Our Senior Brothers.

There are currently 110 De La Salle Christian Brothers in the Midwest District, both active and retired. This is a reduction of 10% of our Christian Brothers community who have passed since January 2020. Not even mentioning the great loss in intelligence, experience, kindness, empathy, and dedication that these Brothers represent, in terms of the numbers needed to carry out our programs, losses of this nature cannot be sustained over time. 

Of the 110 Christian Brothers living in District, 83, or 75%, are retired while the remaining 28, or 25%, are actively serving in the District’s seventeen (17) PK-12 schools (12 Brothers), three (3) universities (12 Brothers), and four (4) Brothers are serving their apostolate overseas. With the average age of 73, the numbers of retired and elderly Brothers are only growing, while the number of members able to provide care for older colleagues is dwindling. In some instances, the caregivers themselves are elderly. 

At some point, members of most, if not all, of our religious communities will need to receive care from lay staff, outside agencies, or facilities operated or sponsored by other groups, eventually reducing the Brothers’ capacity to serve existing or any new ministries. Funds in support of our Senior Brothers help assure that those Christian Brothers who have given their entire lives to the service of others are able to retire in peace and dignity. 

As many of our Senior Brothers are no longer actively engaged in a school or corporate ministry, they do not think their life has no meaning.  We think it was Anne Lemont who offered this sentiment about the lighthouse: “Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save, they just stand there shining.”  The Gospel, in Matthew 5:15 tells us not to put our lamp under a bushel but to position it on a lamp stand so the light helps us see.  Our seniors burn bright.  Their light has not been extinguished.  Our young brothers are glowing.  Our aged brothers have not extinguished their light either but rather they let their wisdom shine as a beacon for all.