Rest in Peace

June/July 2009

District Day will be in July

The annual District Day and Jubilee Celebration gathering for the Brothers of the Midwest District will be held at LewisUniversity on Saturday, July 25th. This year the registration process is different. Brother Larry Schatz has asked ALL BROTHERS to register online at this link - - so that the planners will have all the information for each Brother who will attend. He has asked everyone to register EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED THE OFFICE, or even if a community sheet has been sent to Burr Ridge. Brothers who do not have email were sent the registration information by U.S. mail. Please register by July 1st. Thank you.

Jubilarians will be honored on July 25th

This year the District will honor twelve Brothers for significant anniversaries: 75 years – BrotherBasil Rothweiler; 70 years – Brothers Joseph Seiler and Robert Staub; 60 Years – Brothers Louis Althaus, Edwin Dupre, Stephen Eibert, Arnold McMullen and Leo Srubas; 50 years – Brothers Michael Lee Anderson, Bernard Brungardt, William Clarey and Michael Flaherty. The deadline for the jubilarians to submit the number and names of their guests was June 15th. Please return the details to Cheryl Garrigan at the Burr Ridge Office or .

District nurses will meet in Winona

Brothers Frank Carr and Bill Clarey will meet with the nurses of the Midwest District in Winona, MN, on the weekend of July 17-19. Maureen Guillou, the nurse in Winona, will lead the group outings and provide information about Winona and the area. Cathie Swanson, Patricia Bader and Sheila Cusack will also attend the gathering. This is the fourth annual meeting for the Midwest District Nurses who meet once a year to discuss health issues and concerns and how they can best serve the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the Christian Brothers. They also take time to celebrate the uniqueness of their ministries and to lend support to each other.

San Juan Diego school will close

The Board of Directors of San Juan Diego Middle School in Racine, WI, announced on May 26ththat the school will close at the end of this academic year. The school was established six years ago to provide and education for students from impoverished families. The current enrollment is approximately 70 students in grades five through eight. Executive Director Laura Sumner Coon said that they had little problem with enrollment, but funding has been a constant challenge, and they have exhausted all their resources. They explored becoming a Charter or Contract school, but the local school district was not able to fund them. The local parish is considering other options. The final graduation was on June 9th, and the following day was the final day of the school.

Message from the Brothers at Cretin-Derham

“For so many years the Brothers were welcome as guests at the Christian Brothers Community in St. Paul whenever they traveled up this way. That hospitality will continue as long as this house remains open. In the past when six, a dozen or more Brothers were in the community, there were no financial problems. Now that there are only two Brothers here, that has become a serious problem. In the past six Brothers were required to balance the community budget. This past year started with four Brothers and ended with two. The budget has taken a serious hit. Major changes are being taken to reduce community expenses. The Mexican Sisters will return to Mexico in early August (there will be a cook but only for the five evening meals during the week); the services of a chaplain has been terminated; many of the automobiles have been sold. Other things will be changed and/or terminated. But even with these changes, the budget cannot be balanced. This is a big house, and the income from two Brothers just is not enough. While you are more than welcome to come as our guests, a financial contribution would be most appreciated. Food, cleaning rooms, doing laundry, adds up when we have many guests. The amount one should contribute will not be suggested for this coming year, but after this year that may have to change. Thank you for your consideration.”Brother Martin Sellner and Brother Michael Schain

Lasallian Volunteers will hold a reunion

The Lasallian Volunteers will hold their orientation and a Harvest Reunion at LewisUniversity. On August 1-2 the Harvest Reunion will mark the 20th anniversary of the Volunteers. They invited former Volunteers, Brothers, family and friends to join them in celebrating two decades of service. For details: .

Visitors meeting will hear Task Force report

The next Visitors Meeting is scheduled for June 25th at the Baltimore Maritime Institute when they will receive the report of the Regional Task Force of the RCCB. The Task Force met for the final time on June 1st to complete the draft of their proposal for restructuring of the Regional Conference. The report will make several recommendations to improve the functioning of the groups and individuals involved with the Conference. The restructuring was requested by the 2006 Salt Lake City Assembly. The RCCB affirmed the work of the RTF and charged a reconstituted group to continue developing a plan to enhance the Lasallian educational mission and Association for mission for future generations.

Implementation Committee presented at joint meeting

The Implementation Committee presented a draft of a Strategic Plan for the Midwest District on June 10th at a joint meeting of the District Council and the Mission and Ministry Council in Burr Ridge. The Committee was established following the recent Mission Convocation in the District.

