Brother Eduardo Vega is a young man who offers guidance to the people around him through Christ. He can be found either in the Campus Ministry or Sant’ Angelo Carmelite Community down the street from MC.
Br. Eduardo came an incredibly long way before stepping foot on campus. He was born in El Salvador to a family consisting of his two sisters Mariela and Arlette, his father Oscar, and his mother Carolina. In his youth, Mariela brought him to a parish run by the Carmelites from St. Teresa of Ávila, known as the Discalced Carmelites in Spanish. Br. Eduardo joined their youth group, known as the Footprints of Jesus, or Huellas de Jesús.
“It wasn’t focused on Jesus or the Bible,” Br. Eduardo explains . “It was about having a friend group.”
This was around the time Br. Eduardo was attending Francisco Gavidia University. There he studied graphic design and how it applied to advertising. Br. Eduardo considers himself a free thinker, which is why the creative aspect of graphic design appealed to him. Even though he had an intense passion for his education, it turned out his involvement with the Footprints of Jesus proved to be more valuable.
“We went to visit a community for sick people, HIV,” Br. Eduardo says. “This was the first part I fell for the vocation. At that moment I said, ‘I’d like to feel it more.’”
Returning back to campus, Br. Eduardo continued his study in graphic design. For a time he did not act on how he felt with the Footprints of Jesus, until he saw a certain channel on YouTube. It was called Vacare Deo, and they posted videos detailing Carmelite prayer and service. After Br. Eduardo watched some of their videos, he once again felt deeply connected to God. To follow a vocation was to relinquish all possessions, maybe even family, and pursue a life based on the teachings of Christ. Considering this, Br. Eduardo felt hesitant to make any decisions before he fully understood how he felt.
“I wrote to the Discalced Carmelites, ‘How do I know if I have a vocation?’” Br. Eduardo says. “It’s a big question for me, I had to ask myself if this was good or bad for me.”
The Discalced Carmelites invited him to visit an altar in El Salvador. Even though he was more than willing to join, his father did not let him go. Originally, Oscar Vega did not picture this life for his son. Br. Eduardo was either supposed to earn a career through graphic design or find his religious vocation in another country. He also could not have children if he became a Carmelite, which was another point of contention between Br. Eduardo and his father. Oscar did not let him attend the service at the altar. Two months passed as Br. Eduardo waited for an opportunity to meet with the Discalced Carmelites. By what felt like divine intervention, Br. Eduardo finally got his chance.
“At that moment, they [the Footprints of Jesus] made a retreat,” Br. Eduardo said. “This was my opportunity to go to the Carmelite brothers, and not go to the retreat.”
Br. Eduardo knew that if he were to use the retreat as a facade to instead visit with the Discalced Carmelites, his biggest challenge would be hiding the meeting from his father. Putting his skills to good use, he designed a fake advertisement to present to Oscar Vega. In it, he changed the dates of the retreat so that he could meet with the Carmelite brothers while never actually attending the retreat at all. His plan worked. Oscar gave him permission to go with the Footprints of Jesus, and on that very same day he left to visit the Discalced Carmelites.
“I spent four days with the Carmelite Order for knowledge,” Br. Eduardo said. “What is a Carmelite? What do they do? I felt humanity, and that is the reason I loved it.”
During his stay, Br. Eduardo made the decision to join the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance instead of the Discalced Carmelites. The difference between the two is that the former revolves around Marian faith, and the latter focuses more so on Catholic saints. Additionally, the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance are more closely related to the Carmelite Order at MC. When Br. Eduardo informed his mother and father that he was joining the Carmelite Order, they were furious. Not only had he defied their expectations for a career path but also lied to them about attending the retreat. Br. Eduardo had begun the training process required to join the Carmelite Order by age 24, and eventually his parents lovingly accepted his vocation.
Br. Eduardo is now learning the English language as a Carmelite intern. He was flown out to Washington, D.C. in January to begin his study. Until this August when he was flown again out to continue in Chicago. Br. Eduardo was appointed to live at Sant’ Angelo Carmelite Community, and to learn English on Mount Carmel High School’s campus.
“I’m feeling really good here,” Br. Eduardo said. “I think the best part in this school are the students, I like their humanity. When I was a teenager, I acted the same way.”
In addition to the student body, Br. Eduardo also said he’s appreciative of the teachers, and is interested in the sports at MC. Before he arrived in America, he knew nothing about American football. Now that he is on campus, he gets really excited during Mount Carmel’s home games. Br. Eduardo came a long way to get to MC, and his journey could not have been accomplished without family, skill, and God.
“God appears in every situation,” Br. Eduardo said. “In those moments I am rewarded with new opportunities.”
