News Notes

De La Salle Christian Brothers * 7650 S. County Line Road * Burr Ridge, IL 60527 __________________________________________________________________________________________

Brother Solomon Le Clercq will be canonized On October 16th Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Brother Solomon Le Clercq along with four others. Brother Solomon was martyred on September 2, 1792, during the French Revolution. He was the first Brother of the Christian Schools to be martyred and the first to be beatified. Soon after his death, three more Brothers were martyred; they are recognized as the Blessed Martyrs of Rochefort. September 2 marks the feast day of both these Brothers and Brother Solomon. On March 3, 2016, the medical consultant of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints declared that the unexplained cure of a Venezuelan girl who had been bitten by a venomous snake was a miracle. Brother Michael Fehrenbach and Dr. Scott Kier will be in Rome for the CIL program and will represent the Midwest District at the canonization ceremony. Lea Dacanay-Rodríguez joined Burr Ridge staff

Lea Dacanay-Rodríguez joined the Development Team in Burr Ridge as the new Assistant Director of Development on September 1st. She has been in marketing and development for the Catholic Church since she moved to Chicago fourteen years ago. For several years she served as a consultant to parish stewardship professionals and parish leadership groups in their efforts to educate and inspire their communities about stewardship in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Most recently Lea was Associate Development Director for Catholic Theological Union. Prior to moving to Chicago, she had a successful career in media advertising in Hawaii. Lea earned her BA in Economics from the University of the Philippines and her Certificate in Spirituality from Loyola University Chicago. She is a volunteer spiritual director for Charis Ministry and the SEEL (Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life) program at Loyola University.

Miguel House Community was closed In September Brother Larry Schatz received the official Protocol from the Generalate confirming the closing of Miguel House in St. Paul, MN. In 2014 Brother Thomas Geraghty moved to Catholic Eldercare, and recently Brother Andrew Jacobson moved to Little Sisters of the Poor. Brother Michael Rivers is expected to move to Christian Brothers Community at Cretin-Derham Hall. Brother Michael is overseeing the sale of the residence. New Directors appointed Brother Larry Schatz, Provincial, has appointed new Directors for some communities. Brother Thomas Hetland was appointed Director of the Benilde-De La Salle Community in Chicago. In St. Paul, MN, Brother Patrick Conway was appointed Director of the Christian Brothers Community. Both Brothers have a three year term. Congratulations, Brothers!

Prescription drug subsidy verification may be coming Brothers who have the prescription drug subsidy (reduced prescription costs) under Medicare Part D may be receiving the annual verification of eligibility to complete for the Social Security Administration. It often arrives in September or October. Brothers should follow the instructions carefully and submit by the due date. Brothers who might have questions after receiving the form should contact Brother Joe Saurbier at the Provincialate Office. Lasallians attended World Youth Day in Krakow

Lasallians from RELAN were among the four hundred young Lasallians who attended World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. The young people representing twenty countries came together for the Lasallian gathering on July 27th with Brother Superior Robert Schieler to share, pray and dream about the future of the Lasallian mission. Brother Robert spoke to them about what mercy, the central theme of WYD, means in the Church from a Lasallian perspective. Each District in RELAN was represented at WYD. Attendees included Brothers and contacts, Lasallians from Quebec, a group from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, more than one hundred people associated with the La Salle Vietnam House in San Jose, California,

and individual Lasallians from schools including Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, and Justin-Siena High School in Napa, California. Brother Lawrence Goyette joined LV Staff as Animator The Lasallian Volunteers (LV) welcomed Brother Lawrence Goyette to the staff on August 1st to serve as animator. A longtime friend of the LVs, he will support the staff and LVs by aiding in the sharing of the Lasallian charism. He will be based out of Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY, and spend time in the Washington, D.C. LV office. Brother Lawrence has worked and/or lived with Lasallian Volunteers for twenty-two years in Freeport, NY, Concord, CA, and Providence, RI. He has been a Brother for 49 years, serving as a teacher and administrator. In 1993 he founded The San Miguel School of Providence, which launched the San Miguel movement in RELAN. Today, there are eleven San Miguel schools which serve at-risk youth typically in grades five through eight. Brother Michael sent this note I am feeling better each day. I very much appreciated the cards, well wishes and prayers. Soon I will be returning to Chicago. Much peace, Brother Michael Flaherty Rest in Peace

• James “Jim” Tillman, 83, died in Coon Rapids, MN, on August 28th. He was the father of Rebecca Running, RN, Midwest District Nurse for the Brothers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Survivors include his wife Dolores, two sons, four daughters and twenty grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on September 2nd at the Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids.

• Wm. Gerard "Jerry" Schmeltz, 87, of Shawnee, KS died September 3rd. Formerly Brother Julius Herbert, he was a teacher, principal and director at various times in St. Paul, Chicago, Stevens Point, St. Louis, Kansas City, Lansing and Harper Woods. Survivors include his wife Nadine, brother Thomas and sister Charlene Mulloy. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on September 9th at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee with interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, KS.

Huether Lasallian Conference will be in November The 2016 Huether Lasallian Conference will be held on November 17-19 at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North in Chicago. The theme is “The Good Samaritan: Confronting New Poverties in the 21st Century.” Lasallian Youth gathered in Memphis

Christian Brothers University in Memphis hosted the Midwest District’s Lasallian Youth Gathering June 19-24. With the theme “Journey Together” students were encouraged to use their talents to make an impact on their local communities. The gathering included a welcome by CBU President Dr. John Smarelli, small group discussions, service and outreach opportunities in Memphis, a tour of the Civil Rights Museum, prayer and reflection, and time to socialize.