Third Cohort of LTIP Concluded

On May 5thBrothers Frank Carr and Larry Schatz traveled to La Salle Center in Wildwood, MO, to participate in the closing prayer service for the third cohort of students in the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program (LTIP). In the three weeks since the program ended a number of LTIPers have spoken about how much they miss each other and their life in community. Brother Pat Conway expressed his thanks to the Brothers and Volunteers in these communities for their generosity and warm hospitality in accommodating the LTIP students for extended periods of time: La SalleCenter (Glencoe), Holy Family Catholic Worker (Kansas City), Bishop Kelley (Tulsa), ChristianBrothersHigh School (Memphis), De La Salle (Minneapolis), ChristianBrothersCollegeHigh School (St. Louis). A thorough end-of-the-year report on the program will be sent to each community in late June. At the request of the Regional Vocation and Formation Board (RVFB), three “alumni” and Brother Pat Conway will give a presentation on the LTIP at the June meeting of the Lasallian Association of College and University Presidents (LACUP). The regional vocation directors hope that the LTIP may be replicated in one form or another at the other Lasallian universities.

(Left to right: Brother Larry Schatz, Steve Schmidt, Nick Gorman, Kevin Magas, Cullen Gibbons, Tom Thielen, Jon Delwiche, Brother Frank Carr, and Brother Pat Conway)

District team will attend planning retreat in Chicago

The members of the Midwest District Team will attend a planning retreat at the Cenacle in Chicago from August 17th to 19th. The first task will be planning for the coming year, and then the members will attempt to develop plans for the next several years.

Brother Belaynah Medhanit sent this

“I will be leaving for Ethiopiaon June 13that 3:00 pm. It is not always easy to leave behind some wonderful memories and wonderful people I have known in the past four years, though I anticipate the big joy of meeting my folks in Ethiopia.Of course, the good memories will be kept alive everytime I think of my stay in America and every time I ponder the kindness shown to me in the Midwest District… I owe God and the people I have come to know here for my success. God has indeed done wonderful things in my life. Now I have to go to that dusty, sunny, and rural place of my country to educate the poor. Please do pray for me as I undertake my new assignment.” To contact him by email:

Three Brothers will attend CMSM gatherings

On August 5thBrothers Frank Carr, Larry Schatz and Pat Conway will attend a one day workshop called “Changing Face of the Catholic Church in America: Hispanics, Latinos and Latinas, Out of Diversity Building Unity.” The program is sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and will take place at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis. Brother Frank will stay on until August 8th to attend the CMSM Assembly, “Called to Proclaim the Gospel.” Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, will be one of the speakers.

Brother Thomas Hetland reported two bequests

“In December the Brothers were the beneficiaries of a $150,000 bequest from the estate of Dr. Harold Manfredi, a 1941 graduate of St. Mel H.S. In May the Brothers received a bequest of $231,000 from Bernadette Kohl in memory of her cousin, the late Br. Alfred Shields, for the support of retired Brothers. Please keep Dr. Manfredi, Bernadette Kohl, and all our generous benefactors in your prayers.”

CB Conference offers two new publications

The Conference is pleased to announce the release of two new publications:The Lasallian Mission in the U.S.-Toronto Region, 2009 edition—$2.00 per copy; and the

Pocket Calendar and Directory of Places, June 2009-December 2010—$4.50 per copy

There is an Early Bird Special for the Pocket Calendar. To order online, please go to Celine A. Quinio, Director of Communications.

Directory Change

With the closing of San JuanDiegoSchoolBrother Richard Roller will move from Racine to Resurrection Retirement Community on July 1st. With the closing of school he will lose Internet and phone any time. Contact him by cell phone: (262) 902 1791.

Congratulations to

Brother Louis Rodemann, who directed the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Holy Family Catholic Worker House in Kansas City from June 11th to 14th. Louis also marks his 27th year of service to their community.

Dr. Carmen Maria Cervantes, Director of Instituto Fe y Vida, who received an award from the National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana for her longtime commitment and pioneering leadership in the organization of ministry with young Latino Catholics in the U.S.
Ken Johnson-Mondragon of Fe y Vida, who last year received the Mario Vizcaino Award for his contributions to advocacy for ministry with Latino youth.
Brother Kevin Fitzgerald, who retired on May 13th from De La Salle Institute in Chicago after 45 years of teaching.
Fr. Brian O’Brien who became the next President of Bishop Kelley H.S. in Tulsa on June 1st.
Alan Weyland who was appointed the inaugural Director of Mission and Ministry for the Eastern District of North America (DENA).
Walter Bowman who completed 15 years of service as Principal at O’Hara High School. In the fall he will be teaching at the Kansas CityCristoReyHigh School.

