July 6, 2018 // Special

Holy Cross brothers celebrated jubilees in June

Todays Catholic

NOTRE DAME — The Midwest Province of the Brothers of Holy Cross honored 14 brothers celebrating their jubilees of religious profession on Saturday, June 16, with Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame. They were joined by Brothers of Holy Cross from the Moreau Province.

40-year jubilee

Brother Nee Wayoe, CSC, attended St. John’s Secondary School in Sekondi, Ghana, then administered by the Holy Cross Brothers. He made his first profession Sept. 16, 1978.

He continued his education at St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast and then at the University of Cape Coast. Brother Nee served as vocations director for the District of West Africa, leaving in 1986 for St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas, to earn an undergraduate degree. He then enrolled in a postgraduate program in psychology.

He returned to Ghana in 1990 as the vocations director and director of young professed brothers. In 1991, he was sent to Loyola College for postgraduate studies in counseling and psychology.

He returned to Ghana in 2001 as director of novices, a position he held until 2010 when he became director and a resource person for the Goaso Diocesan Pastoral and Social Center. He returned to Cape Coast in 2014.

60-year jubilees

Brother Charles Drevon, CSC, attended Sacred Heart College, a (high school) juniorate of the Brothers of Holy Cross of Watertown, Wisconsin,      where he assisted longtime friend Brother Charles McBride in phasing out the juniorate program and turning Sacred Heart into a military academy for sixth- through eighth-grade boys. Three years later, in 1957, without having formally graduated high school, he entered the novitiate.

Brother Charles taught physics, math and electronics at high schools in Illinois and at Holy Cross College, Notre Dame. During his 20 years at Holy Cross High School, River Grove, Illinois, he taught physics, math and electronics and became the science department chairman, assistant principal and principal. He also developed a computerized student information system program that served the school for more than 10 years. He then spent 24 years at Holy Cross College as an instructor, IT director, and student information system administrator.

Brother Donald Schapker, CSC, was born on Feb. 20, 1939. He attended Saint Joseph Grade School and graduated from Memorial High School in 1957. Throughout high school he was so impressed by the dedication and spirit of the Brothers of the Holy Cross that he joined them right after graduation.

Looking back on the 60 years of religious life, he reminisced: “Each life has its ups and downs, and my life, thank goodness, has had a lot more ups.”

In 1961, when Brother Donald moved into Columba Hall, he unpacked his suitcase and lived there for 58 years. When he first arrived, he began working with 10 to 12 other brothers at the University of Notre Dame post office and remained in service there for 37 years. After retirement, he worked for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for 12 years.

Brother James Bluma, CSC, was born July 1, 1928, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His family had strong Polish-Catholic roots, and he was the fourth of seven children.

He graduated from St. Mary of the Angels Grade School and then Cathedral Catholic High School, where he was taught by the Norbertine Fathers. Upon graduation in 1946 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1952, he graduated from St. Norbert’s College with a B.A. in business and worked the next five years for Kraft Foods Co.

Brother James knew he wanted to be a teacher. Brother Eymard Salzman talked about how the Brothers of Holy Cross needed a math teacher, so Brother James became a dedicated one. He then obtained further education and occupied administrative posts through the years, including principal of Memorial High School in Evansville for 14 years and counselor at Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, for 15 years before his retirement.

Brother James Leik, CSC, was born in 1931 and raised in rural Portland, Michigan. He attended St. Patrick Grade School and Portland High School. He entered the U.S. Air Force Jan. 1, 1951, during the Korean conflict and served for four years.

He enrolled as an undergraduate student at Michigan State University in 1955. He received a bachelor of arts from St. Edward’s University, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in economics from University of Illinois.

He entered the Brothers of Holy Cross in January 1957 and was perpetually professed in August 1961. Brother James taught at Saint Joseph High School, South Bend, and other high schools in the Midwest before coming to Holy Cross College in 1967. He worked as co-developer of the college, its treasurer, interim president, instructor of accounting, business and in many other business and administrative positions. He is presently the college’s full-time archivist.

Brother Jerome Meyer, CSC, was born the third in a family of five. “The Sisters of St. Joseph provided me with a solid elementary education at St. Vincent de Paul Grade School in Cleveland,” Brother Jerome said. “It was during this time that the idea of a religious vocation was implanted in my mind, which lasted throughout my high school career at St. Edward in Lakewood, Ohio.” 

“It was through the interaction with the brothers there, that my interest in joining them was nurtured,” he added. “By being involved in extracurricular activities, I was able to experience the brothers outside the classroom and develop a desire to follow in their footsteps.”

He was professed in 1958. He later graduated from St. Edward’s University. He then served in several schools: Archbishop Hoban High School for 10 years, St. Edward High School for 25 years and Notre Dame for 17 years.

Brother John May, CSC, was on the founding faculty at Holy Cross High School, River Grove, Illinois. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and music from Notre Dame in 1964. That summer he studied journalism at the University of Minnesota. Following the graduation of the first class at River Grove, he was sent to Bishop David High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Brother John earned his master’s degree in English from Butler University in 1969. Other graduate studies were conducted at Boston College, the University of Akron and Ursuline College.

