By Dan McCarty • Posted November 18, 2025

Through the Young Catholic Professionals Philadelphia Executive Speaker Series, Brandon Hall, an entrepreneur and founder of Catholic Well, delivered a presentation titled “Overcoming Stress and Fear with Faith and Science” Nov. 6 at Nativity B.V.M. Parish in Media.

Chiara Cardone, a former youth and young adult minister at Nativity, contacted Father Edward Bell, the pastor, to ask if the parish would host  this presentation of Young Catholic Professionals (YCP).

With approval received, the parish also advertised the event on its website, its Instagram page and in Nativity’s parish bulletin. It was not the first collaboration between the parish and YCP.

“We work with Nativity for some events throughout the year,” said Autumn Gargiule, president of YCP.

Hall relied on his 18 years working for Boston Scientific Corp., which assists physicians using the company’s medical devices, to give this talk on faith, science and wellness and how they all can support the lives of everyday Catholics. He specifically talked about how Catholic tradition and modern neuroscience give guidance on overcoming anxiety, building character and flourishing in life.

“We are called to live life to the fullest,” said Hall.

He explained that approximately 65 to 70 percent of teens and adults are suffering from stress and fear. He believes that this problem stems from young people not integrating God into their everyday life to help them with their mental health.

“Christ is the answer to our mental health problems,” said Hall.

Speaking about his own background from Oil City, Pennsylvania, Hall said he aspired in high school to be a professional football player. Because some famous NFL quarterbacks including Joe Namath, Dan Marino and Joe Montana came from Western Pennsylvania, Hall himself felt a great deal of pressure to follow that path. He had the size for the sport, he said, but not the mentality.

Hall suffered football injuries that prevented several major schools from recruiting him. However, he was accepted to Lafayette College, a Division I school, where he made the transition from quarterback to tight end.

The switch added more stress as Hall was not used to the more demanding physical contact of that position.

“It was too much,” he said. “I never knew how to deal with it.”

Anxiety followed Hall into the working world when he secured his job at Boston Scientific. To this day, he often sees physicians and nurses become overstressed in the operating room.

The best approach to dealing with stress, Hall emphasized, is to combine faith with science. He stressed the importance of eating healthy, moving the body, drinking water and getting ample rest to care for the physical body.

Stillness is also important. Hall advised everyone to remain still while spending time with God in prayer and meditation. That practice aids the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that supports memory, attention and emotions.

Breathing slowly will reduce the heart rate and improve brain function, he advised.

“People who practice this consistently improve the prefrontal cortex,” said Hall.

He encourages reliance upon the Catholic sacraments to improve  mental health. The sacrament of penance and reconciliation can help ease one’s psychological and spiritual burden. It is an opportunity to talk to a priest and in addition to absolution from sin, the encounter can help slow down the body from stress and deter negative thoughts.

“Prayer changes the brain,” said Hall. “Prayer connects us with God.”

A question-and-answer session followed Hall’s talk. Paige Giafortune of Philadelphia was curious about today’s mental health crisis. Hall believes the crisis is not mental but spiritual, and people often fail to seek Jesus when they need help.

“We can’t do it ourselves,” said Hall. “We need God.”

Marie Graney of Wilmington, Delaware has non-Catholic friends who struggle severely with anxiety. Whenever she tries to talk with them about God they are dismissive because they are not living their own faith and therefore do not want to hear about others’ faith, she said.

Hall recommended she try and explain why God makes sense, put things into perspective for them and maybe even encourage them to come to church when the time seems right.

“Christ can get us through things through our Catholic faith,” said Hall.

Nativity’s parishioners and guests attending the evening talk included plenty of people who attended previous YCP events, plus some new faces. Among the newcomers was Nick Grundmeyer, a member of St. Patrick Parish in Malvern, who recently moved from Orlando, Florida.

“I wanted to meet some Catholics close to my age,” said Grundmeyer. “I like to hear speakers with insights.”

As an author, podcast host and creator of educational programs, Hall said he guides Catholics of all ages in living “fully alive” for the glory of God.