Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado plans on going into the priesthood Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville goalie Ian Bravado (1) protects the goal as Tolland’s Jonathan Adadjo (7) gets into striking distance during the Tolland vs Plainville boys Class M Semi-final soccer game on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Rockville High School in Vernon.
Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado listens as his coach Devan Pugliese talks talks his play and his character Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School. Bravado is planning on going into the priesthood.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville goalie Ian Bravado (1) blocks this goal attempt by Tolland’s Jonathan Adadjo (7) during the Tolland vs Plainville boys Class M Semi-final soccer game on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Rockville High School in Vernon.
Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado talks about his future Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School. Bravado is planning on going into the priesthood.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville goalie Ian Bravado (1) blocks this shot by Tolland’s Vaughn Coombs (2) who would score moments later for the third and final goal of the game during the Tolland vs Plainville boys Class M Semi-final soccer game on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Rockville High School in Vernon.
Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media
Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado plans on going into the priesthood Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
PLAINVILLE — Ian Bravado is the sort of soccer goalie unafraid to roam out of the box.
Unafraid to speak his mind, either. He sees the field. He sees the big picture. He advises his teammates accordingly. Be it collectively or one on one, he has a knack for the right tone.
Article continues below this ad
So much so that when it came time for the 2025Â Plainville boys soccer team to elect its captains, coach Devin Pugliese was not surprised to see Bravado unanimously chosen.
“He’s so intelligent and mature for his age he knows how to galvanize the team in any situation,” Pugliese remarked. “He always has the right words for the moment.”
Which bodes well for Bravado’s future line of work. Plainville soccer players call their senior goalie “Preacher Keeper” for a reason. After graduating this spring, Bravado is heading to the priesthood.
Make CT Insider a preferred source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.
Add Preferred Source
“It was through a lot of research and passion, I just fell in love with Catholicism, our Lord, and I’ve continued to grow in that calling,” Bravado said recently. “I believe now, God willing, I will become a priest. I hope that is the case. That is my continual calling.”
Article continues below this ad
Bravado is not the first soccer player with such aspirations. Premier League midfielder Philip Mulryne and New England Revolution defender Chase Hilgenbrinck both left pro soccer for the priesthood.
Nor is Bravado the first to go to a seminary directly from high school. Of this year’s incoming class of 13 in the Archdiocese of Hartford, he is the second youngest.
But as a product of a public, rather than parochial, school system, Bravado is an uncommon candidate, and in the eyes of those who will shepherd him on his path, he possesses an uncommon set of skills.
“I find Ian to be a very careful and intelligent young man,” said Father Anthony Frederico, the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Director of Vocations & Seminarians. “He speaks slowly and carefully, which is somewhat rare for young men his age.Â
Article continues below this ad
“I find it very fascinating that he’s very much an 18-year-old guy, athlete, has best friends, listens to music, drives around with his buddies, and yet there’s this other side to him which is deeply prayerful and introspective and asks big questions.”
Added Frederico, who played tennis and ran track as a high school student at Notre Dame-West Haven and worked at ESPN before leaving for the priesthood at age 29: “I would consider him a first-round draft pick.”
Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado talks about his future Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School. Bravado is planning on going into the priesthood.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
Abiding the call
There is no Saul-to-Paul moment in Ian Bravado’s story. No road to Damascus, no blinding by the light.Â
Article continues below this ad
The youngest of Zak and Cristine Bravado’s three children has been a devout parishioner at St. Brigid Church in West Hartford throughout his life. He is, in the words of his father, an “old soul” who started thinking deeply about many subjects, the Catholic faith chief among them, at a young age.
Even so, when Bravado first felt the call to the priesthood as a high school freshman, he was hesitant. What did it mean? It was so odd, so different. Was he even worthy?
“I wouldn’t think about it, or I would do something else,” Bravado said.
“I was never closed to it; I never rejected anything,” he added. “I just didn’t think it was for me. I didn’t think it was a possibility. Or it was just a curiosity I had that would fizzle out.”
Article continues below this ad
It didn’t. Preparing for Confirmation, he’d come home from classes at St. Brigid and, when his father asked how things were going, the reply was never perfunctory.
“We’d easily spend about an hour talking about whatever it was that he was reading about or hearing in class,” Zak Bravado said. “Ian wanted to really understand, and you can see that deep longing to connect with the faith.”
Father Andy Mai, the pastor at St. Brigid, observed the way Ian came to church, the way he prayed, the way he was willing to be an altar server or lector, the way he conducted himself in those roles.
“Ian,” Father Mai said upon a Sunday. “You would be a good priest.”
Article continues below this ad
One of Bravado’s grandmothers had said the same. So had his sister Ella.
