Derrick Bragg on Faith, Giving Back, and Building the Church for the Next Generation

When Derrick Bragg stood before fellow parishioners at a recent gathering at St. Moses the Black Parish, he spoke from the heart—and the response was immediate. His moving testimony about his lifelong connection to the Catholic Church and why he’s supporting the Generation to Generation fundraising campaign inspired many to give on the spot.

“I always start by saying I owe the Church,” Bragg shared in his remarks. “This Church gave me my first real job, gave me a good education, gave me lifelong friends and gave me a place that feels like home. It’s been there for almost every major moment in my life.”

Bragg’s journey with the Catholic Church began in 4th grade when his family transitioned from the public school system to Holy Angels School. It was a teacher who first noticed that Bragg’s sister needed a more challenging academic environment. That observation led them to Catholic education—and ultimately, to the Church.

“I was baptized, made my First Communion, and was confirmed at Holy Angels,” Bragg said. “I went to St. Lawrence Seminary in Wisconsin for my high school years. It was a boarding school, and my mom wanted a better education for us, away from the influences of the streets  . That’s when I started to take my faith more seriously—I even thought about the priesthood.”

Bragg drifted from organized religion during college, but he never lost his belief in God. It wasn’t until he had a daughter in 1994 that his faith deepened again. “I started thinking about how I was raised and wanted her to grow up in a Catholic school environment. I was grateful my mom had given me religion. I wanted to do the same for her,” he said.

He enrolled his daughter in Catholic school at St. Columbanus and soon found himself drawn back to Church—this time with new eyes. “It gave me space to reflect on what I was doing daily,” he said. “I realized I was really paying attention to the Scriptures and homily this time.”

Around this time, he reconnected with parish life more fully by attending Saturday Mass regularly and stepping into service when Fr. Matt O’Donnell called for ushers. “He looked right at me when he said it at the end of Mass,” Bragg laughed. “And I thought, okay—I’ll do it.”

Since then, Bragg has participated in Alpha, a parish program that invites people to explore their faith through food, conversation, and spiritual reflection. “Alpha changed the way I think about prayer,” he said. “It helped me to start talking about my faith again—something I hadn’t done since my time at St. Lawrence.”

Today, Bragg’s commitment to the Church goes beyond weekly Mass. He’s one of the many voices championing the Generation to Generation campaign, which is designed to renew parish life and invest in programs that engage the next generation.

“We need to help kids today find what we had growing up,” he said. “A lot of young people think they’re too smart for religion. But they need a space where they feel welcome, heard, supported—a place where they can connect with others and God.”

Bragg believes outreach and youth-focused programs—like youth ministers, modern music, and youth-specific Masses—are vital. “We need to carve out space for them. Entry points matter,” he said. “Once they feel like they belong, that they are part of the community, they’ll return—just like I did.”

His belief in the campaign’s mission is deeply personal. “This church has always been there for me,” he said. “It’s the place where I grew, where I found support. I’ve met people I never would’ve met otherwise. That’s why I give, and that’s why I tell others we need to support it now—so that the next generation has the same opportunity. When I talk about the Church, I talk about it from the heart,” Bragg said. “People relate to that. They remember weddings, funerals, baptisms, and visits to the food pantries. They think about the Church's role in their lives, and they realize—I’m telling their story, too. Now, it’s our turn to step up. Let’s be strong in our faith and let’s pave the road for the generations to come.”