ian youth encounter just outside London in 2010. The Holy Father was then the
prior general of the Order of St. Augustine. (Photo: Courtesy of Brendan Towell)
RICHLAND, N.J. — When Brendan Towell approached the prior general of the Augustinian order at a youth event in 2010, he had no idea the man he was speaking with would one day become the leader of the Catholic Church.
Towell, a theology teacher at St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, New Jersey, had vocation-related questions at the time and was considering becoming a religious brother or priest.
As a member of the Augustinian family, he was familiar with the leadership and approachability of then-Father Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV.
Despite being nervous to strike up a conversation, he eventually did.
“He wasn’t shocked or taken aback,” Towell said. “He made time for me, we spoke, we prayed. And that has stuck with me for years.”
The experience left a lasting impression — not just because of what was said, but because of how it made him feel and think about his true calling.
“The conversation, which is precious and personal to me … really encouraged me to look within. God knows us better than we know ourselves,” he said. “I think then-Father Prevost really put it to me like,
‘OK, you’re discerning, is this all rational? Are you doing a pros and cons list, or are you really discerning the will of God in your mind, in your heart, through prayer and interiority?’
“And that was a great question and a challenge.”
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The conversation was so impactful, Towell says he gives that advice in his own way to others who are questioning. He also knew
Pope Leo was a special man, even back then, which prompted him to keep the photo of them together from that youth encounter
for all these years.
“I always kept that photo because I said, ‘No matter what happens to him, that was a special moment for me,’ ” he said
Towell was one of the few voices to publicly suggest that Cardinal Prevost, an Augustinian, would make an excellent pope before the conclave began.
He was with his students when the “Habemus papam” announcement was made, and it was a joyous occasion for the entire school.
“I was in disbelief for the first name, and I said, ‘can’t be.’ Then the last name came out, and we all collectively in the class
yelled so loud, I jumped out of my chair,” he said. “I didn’t even hear his papal name choice because I couldn’t hear over the yelling, clapping, and hooting that was going on with my classes. The loudspeakers of our school went off. It’s a great time to be Catholic, and it’s a really great time to be Augustinian.”
Towell believes that Pope Leo’s Augustinian roots will shape his papacy in essential ways. His sense of community, precise and clear manner, servant leadership, and vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are all attributes that he believes made him a standout choice as the cardinals elected the next leader of the universal Church.
“Nothing will be accidental in this papacy. Nothing will be sporadic. In my opinion, I think he’s extremely thoughtful. He’s careful.
“He means what he says, and he says what he means,” he said. “That came out in his writing, and so far in what I’ve seen of him, he’s very deliberate.
“I think there’s an intentionality there that we can all appreciate.”
Though he ultimately did not become a priest and has since gotten married, Towell remains deeply connected to the Augustinian community, both professionally and spiritually.
Fifteen years after that brief but profound meeting, Towell continues to see it as a defining moment — both in his own life and, now, in the wider story of the Church.
“I think that Pope Leo is going to bring that idea to teach, maybe the Church, how it, too, can be Augustinian without necessarily taking vows,” he said.
“And I think if you approach Christ through the Augustinian lens, that we can also be fully fledged members of the Christian community, and empower laypeople to see their role in the Church as being significant.”
With so many people now wanting a relationship with the new Holy Father, Towell feels lucky to say he already has one.