Benjamin Horgan’s Xaverian education at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA, forever changed the trajectory of his life.
“What I received there was so much more than a strong curricular program,” he said. “It was a wholistic formation experience.”
There he felt his faith fully integrated into who he was and credits the experience to his calling, which eventually led to his coming onboard with the Xaverian Brothers in 2018 as the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS) Formation Director.
“I was ecstatic,” he said. “I was excited to return to the network that initially formed me and my vocation.”
A native of Grafton, MA, Ben graduated from St. John’s in 2005 and had the privilege of attending the school’s first Global Encounter Program to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. There he witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty, a different culture, and reckoned with his own privilege. The experience challenged him to put faith into action and inspired return to the reservation following graduation to work at the Red Cloud Indian School, a Jesuit Catholic High School. Ben went on to earn a BA in Religion and Philosophy from Bates College and a MTS from Loyola University Maryland and served as the Director of Ignatian Mission and Identity at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD from 2011-2018.
“My Xaverian education and experience working with the Brothers taught me the importance of relationships,” he stated.
Ben felt especially blessed to have Brother Plunket Doherty in class.
“He was tough, but there was never a doubt he cared for his students,” he said. “His ministry of presence is a valuable lesson that I carry with me into my work. Showing up and being present helps build enduring personal relationships that The Fundamental Principles and Xaverian Brothers call us to cultivate.”
Ben believes that through those relationships, the love of Christ is put into action.
“When we know each other and have a foundation of trust, we can do incredible things,” he said.
The ingenuity of the Xaverian Brothers and the trust they have for their Partners in Mission to carry on their mission has been a humbling experience for Ben who sees this trust as empowering; helping explain the success of the XBSS schools while many Catholic schools have struggled in recent decades.
“The Brothers, especially within their work in education, were ahead of the curve in many areas from their academic curriculum to their governance structures,” he said. “They were not afraid to take risks in the name of mission, and that has paid dividends in the strength of our network.”
“My Xaverian education and experience working with the Brothers taught me the importance of relationships”
– Ben Horgan
Ben lives in Baltimore with his wife Hillary and one-year-old daughter, Finley, and is pursuing his Doctorate of Education from Creighton University. He loves cooking, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with loved ones. His position as Formation Director complements his experiences, gifts, and talents where he continues to learn and grow.
“I am grateful for my time prior to the pandemic, traveling to each school and building relationships with administrators, faculty, and students,” he said. “Our network is filled with incredibly gifted individuals who are committed to Xaverian education, and I love connecting educators from across our network to further our mission and meet the needs of the students in our care.”