District Council
Almost 50 years a Brother of The Institute, Joseph Schafer’s career has 
covered many responsibilities from Teacher and Headmaster in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Auxiliary Visitor and Director of Finance for the Legacy Long Island-New England District, to Director of Social Services at Ocean Tides School in Narragansett, RI. Good with finances, Br. Joe has a gift for precision and detail. Though an English major, he enjoyed taking courses in math in college (which may explain why he enjoys collecting coins). Br. Joe also takes great interest in buildings and facilities, which dates back to his days in the Brothers’ Novitiate. Br. Joe can almost always be spotted with camera in hand, snapping pictures at Brothers’ gatherings and special events.
Recently, Br. Joe has been able to catch up with his reading and love for classical music, since injuring both his knees last summer. Always a man in good spirits, he has become a terrific joke teller, amusing his fellow “recoverees” and their helpers with regular anecdotes. During his healing, Br. Joe has proven to be determined, patient, and even-tempered. Br. Joe has accepted the challenge of his injury, only letting it slow him down a little, but always with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step.