Br. Imier of Jesus

John  Anthony Lafebreque was born on January 9, 1855, in Comps, France.  Taught by the Brothers, he entered the  Novitiate at Rodez on August 19, 1869, and received the habit and religious  name of Brother Imier of Jesus on December 9th.  He was gifted in the sciences and  mathematics and his early assignments took him to Villenneuve de Rouergue,  Robastens, Chors, Albi and Saint Afrique.   In 1885 he was changed to the District of Moulins where he taught at  St. Gilles and in 1889 was appointed Visitor of the District.  Brother Imier was appointed Provincial  Visitor in 1898, shortly after the Latin Question was decided against the  American Brothers.  He lived in New  York and visited the houses of formation and presided over District  retreats.  He stimulated study among  the Brothers and was one of the first to encourage they be sent to  Universities to obtain degrees. He was assigned to Athis, France, in  1900.  He toured in the United States  as Extraordinary Envoy for the Superior General, visiting every house of the  Congregation in the US and throughout the world.  At the Chapter of 1907 was elected  Assistant for Ireland, the Indies, Indo China, and England.  Six years later he was elected Superior  General.  He cared for the Institute  during the war years and the night before the election of Superior General at  the Chapter of 1923 he surprised everyone by resigning due to health reasons  but had the pleasure of announcing to the Brothers that the Latin Question  had been settled.  He died on December  27, 1927, from progressive paralysis at age seventy-three, having been a De  La Salle Christian Brother for fifty-eight years.