later recruited him from Dublin, Ireland, to join the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States.
“I didn’t feel that call to be a priest, but I did feel a call to be with a group of men who would share some of the same values that I have, and would live, pray, and work together on a very spiritual level. I found that here in Holy Cross,” shared Brother Lynch. He professed Final Vows in 1964, spending his early years doing manual work until he received his bachelor’s in accounting from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Ministry Work
After graduation, his ministry work transitioned into teaching and business office administration. First, at schools in Connecticut, followed by 33 years of teaching accounting and serving in the business office at Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois.
“Those were wonderful years. There have been good years since and before, but those years were just marvelous,” noted Brother Lynch. The school community had 28 religious serving at the school and living in community. “I loved it there, and I really enjoyed teaching high school and being involved with the students. I was with wonderful people – lay people and Holy Cross men.”
Part of the expectation of the priests and brothers was handling a full course load accompanied by extensive volunteer work. Brother Lynch worked ticket sales at sporting events, served as a sacristan for Masses, and assisted fundraising projects for the missions.
Teenagers are a mixture of emotions, often filled with angst, anxiety, a desire for independence, and moments of mischief. Brother Lynch embraced all those moments, letting the students call him “Bro,” playing along with jokes at his expense, being available to them during moments of tragedy, and walking with them on their spiritual journey through prayer.
Prayer Life
“We had many opportunities for prayer. Of course, we had morning and evening prayer every day,” said Brother Lynch. “We always had opportunities for students to go to Mass and confession. We also had extra opportunities like stations of the cross or prayer services.”
Prayer for the poor or marginalized led to outreach projects. Each year, Brother Lynch would accompany volunteers to downtown Chicago to feed the hungry and interact with those living on the streets. Often, Brother Lynch encountered people who just wanted to talk to the students and enjoy moments of prayer that left a lasting impact on everyone involved.
“We had to build a solid prayer life for ourselves, and by having it for ourselves, we were able to preach to others. They could see that we were preaching by example,” noted Brother Lynch.
Finding Inspiration
Brother Lynch was constantly inspired by the lay teachers who accepted smaller salaries because of their call to be servant leaders teaching the faith. He also appreciated the financial sacrifice made by parents to provide a Catholic education to their children. During his time in the business office, he worked with families to identify affordable tuition payment options.
The students made a lasting impact on Brother Lynch, whether it was someone struggling in finance class, an academic whiz in accounting class, or a student in his home room that he watched grow from an immature freshman to a seasoned senior.
“By the time they were seniors, they had grown up so much. I had gotten to know them, and they got to know me. When they were graduating, one class gave me a stereo set. I couldn’t believe it,” recalled Brother Lynch. “I’d like to think that I was there for them, to provide them with a solid education, and to hopefully model in some way, my commitment as a professional religious to preach by example.”
Provided October 2025
