Br. Ambrose

James Barry Rourke was born on July 16, 1818, in Caulry, Westmeath, Ireland. While a child his family emigrated to Canada where on August 26, 1844, he sought and received admission to the Brothers' Novitiate in Montreal. There he received the habit of the Brothers and the religious name of Brother Ambrose on October 10th of the same year. He was immediately assigned as a member of the first community established at Calvert Hall in Baltimore, Maryland, arriving there in October of 1845. He was appointed Director of a second community, Saint Vincent's, in the same city in 1850. In 1853, Brother Ambrose was appointed director of St. Mary's School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He became ill with the yellow fever but recovered and was sent to New York for rest. In 1861, he was appointed Director of Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, Missouri, and three years later was named the first Visitor of the United States. This year, 1864, marked the separation of the communities of the United States and those of Canada. About this time, the American clergy tried to get Brother Ambrose to break away from all French influence. The matter was reported by others to superiors in France and Brother Facile arrived from France, deposed Brother Ambrose from office, and sent him to Toronto in exile. He was finally vindicated and in 1867, was appointed Director of St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans. He once again contracted the yellow fever and was transferred to the infirmary at CBC, St. Louis where he died at age fifty-two, having been a De La Salle Christian Brother for twenty-five years.