“It’s fascinating that they would say these things to me or that they would see something that I didn’t see in myself at the time,” Bravado says now. “And you know, I believe that maybe our Lord put that thought in their minds so they could convey that to me and so I could eventually fall down this road.”
By junior year, Bravado said, he was ready to stop running away from his calling, to stop questioning if it was the thing to do.
“It always just kept pulling at me. I could never, like, extinguish the flame,” Bravado said. “That’s what I would say is at the core of my calling, that constant pull that I feel that encourages me to keep pursuing these things.”
Article continues below this ad
Bravado’s parent’s had had plenty of “what do you want to do?” conversations with their older children. This was different.
“We were a little nervous; we were a little hesitant,” said Zak Bravado, who credits Father Mai and Father Frederico for explaining the path ahead and allaying parental concerns. “We have been nothing but proud of the journey that he wants to embark on, and we’re excited for him and for what may come of it.”
Plainville goalie Ian Bravado (1) blocks this shot during the Tolland vs Plainville boys Class M Semi-final soccer game on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Rockville High School in Vernon.
Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media
Minding the net
Like his sister Ella, who is now at Emmanuel College, and his older brother Gavin, who plays at Central Connecticut State, Ian Bravado grew up with soccer. The family is Portuguese on both sides.
Article continues below this ad
Soccer meant recreational games in town and club action with FSA in Farmington and Sporting in Middletown. Ian played field positions, but gravitated toward goalie. That was the position he got stuck playing at home, when Ella and Gavin would go at it one-on-one and put shots on him.
“And he just loved that,” Zak Bravado said. “Ian, I think, started to realize the importance of playing a position where he can see everything going on in front of him.”
Ian’s experience as a field player helped shape his goaltending style. He doesn’t merely come out of the net. He’ll liberally leave the box to play a ball like an extra defender.
Then there’s his role as communicator. Quiet off the field, Ian found a voice upon it. He kept up a constant chatter as the Blue Devils (yes, the prospective priest was a Blue Devil) advanced to the 2025 Class M state semifinals.
Article continues below this ad
“I was a leader; I was confident in speaking out of the net to help my teammates and to direct them positionally to where they should be,” Bravado said. “I always tried to strike confidence and make them believe in my abilities and then believe in theirs and the team’s.”
Undergirding all this was Bravado’s decision to pursue the priesthood. Once he accepted his calling, Bravado said, serenity infused his game. He could relax and just enjoy being in the moment with his team, win or lose.
“My junior year, my senior year were the most joyful I ever felt playing soccer,” he said. “I was (previously) always very nervous or stressed out to make a mistake. I feel that’s natural for a varsity athlete. With my faith, it just grounds me and makes me more comfortable to pursue the game.”
Bravado’s sense of peace, according to Pugliese, permeated the Blue Devils over the past two seasons and helped make them a better team. Bravado could be honest with his teammates, yet constructive and positive. And calm. Always calm.
Article continues below this ad
“He doesn’t pull punches, but he doesn’t do it in a way to belittle anyone or make anyone feel bad,” Pugliese said. “He does it with the idea of trying to build people up. We were definitely led by him and his way of doing things, and the guys did respond.”
Plainville goalie Ian Bravado (1) blocks this shot during the Tolland vs Plainville boys Class M Semi-final soccer game on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Rockville High School in Vernon.
Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media
Pugliese even found himself being influenced as a coach by the manner of his senior goalie.
“I always admire his ability to put things into perspective, in real time especially,” Pugliese said. “I look inwards at myself and how I deal with things. I see Ian, someone I’m trying to instruct, coach, and he’s so stoic and so mature. It kind of helps me keep myself in check knowing how well he can handle things.”
Article continues below this ad
While the Blue Devils affectionally called Bravado “Preacher Keeper,” he’s no proselytizer. He’d pray before games, asking God to keep him grounded and safe, and accepting of the final result.
He didn’t insist anyone do as he did, but does believe faith factored into Plainville’s success.
“I never was like, ‘You have to join me in prayer.’ I would hope they would see me and have some sort of inclination to pray on their own or pray next to me or think about God,” Bravado said. “That’s always my goal: to portray the faith in a certain way and lead more people to Jesus.
“I’d mention in team talks, ‘We’re playing for something bigger, we’re playing for the glory of God, for our brothers and the town.’ It was nothing I was scared to speak about. I was open and would mention religious aspects in team talks because this is something I believe in. I saw the boys displaying that same conviction.”
Article continues below this ad
Bravado does not make a show of his faith. He does not blare it. He will gladly talk about it if asked.