Health Updates

Brother Joseph (Michael) Zastrow is in room 109 at ResurrectionLifeCenter,7370 West Talcott Ave., Chicago, IL60631. Phone - (773) 775-1651.
Brother Larry Zeman reported that a tumor has grown on the left side of his ribs and must be treated with radiation which started on May 27th, so he will be going Monday to Friday everyday until July 7th for 30 treatments. Fatigue is the most frequent side-effect. This is the third time the lung cancer has returned, and the doctors noted that the progression has been slow and has stayed in the rib cage from which they took the lung. “That's the good news with this tough news,” he wrote.
Brother Dan Susekwas released from the hospital in Memphis after a successful replacement of his left knee on May 27th. His right knee was replaced earlier
Brother Henry Baldwinhad outpatient surgery on May 30thand was expected to do well.
Brother Joseph Seiler continues to heal from his lower extremity circulation problems from the winter months.
Brother Tom Power continues his physical therapy at Clare Oaks in Bartlett, IL.
Brother Cyril Pahl was taken to Saint Joseph's Hospital on May 28th suffering from pneumonia.

Rest in Peace

Brother Raphael (Herman Raphael) Erler, 93, died on May 15thin Winona, MN. A De La Salle Christian Brother for 75 years, he was born Joseph Erler in Rosemount, Minn., to Herman and Marie (McDonald) Erler. He graduated from La Salle H.S. in Glencoe, MO, and entered the novitiate of the Brothers in 1934. He pronounced his first vows in 1935 and his final vows in 1941. Brother Raphael earned a BA degree from Saint Mary’s College in 1938, a MA from LoyolaUniversity in 1942, and a PHD from the University of Minnesota/Minneapolis in 1959. During his years as an educator, he taught at St. George H.S. in Evanston, IL, St. Patrick H.S. in Chicago, Christian Brothers H.S. in Memphis, and Cretin H.S. in St. Paul. At different times he taught at Saint Mary’s University, most recently from 1954 to 1981 when he retired. Survivors include his brother Arthur Erler of Little Canada, MN, and his friend and caregiver Mary Malloy. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 19that St. Thomas More Chapel on the campus of Saint Mary’s University. Interment was at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Winona.
Brother Richard (Richard Steven) Brady, 70, a De LaSalle Christian Brother for 48 years, died on June 9 at Lutheran GeneralHospital, Park Ridge, Illinois. Born John Laurence Brady in 1938 in St. Louis, MO, he was the son of the late Lorenzo and Marie (Haubursin) Brady. He graduated from Christian Brothers College H. S. in 1956 and earned his B.A. degree from Saint Mary’s College (now University) in Winona, MN, in 1960. He then entered the novitiate in Glencoe, MO, and made his first vows the following year and his final profession in 1966. Brother Richard earned an M.A.T. degree from DominicanUniversity in River Forest, IL, in 1997. During his career as an educator he taught at De La Salle Institute, St. Mel H.S. and St. Patrick H.S. in Chicago and at St. Joseph H.S. in Westchester, IL. During those years he was also involved at different times with athletics, baseball and soccer, and retreat programs. He was Secretary of the East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC) for 30 years. Survivors include his aunt, Mrs. Bess Dutson of Webster Groves, MO, a nephew Kevin Brady of Lone Tree, CO, a niece Dawn Brady of Lewisville, TX. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered SaintPatrickHigh School on June 12th and interment was private at ResurrectionCemetery in Romeoville, IL.
Kyler Humphrey, 87, father of Brother Lawrence died on May 15th in Louisville, KY, after a long illness. He was preceded in death by his wife and is survived by three sons, Kyler (Andrea), Brother Lawrence, and Joseph, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 18th at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, and burial followed at CalvaryCemetery.
Bishop Roger Kaffer, 81, of the Diocese of Joliet died on May 28th. On September 23, 2008, he moved to Our Lady of the Angels Retirement Home in Joliet where the next month he suffered a mild heart attack and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 3rd at the Cathedral of St. Raymond.

Health Notes

Wishing you a happy and healthy summer, Brothers!

Headaches are a common concern in our culture. Understanding why headaches occur and improving headache treatment are among the research goals of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). As the leading supporter of brain research in the Federal Government, the NINDS also supports and conducts studies to improve the diagnosis of headaches and to find ways to prevent them. The following information is taken from the NINDS.

What hurts when you have a headache? The bones of the skull and tissues of the brain itself never hurt, because they lack pain-sensitive nerve fibers. Several areas of the head can hurt, including a network of nerves which extends over the scalp and certain nerves in the face, mouth, and throat. Also sensitive to pain, because they contain delicate nerve fibers, are the muscles of the head and blood vessels found along the surface and at the base of the brain.

Not all headaches require medical attention. Some result from missed meals or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. Some types of headaches are signals of more serious disorders, and call for prompt medical care. The best rule of thumb that I can give you is that if you experience a type of headache that is unusual for you call your doctor.

Be prepared to answer many questions from your doctor if you do follow-up on symptoms of a severe headache. Write down before you go to the doctor how often you have headaches, location of the pain, length of the headaches, the type of pain, the first time you developed the headaches, your sleep habits, stressors in your life, and if you are having any symptoms of nausea or vomiting with the headache.