WESTERLY — Parishioners and visitors to St. Pius X Church in Westerly can now view a statue of their patron, Pope St. Pius X, on the lawn in front of the parish rectory, where it seems to raise its arms in greeting to passersby. The statue, dedicated on the feast of Corpus Christi, was installed under the leadership of local Boy Scout and parishioner Joseph Brodeur, who took on the project while working toward the title of Eagle Scout.
“I wanted to do something that has a little more meaning for me,” said Brodeur, who celebrated his promotion to the rank of Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor ceremony held in the parish hall on Sunday, July 10.
Brodeur, 17, is a lifelong parishioner of St. Pius X. He likes to joke that he’s been at the parish exactly as long as recently retired Pastor Emeritus Father Ray Suriani, who baptized the infant Brodeur during his first year as pastor. Brodeur is also a longtime member of Boy Scout Troop 16, Westerly, which meets in the parish hall.
Scoutmaster Felix Martinez explained that the family has been involved with the troop since Joseph’s older brother, John, first became a Boy Scout almost two decades ago. He noted the younger Brodeur’s dedication to his parish and troop and his attention to detail as he managed a project that had great personal meaning for him.
“It fit in perfectly with Joe because it fit in perfectly with his community, perfectly with his church, perfectly with his troop,” said Martinez.
For Brodeur, his choice of an Eagle Scout project also reflected a strong interest in religious statues, which he has collected since he was a child. The five-foot fiberglass statue occupies a place in front of the parish rectory that was once home to a large tree, cut down some time ago. When Brodeur first proposed purchasing a statue of Pope St. Pius X for the parish, it was Father Suriani who suggested they install it in the empty space, where it would be clearly visible from the road.
“There was something that needed to be here to make it clear that this was holy ground,” said Father Suriani.
Brodeur received strong financial support from the parishioners, who were enthusiastic about having a statue of their patron to identify the parish. With the help of Boy Scouts and family members, he prepared a brick walkway around the area where the statue would go, running into difficulty when they discovered the remains of an 11-foot tree trunk were still in the ground. After enlisting the help of a local tree service, and waiting almost a year for the statue after delivery was delayed by the manufacturer, the group was finally able to complete the project. The statue was dedicated during the annual parish procession celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi in May.
“There were a lot of roadblocks, but by the grace of God we got it done,” said Brodeur.
His 12-year journey to the rank of Eagle Scout may have ended after his Court of Honor ceremony, but Brodeur is about to begin a new chapter of his faith journey. The Westerly High School graduate was recently accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Providence and will enter Our Lady of Providence Seminary in August. Like his Eagle Scout project, he attributes the decision to apply to the seminary to the Lord’s influence.
“I’m more excited just to be in that close environment where I can be intimate with my faith and have the sacraments close at hand,” he said.
His parents said that though they were not aware of their son’s calling to the priesthood prior to his senior year of high school, it was not difficult, looking back, to see how the parish provided the right environment for vocational discernment.
“When you see them grow up, you get a sense that there’s something deep developing in them,” said Lora Brodeur.
“If there was an opening, if God was calling him, he was definitely fertile ground,” added Peter Brodeur.
For Joseph, the path of vocational discernment so far has not been unlike the path to becoming an Eagle Scout: though he is not always sure where it leads and roadblocks may appear without warning, he knows he walks with the support of his parish and family, and that God’s grace will never lead him astray.
“I don’t even know how I got here,” he said following the ceremony, his new Eagle Scout medal pinned to the front of his uniform. “It’s all about the grace of God.”