Congratulations to

• Lewis University is among the top 25 campuses in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of Midwest Regional Universities. Lewis increased its ranking in the annual 2017 Best Colleges rankings by placing 24th among regional institutions in the Midwest. Among the factors that resulted in Lewis moving up in the rankings was an increase in its overall score, the graduation rate, and the percentage of freshmen in the top 25 percent of their high school classes. Increases in retention rates and average ACT scores also pushed Lewis higher in the standings.

• Brother Joseph Martin published an article in the summer 2016 issue of Rodziny, the journal of the Polish Genealogical Society of America. "Apolonia Lewicka and the Priest" examines family stories about her and her immigration to the U.S. The article demonstrated that a priest cousin helped to pay the ocean passage for her and her brother.

• Brother Joel McGraw from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis was named a Tennessee Lottery Educator of the Week in September.

Directory Changes

• Brother Michael Flaherty - 7268 W. Peterson, Apt. A-420, Chicago, IL 60631. Cell: (406) 845-4615. • Brother Ryan Anderson - email: bro.ryan@cbu.edu • Brother Andrew Jacobson – 86 Wilkin St. #110, St. Paul, MN 55102

Winona Minnesota named Safest College Town in America Winona Minnesota claims the No. 1 spot on SafeWise’s 2016 “30 Safest College Towns in America.” Winona is home to three higher-education institutions, including Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Winona was also named No. 18 on SafeWise’s 2016 “100 Safest Cities in America” list. SafeWise security experts based their rankings on the most recent FBI crime statistics and also identified safety-related programs and initiatives in college cities across the country. Winona was noted for its low crime rates and community involvement in crime prevention and awareness. The town was also recognized for its commitment to the health and wellness of its community members through various programming, and its colleges have been noted for their proactive efforts to keep students safe.

New Vocation Team was formed Four Brothers met with Brother Larry Schatz on September 8th to launch a new Vocation Team. The duties of the Brothers were clearly established in order to promote the vocation of Brothers. Brother Michael Kadow continues as Director of Lasallian Vocations. He will accompany the postulants, collaborate with Brother Alan in processing applicants for the postulancy, and oversee the Contact Program. Brothers Stephen Markham, Rob Veselsky and Alan Parham will be Associate Directors of the Brothers Vocation ministry and will serve in half time positions. Brother Stephen Markham will accompany the temporarily professed Brothers, will be a Brothers vocation presence at SMUMN in Winona, and will assist in visiting potential contacts. Brother Rob Veselsky will accompany the Contacts, will continue as vocation liaison at Lewis University, and will attend Vocation Promotion events. Brother Alan Parham continues to assist with office tasks and the accompaniment of contacts. He will continue activities in the Latino community, primarily with St. Gall Parish and the Parish Peace Project, and he will attend vocation promotion events and resume membership in CAVA (Chicago Archdiocesan Vocation Association) on a limited basis. Registration is still open for Lasallian Days in Memphis and Chicago Lasallian Day Memphis will be held October 5th from 12:00pm to 1:30pm at Christian Brothers University in the Sabbatini room. The event will feature Brother Ryan Anderson and Brother Postulant Matthew Kotek speaking on becoming Christian Brothers and living their vocations: "Sharing our Journey as Young Brothers." The Lasallian Day Chicago will be held October 24th from 11:30 am to 1:30pm at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Blvd. Join Brother Larry Schatz in welcoming Saint Mary's of Minnesota alumnus and President & CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mr. John McDonough. Brothers are welcome as guests to either or both events. To register or for more information contact Samantha VenHuizen at 630-323-3725 or email at svenhuizen@cbmidwest.org . The KabarA Challenge has grown This year's KabarA Challenge has inspired so many to make their gift to support the Senior Brothers. The Development Team announced that because of the remarkable response another anonymous donor has stepped forward and is taking the Challenge gift to the next level. Together with Betty Kabara and the anonymous donor, this new Challenge gift of $15,000 will increase the Matching Challenge to $65,000. This means that all gifts made by October 9th will now be matched on a 1:1 basis, up to $65,000. Thanks to the many Brothers who have supported the Challenge. The outpouring of response to Ms. Kabara’s generous gift has been overwhelming. Faith & Zeal magazine is available The latest issue of the Midwest District magazine, Faith & Zeal, is scheduled for delivery in mid-October. Anyone who would like to begin receiving Faith & Zeal may email avasiliades@cbmidwest.org with details for mailing. Alumni Golf Outing was a success Thanks to Brother Tom Hetland and Brother Charles Kelly for volunteering their time at this year’s annual Alumni Golf Outing at Old Orchard Country Club. The alumni were, as always, glad to see them there! This year the Golf Outing hit a cumulative grand total of over $300,000 to help support the Senior Brothers. Next year’s golf outing will be held in September of 2017. Mark your calendar.

James Lindsay will join CBMS

Brother Donald Johansson, Chair of Christian Brothers Major Superiors, reported that they have selected a director of administration for the Christian Brothers Conference. After a thorough search process, CBMS selected James Lindsay for this new role. He comes from Catholic Volunteer Network (CVN) and brings nearly 30 years of leadership and management experience. Currently he is the CVN executive director, a position he has held for 20 years. Lasallian Volunteers is a member program of CVN. Prior to his work at CVN, Jim served for nine years as administrative director at Christ House, a medical recovery residence for homeless men. Jim is no stranger to the Lasallian mission. Aside from his work with LVs, Jim completed his undergraduate studies at La Salle University in Philadelphia. He also holds a Master of Divinity from The Catholic University of America. He will join Christian Brothers Conference on October 24th. Congratulations, Jim!