Work is holy and in that I have always admired men like my father and grandfather, devout men of God who I watched fix and build what seemed just about everything. Whether it was setting a toilet, stopping a leak, wiring a ceiling fan, building a wall, troubleshooting an engine or changing out brakes and rotors, there’s something deeply manly about having the skill and confidence to make things better using your hands. God sanctified the work of man’s hands.
When I traveled deep into the heart of Michigan to film this story I was excited to what see these young were learning in the various trades of machining, wood work, plumbing, electrical and welding. What I was not expecting to find was the joy that was common among them. Although they all have come from very different backgrounds and have varying levels of skill, it was the brotherhood that united them the most. They love being around each other because the demands placed upon them daily by the Academy leadership drive them to go far deeper than just working with their hands in various disciplines. Instead, the bold expectations to rise early for community prayer, mass and Eucharistic adoration are the bedrock where all their natural desires to ‘wrench on engines’ begin to rev.
While filming I kept thinking to myself how practical it would be for all young men to at least complete the standard one year commitment the Academy asks of their students because, regardless if they went deeper into the trades or not, they would emerge with amazing life skills to benefit their family and friends. I partnered with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception to produce this story for their EWTN show, Living Divine Mercy available at: DivineMercyPlus.org
In truth, most of our young men today feel very restless and disjointed by the disorder of the world. Here at the Harmel Academy, what I discovered is that the manual genius that initially drew most of these young men in is not what is making them come alive with joy and purpose. Instead, the trades and the holy rigor expected of them daily are simply beckoning them forward to assume the office they are called to as future priests and married men willing to live in virtue and sacrifice. The reality these men are engaging in together as brothers is a simple reminder that even with our hands we can and are called to adore God and assist in the transformation of the world through holiness.
For more information about the Harmel Academy please visit:
https://www.harmelacademy.org/
