He took perpetual vows at Bay St. Louis on July 10, 1910. Norbert's expertise as an educator and formator of young people grew with the years and saw him also serve in Vicksburg, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Donaldsonville, Louisiana and Washington, Indiana. During this period, the brothers rarely took up full-time studies but instead studied through an internal program as well as summer courses. Norbert completed his high school studies in 1915 and would graduated from the Normal School at Bay St Louis in 1917, qualified by the standards of the day as a teacher. He attended summer programs at Loyola University in New Orleans, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in August, 1921, and would later receive a lifetime Indiana Teacher's License in 1923. Norbert took a break from his life as a teacher for a period of retreat and recollection at the Grand Novitiate in Renteria, Spain from September, 1930, to April, 1931. This time would also see his life take another major turn when he volunteered for the missions. As a novice, Norbert had welcomed 45 French men, Brothers and aspirants, who had been exiled due to anti-religious laws established in France at the time. Among them was Brother Albertinus who would serve as novice master, and as Provincial he would ask Norbert to be the leader of the first group of missionaries to Uganda. Brother Albertinus would later serve as the Superior General of the community and would be a close supporter of Norbert in his missionary endeavors. Initially Norbert was not among the group that had planned the first missionary foray into Uganda but when the leader of the expedition fell ill, Brother Albertinus turned to Brother Norbert to take his place. Norbert and three other brothers, Oswin, Camillus and Coleman, left the USA on July 23,1931 travelling by boat from New York to Le Havre in France and then on to Africa. They arrived in Gulu, Uganda on August 29, 1931. Life in Africa – Part 1  Initially the brothers served at St. Louis College, later St. Aloysius College, in Gulu, establishing both their reputation as educators and gaining a foothold in the local communities where they served. A later expansion of this project included a junior high school, St. Joseph, and an agricultural school. It was difficult, isolated work but greatly appreciated by the people and by the Church authorities. Already though, among the brothers and especially among the local Acholi people, Brother Norbert had the reputation as a holy and prayerful man.