Jesuit Volunteer Corps

alumni feature, jvc magazine

Scranton Native Brings JVC’s Values Back to His Hometown

By JVC Staff

(Washington, DC 1979-80)

Former Jesuit Volunteer, Patrick Brier (Washington DC 1979-80) at law firm in Scranton, PA. (2018)

After helping Mother Teresa open an AIDS clinic nearly three decades ago, Pennsylvania lawyer Pat Brier starts an Esperanza immigration clinic in Scranton

PATRICK BRIER CONTINUES TO LIVE OUT THE MISSION AND VALUES OF THE JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS as a leader committed to justice within his native Scranton. As a volunteer with the newly-formed Jesuit Volunteer Corps East, Brier served alongside Jesuit priest Horace McKenna accompanying persons experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C.

“We worked out of the basement of the Saint Aloysius Church on North Capitol Street at an organization called The Line. Every day, a large group of people who were homeless would line up outside of our doors, and we would give them whatever we had.”

Brier poses in front of Saint Aloysius with Father McKenna and colleagues.
Brier poses in front of Saint Aloysius with Father McKenna and colleagues.
JVC continues to place volunteers at the Father McKenna Center, a social service agency serving men struggling with homelessness and very low-income families in Ward 6 of Washington D.C.
JVC continues to place volunteers at the Father McKenna Center, a social service agency serving men struggling with homelessness and very low-income families in Ward 6 of Washington D.C.
Mother Teresa’s thank you letter to Former Jesuit Volunteer Patrick Brier.
Mother Teresa’s thank you letter to Former Jesuit Volunteer Patrick Brier.
Mother Teresa’s thank you letter to Former Jesuit Volunteer Patrick Brier.
Mother Teresa’s thank you letter to Former Jesuit Volunteer Patrick Brier.

After attending law school at Catholic University, Brier returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania to work for justice in his home community, representing clients that included Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity.

“The Missionaries of Charity were working diligently to get a Pediatric AIDS home opened in Philadelphia, despite a number of delays and pushback. We were able to complete the project successfully and get the AIDS home opened.”

In 2017, Brier, now a healthcare lawyer, started an Esperanza immigration clinic in Scranton to support DACA recipients and others who require assistance navigating the immigration process.

“There is such a large need here, especially among this group that has been terrified by recent events. We are now hoping to expand the clinic and add additional services for this vastly underserved population.”

Brier and his wife Kate have raised five children in Scranton, two of whom have gone on to become Jesuit Volunteers themselves. He thanks JVC for inspiring him to build care for the poor and marginalized into his personal and professional life.

“JVC was a cathartic experience because it was the first time where my eyes were really opened to all the opportunities for remaining involved in social ministry.”

STORIES

  • fjv, alumni feature, social justice

    People are sometimes afraid to adopt a plant-based eating pattern out of fear they’ll feel deprived. But veganism is not about deprivation. Rather, veganism is about abundance: abundant compassion, abundant culinary discovery, abundant health, the preservation of our only home, and the prevailing of our values.

    Read More

  • fjv, alumni feature, community

    Nicole and I agree that, as we each look back on the different things we’ve been part of in our 50-plus years, Jesuit Volunteer Corps stands out. The fun part of JVC for me was traveling around the West for parties with other communities. It was my own community, though, that prompted me to grow more in that one year than in any other single year in my life.

    Read More

  • alumni feature, fjv

    If the values of JVC continue to resonate with you as you contemplate your next steps, then I encourage you to think about participating in the CLA program! It has been a truly transformative and life-giving experience for me.

    Read More

  • love stories, alumni feature, fjv

    My community, my roommates, my best friends have taught me to both share and receive unconditional love. We have a built a life together in New York City.

    Read More

  • fjv, alumni feature, community

    Community has taught me about myself and exposed me to new perspectives. We can talk about hard things in community. Conversations get deeper, problems can get worked out, walls can come down. It's never perfect, it's rarely easy, but it is enriching. I would not be the person I am today without living in intentional communities.

    Read More