Brother Joseph “Bro Joe” Nugent is now in his second year of teaching at Saint Louis School. He is originally from Winnipeg, Canada, where he developed a hobby and passion for playing rugby and the cello. Brother Joseph loves hiking and going to the beach, he describes it as, “The more daring and dangerous, the better!” In addition, he loves getting to know people, enjoying honest and deep conversations. You can find his classroom on the 3rd floor of Bertram Hall where he teaches 11th grade religion. He also serves as the Chair of the Religion Department, and the Chair of the Mission Integration Team. 

Before arriving in Oahu, Brother Joseph taught at another Marianist school called Chaminade-Julienne High School, located in Dayton, Ohio. He then took himself south to San Antonio, Texas where he was an aspirant at Saint Mary’s University, a sister school of Chaminade University. At this time, Brother Joseph was contemplating the important ministry of becoming a Brother, which is why he decided to be an aspirant. Also while in San Antonio, Bro Joe received his Masters in Theology.

When asked the question “Why did you become a brother?” Brother Joseph described how he felt God nudging him to “just give it a try.” In addition to this, Bro Joe also greatly loved prayer and ministry. He felt that he wanted to be a part of something greater and bigger in the community. Thinking to himself that he had nothing to lose, he took the chance and listened to God’s call. 

Fast forward now to his life in Hawai’i, Brother Joseph loves it. “Everything is awesome,” he says. The mountains, the beaches, the sunshine, and the culture are just a few of the things he enjoys about living here. On the school side, Bro Joe loves the enthusiasm and “excitement for life” of our Saint Louis students. “People want to be here, and want to create a more loving, just, and hard working place.” Along with the student drive here at Saint Louis, Brother Joseph loves being able to talk about faith and the Marianist Charism, and he appreciates the openness of the students.