“He doesn’t want to preach; he just wants to be available,” as Zak Bravado said.Â
While wrestling with his calling, Ian notes, he was nervous about how his peers would react. The concern proved overwrought.
“My friends have been fantastic understanding this,” Ian said. “They’re not as religious as me, but they’ve been supportive. They understand. They’ve asked questions of me. The boys on the soccer team all know and I’ve never gotten any type of disrespect from them. More like curiosity, and I think that’s very beautiful and I’m lucky everyone has taken it well.”
Article continues below this ad
Plainville senior soccer goalie Ian Bravado and his coach Devan Pugliese talks about his future Friday, January 9, 2026 at Plainville High School. Bravado is planning on going into the priesthood.
Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media
Following the road
In pursuing Holy Orders, Ian Bravado is embarking on a quest that will take at least 7-8 years. After Providence College, he’ll head to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland.
At Providence, he’ll be a regular under-grad, as far as academics go. He’s free to take what courses he likes, but will see a good dose of theology, philosophy and history. Philosophy will be his major.
Article continues below this ad
The big difference lies outside of class. Instead of living in a dorm, Bravado will be at Our Lady of Providence Seminary with 30-35 other aspirants from across New England. There, they’ll begin to learn the daily life of a priest: how morning is spent in prayer, how to prepare for Mass.
Faith formation will grow more intense, more profound at Mount St. Mary’s. That’s where a prospective priest must decide if he can give his life to God and accept not having a spouse, children and material pursuits.
Father Frederico stresses the freedom of the journey. Nobody is locked in.
“I want to give Ian a lot of freedom to go there and do the work that he needs to do,” Father Frederico said. “And I’ve told him and all the other guys, ‘If you go there and, in a year or two, you really come to the conclusion that this is not where you’re supposed to be, you can leave. You’re free.’ I don’t want any of them to feel pressured that they have to go through with this, because it is a lifetime commitment.”
Article continues below this ad
Father Mai is confident Ian will see it through. A native of Vietnam, Father Mai came to the U.S. in 2009, at roughly the same age Ian is now.
“I can see a very deep faith there,” said Father Mai. “He loves the Holy Eucharist and he loves the tradition of the church.”
Father Mai played his share of badminton, soccer and volleyball growing up in Vietnam, so he sees how Ian’s sports background should be a benefit. The daily regimen of an athlete, he said, translates to an aspiring priest.
“If you want to become a priest you’ve got to go to church every single day, go to mass every single day,” Father Mai has told Ian. “When you become a priest, you have to say mass every day. If you don’t start now, then you can’t do it later.”
Article continues below this ad
Bravado also recognizes how the pitch has prepped him up for pulpit — in particular, being a captain. It honed his ability to talk one to one and gave him confidence to project to a group.
“That style of being like I was in goal, being direct and passionate in a certain setting, then being quiet and reserved and prayerful and to have that deep faith: To find the balance is something I do now and will continue to do,” Bravado said.
In applying to the Archdiocese of Hartford’s seminarian program, Bravado had to submit three letters of recommendation. One was from Father Mai. Pugliese provided another. The third was from Plainville High guidance counselor Kacey Stewart.
“Which I wasn’t expecting,” Father Frederico said. “No other guy has had a school guidance counselor send a reference letter.”
Article continues below this ad
Stewart related an interaction in a school hallway Bravado didn’t know she’d witnessed. Walking behind Bravado and one of his friends, Stewart overheard the friend say he was going through some difficulties.
Bravado stopped, looked his friend in the eye and said, “I got you. Whatever you’re struggling with, I’m in this with you now.”
“Being a priest for him,” Father Frederico observed. “You know, as sports guys we talk about recruits and the scouts talk about, ‘He’s got five skills, easy projection as he grows into his body.’ It’s easy to do that with Ian — not as an athlete, but as a priest.”
Bravado is part of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s biggest incoming class in decades, though the trend, in recent years, has been tacking dramatically upward. After a long lean stretch, the Archdiocese began a prayer campaign for new priests and it produced a class of five in 2024, 11 in 2025 and 13 for 2026.
Article continues below this ad
It’s a diverse group, Father Frederico said, ranging in age from 17 to 54. There’s a former hedge fund manager and a truck driver. There are athletes, musicians, artists, poets, philosophers. To a man, they felt the calling. Some, for the longest while, didn’t know what to make of it.
Ian Bravado didn’t know. He does now. He’s also aware there’s much he still doesn’t know. “God willing” is his frequent refrain. Ian Bravado knows where he wants to go, but the road is long.
“I’m not going to be a priest tomorrow,” the Preacher Keeper said. “It’s going to take a while, and constant persistence and faith. It’s all in God’s hands.”
Article continues below this ad