Br. Gerardus Camillus

William Dwyer was born on December 24, 1858, in Fabius, New York, the son of Jeremiah and Catherine Goody Dwyer, and the fourth of seven children. William attended the Brothers' school in Syracuse, not far from his home. He entered St. Joseph's Novitiate on Long Island in the summer of 1872 at age fourteen, and on November 1, 1872, he received the habit of the Brothers and the religious name of Brother Gerardus Camillus. In September of 1873, at age fifteen, he was assigned to the school in Buffalo as a prefect for the lower classes. He moved up to a higher grade each year until at age twenty-two he was teaching high school classes. In 1882 he was transferred to the Juniorate in Westchester where he became Sub-Director. The New York houses for formation were moved in 1883 to Amawalk where Brother Gerardus became Director of the Juniorate in 1889. One year later he was chosen as the Director of Novices of the St. Louis District. On New Year's Day in 1899, he was named Provincial of the St. Louis District, and in 1910 he was named Provincial of the New York District where he was to serve for five years. Brother Gerardus returned to Glencoe in 1915 to again assume the duties of Director of Novices. He served in this position for a total of thirty-one years in the District and retired to the Community of Ancients in June of 1937. Brother Gerardus Camillus was revered by his Brothers and was considered a saint by them. He died in 1946 at age eighty-eight, having been a De La Salle Christian Brother for seventy five years.