PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia City Paper
by J.F. Pirro
Twenty years ago, Brian Henderson wore his full habit more, well, habitually as a clear sign he was a cleric. Now, the Southwest Philly native, who last spring celebrated his 25th year as a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, says the crisis in the Catholic Church has left many priests and Brothers embarrassed to wear their collars.
While Henderson usually wears a collared shirt, sweater and khakis, his preference for casual clothing isn't a betrayal of his religious life. The Brothers' unique habit—a judgelike black robe with a wide, white collar—just isn't part of the persona he wants to portray. Instead, Henderson, 46, wants to play the simple servant. What he definitely doesn't want for himself, or any member of his 325-year-old religious order, is to be lumped in with the priests.
"Like that Billy Joel song goes, 'We didn't start the fire,' but if the church is a hay barn, the barn's fully engulfed," says Henderson, a West Catholic product who entered the fold during his third year at La Salle University. "I can't fix the controversy, and I can't say [the Brothers] are all clean of heart and hand … but part of being a Brother is helping everyone be a better brother and sister to everyone else."