Malvern Prep Welcomes the Class of 2026 with Brotherhood Ceremony

On Wednesday, September 21, members of Malvern Prep’s Class of 2026, as well as new members of the classes of 2025 and 2024, were formally welcomed into the Malvern community during the Brotherhood Ceremony in the O’Neill Sports Center.

Fr. Christopher Drennen, O.S.A. ’73 opened the ceremony and shared with students and guests that September 21, 2022, marked exactly 100 years since the school celebrated its opening on its Warren Avenue campus with a Mass in 1922. The Class of 2026 will be, in four years' time, the 100th graduating class of Malvern Prep.

Fr. Bill Gabriel, Malvern’s newest Friar, addressed students and guests by sharing his experience of learning about the Brotherhood at Malvern. Recalling a story of when he witnessed an act of Brotherhood between students, he explained that Brotherhood is “what we do here [at Malvern Prep].” “We are the people who notice as Augustine did, that we need each other in order to be the best version of ourselves,” shared Fr. Bill.

Each student began the ceremony by sitting with their parents/guardians. They were then presented with a medal of St. Augustine, which was placed around their neck by their parents or guardian. These medals depict the image of St. Augustine, the founder of the Augustinian Order of priests who established and support Malvern Prep. Each student and his family were then blessed by one of the five Augustinian Friars participating in the ceremony. The new Malvern brothers then signed their names in a Class of 2026 ledger, symbolizing their acceptance into the Malvern community. They returned to sit with their classmates, rather than their parents/guardians, signifying their membership into the Brotherhood.

Click here to view photos from the event.