Br. Sam Wharton, OP

Master of Arts in Theology (MA) - Master of Divinity (MDiv) Student, Province of St. Martin de Porres

Br. Sam Wharton, OP, was born and raised in Louisiana. Growing up wanting to be a doctor, Br. Sam eventually attended Texas Christian University, playing defensive line for the Horned Frogs and studying neuroscience. However, two shoulder injuries and a surgery later, Sam had to give up football. After that, Br. Sam relates, "“One of the weird things with quitting football was the amount of free time that I had. I ended up spending a lot of that time at the Newman Center. I had a lot of good friends who supported me through that transition and brought me more into my faith.”

These friends encouraged Br. Sam to keep exploring his faith and digging in to the community at the Newman Center. By his sophomore year, Br. Sam was the head of the Student Outreach Committee and led a men’s Bible study. After much discernment and consideration of diocesan priesthood, he attended a "Come and See" with the Dominicans during his senior year and felt at home with the brothers. He realized that he felt called to life in community, which was why he did not feel like diocesan priesthood was the right fit for him. He discerned that this feeling of peace and comfort was a call to enter the novitiate and discern his vocation as a Dominican. 

Since making his simple vows, Br. Sam has been at Aquinas Institute deepening his understanding of Christ and the Church. He enjoys the built-in silence, prayer, study, and community that comes with being a friar. He appreciates the opportunity to learn from others and their perspectives. His favorite class has been Uses of Philosophy in Theology with Fr. Michael Mascari, OP. Br. Sam said, “It bridges the gap between philosophy and theology in a way that helps you think of things from a Catholic mindset.”

When asked what he loves about Aquinas Institute, Br. Sam shared, “I love the chance to understand people’s perspectives and get to know them outside of class. During our class breaks, we have deeper conversations and get to know once another’s perspectives in new ways.”