After Bishop David High School, he served at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, as assistant principal. Eight years later he went to Gilmour Academy, where he spent 18 years in various administrative positions. In 1995, he came to Notre Dame to help plan Holy Cross Village.

Brother John Schuszler, CSC, was born on June 8, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to St. Patrick Grade School and the new St. Edward High School started by the Holy Cross Brothers. There, he got to know men like Brothers Leo Geiger and George Tilly.

“I was impressed by the warm personalities of the brothers so it was natural for me to see if I belonged to such a dedicated group of men,” Brother John said.

He attended St. Edward’s University for two years before graduating in industrial arts from Indiana State University in 1962. He taught at Archbishop Hoban High School before going to Gibault School in Terre Haute, where he spent 10 years teaching and working. He spent five years in the mission program in Bangladesh, followed by 20 years as a school engineer in Chicago. His last assignment was at St. Joseph Farm in Granger.

Brother Richard Johnson, CSC, was born and baptized on Feb. 11, 1937. He started kindergarten at Grant Grade school but transferred in third grade to St. Patrick Grade  School with the Ursuline Sisters.

The religious life of the sisters impressed the young student. During his first years attending Ursuline High School, he became aware of the brothers as a vocation.

Brother Richard earned a bachelor of science degree in physics and math from St. Edward’s University and a master’s in education with a math minor from St. Mary’s in Winona, Minnesota.

He taught in schools in the Midwest; California; St. Croix, Virgin Islands; and Ghana, West Africa. Following his teaching career, Brother Richard spent several years in computer programming work at Boysville, Michigan, and Holy Cross College, Notre Dame. He is currently the webmaster for the province website and for Midwest Midweek, a province newsletter.

Brother Ronald Drahozal, CSC, was born into a very close Czech community in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from St. Ludmila’s Grade School and St. Wenceslaus High School before joining the brothers on Aug. 15, 1956.

After his graduation from St. Edward’s University in 1962, Brother Ronald was assigned to Bangladesh and has been there ever since. His first few decades there he taught in St. Gregory’s School, then opened a drug rehabilitation center that accommodated 40 to 60 children and included a school that taught grades one to five. In addition, he served over 100 adults daily at the APON Drug Rehabilitation Center, the first drug rehab center in Bangladesh. He was known as the “pioneer of drug rehabilitation” in Bangladesh.

Brother Thomas Cunningham, CSC, is from Minnesota. His early education was in public schools. He graduated high school in 1957, and two weeks  later entered the juniorate program in Watertown, Wisconsin. He was professed in 1958.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame in 1963 and was awarded a Master of Arts from DePaul University in 1969. He taught at several schools, then helped found the New Jersey-based Chrysalis Retreat Program for men and women infected with HIV/AIDS. In 1993, he was hired by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

In 1999, he enrolled in a CPE program at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, California, and was then employed as a chaplain in Camarillo, California, and in Santa Maria. In 2008, he became the religious superior at Schubert Villa / Dujarie House. He is presently retired and serves as lector and eucharistic minister at Corpus Christi Parish, South Bend.

Brother Thomas Henning, CSC, graduated from St. Andrew High School in 1952, and went to work in a bank in Detroit, Michigan, before entering the community at the age of 30.

“I felt an emptiness in my life,” Brother Thomas said. “I wanted to find a religious order, and I found Holy Cross. I wanted to surrender my life in prayer and do His will in love.”

After his novitiate year, he went to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1970 and a master’s degree in theological studies from St. Meinrad School of Theology in 1995. Brother Thomas’ assignments have been as business manager for LeMans Academy, assistant business manager for the Midwest Province and business manager for St. Pius X Church in Southgate, Michigan. He later worked in the administration office at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio. He is retired.

Brother Walter B. Gluhm, CSC, was born on Dec. 15, 1934. He attended St. Peter in Chains Grade School and Hamilton Catholic High School, taught  by the Marianist Brothers from Dayton, Ohio. After high school, he worked for three years as a shipping clerk.

In 1955, he was drafted into the Army, serving most of his two years at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon being discharged, he inquired about a religious vocation through an ad in a paper mentioning about helping “underprivileged boys” with the Brothers of Holy Cross, Notre Dame. He entered the religious life in June 1957.

Brother Walter’s ministries included working as a postal clerk, serving at several boys homes, missions in Georgia and teaching at schools in four states.

Brother Walter served for six years as superior at Columba Hall, Notre Dame. In 2011, he was sent to Austin, Texas, where he teaches at two Catholic grade schools.

70-year jubilee

Brother Robert Vincent Fontaine, CSC, was born Sept. 19, 1929, in Shoe City, Brockton, Massachusetts. In his second year of high school he transferred to Msgr. James Coyle High School in Taunton, Massachusetts, staffed by the Brothers of Holy Cross. He entered the candidacy program in St. Joseph Juniorate in Valatie, New York, in 1947. In August 1948, he professed his first vows.

He studied at Notre Dame, earning a B.A. and a master’s degree in counseling from Fairfield University. As part of a sabbatical year, he studied at the School of Applied Theology in Oakland, California, and the Hesburgh Center for Formation at the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois.

His assignments and ministries included headmaster of Notre Dame International School in Rome, Italy, Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York, and for 30 years, ministering in the Archdiocese of New York, delivering counseling and drug services.