Please Pray for the Repose of the Soul of Brother Roger Brossolasco, FSC
Born Roger Michel Brossolasco in Laussane Switzerland on 16 February 1930
Entered the Besançon France Juniorate on 27 July 1943
Entered the Thillois Rheims France Novitiate in June 1947
Received the Religious Habit and the Name Brother Michel Alfred on 14 September 1947
Pronounced Perpetual Vows in Randa, Republic of Djibouti in 2 September 1955
Died in Pont-Saint-Esprit France on 23 April 2020
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
Monday, 27 April 2020
10:00am
Outer Chapel of the ND retirement home of the Blache
Burial following in the Community cemetery
The District of Eastern North America remembers Brother Roger with memorial liturgies according to the tradition of the Institute. Through their prayers, communities and individuals entrust Brother Roger to God’s loving care.
May he rest in peace.
ASSIGNMENTS
1948–1951
Lille France
Université de Lille: Scholasticate
1951–1952
Autun France
Saint Sy
1952–1953
Vesoul France
Saint George’s College
1953–1955
Dire Dawa Ethiopia
Annunciation “Besrate Gabriel”
1955–1962
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Nativity
1962
Brother Michael transferred to CB-LINE
1962–1965
Brooklyn New York
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
1965–1969
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Saint Joseph School
1969–1972
Dire Dawa Ethiopia
Annunciation “Besrate Gabriel”
1972–1974
Nazareth Ethiopia
Saint Joseph School
1974–1975
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Nativity
1975–1981
Nazareth Ethiopia
Saint Joseph School
1981–1982
Sawla Ethiopia
Government High School
1982–1983
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Saint Joseph School
1983–1985
Newport/Chicago/Nova Scotia
Graduate and Diploma Studies
1985–1987
Dire Dawa Ethiopia
Annunciation “Besrate Gabriel”
1987–1989
Harrar Ethiopia
CM Pedagogical Center
1989–1997
Dire Dawa Ethiopia
Annunciation “Besrate Gabriel”
1997–1999
Meki Ethiopia
Catholic High School
1999–2001
Nazareth Ethiopia
Saint Joseph School
2001–2006
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
CMRS
2006–2011
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Postulancy/Saint Joseph School
2011-2019
Besançon France
Des Frères de la Ste. Famille: retired
2019
Brother Michael transferred to the District of France
2019-2020
Besançon France
Des Frères de la Ste. Famille: retired
may he rest in eternal peace!
I came across the news of brother Roger passing with sadness. I still have fond memories of the several hiking trips Brother Roger took me and my class. I remember we were called the “Happy Wanderers”. I regret not finding him in 2002 when I went back to Ethiopia after 24 years of exile. Brother Roger was a very good role model in everything he did. He dedicated his life and service to Ethiopia under the harsh conditions of Ethiopia particularly during the brutal Derg regime even though he had the option of leaving Ethiopia. I hope he was content and fullfilled at the twilight of his life. He was a remarkable person. May God bless his soul. May God console his relatives and friends. I salute you!
I was a student of St. Joseph Addis Ababa in the 1980s and Bro. Roger was our teacher. He was one of the best teachers that we had in our school. He made all of us feel equally loved and cared for. He taught us so much about the importance of communication both in and out of the classroom. I remember his quick wit and sense of humor. He was well-loved and respected by students—my deepest sympathy to his friends, family and the De Lasalle Brothers. I truly feel blessed and honored that Bro. Roger was part of my life at St. Joseph Addis Ababa.
I was a student of Brother Roger at St Joseph School , Addis Ababa. Lots of memories of him when he took us hiking and teaching us life skills. May he Rest In Peace.
A life well lived. Touched so many lives. Was blessed to be his student in Addis Ababa in 1983. May he repose in the paradise of joy.
I have very fond memories of Br. Roger from my St. Joseph School time in the 80s. Not only was he a teacher of mine, but he also ran the Hiking club and the Crafts club, to name a few.
When we were young, we never gave much thought of him and the other brothers as normal people who dedicated their lives to service. Their commitment and service only became obvious as we ourselves got older and gained perspective.
He lived a good and meaningful life, to the end dedicated to the life of service he had chosen. He has positively impacted the lives of thousands.
I wish comfort to his family.
Another student from Saint Joseph School in Ethiopia. He was one of the kindest souls as a teacher. I remember the way he treated us as students that needed to be nourished with knowledge. May the Lord bless you for a life well lived! Thank you Brother Roger.
Frere Roger was a memorable missionary and educator. Not only did he engage his students with the academic curriculum but he taught us to be engaged with life. When scouts floundered he took up the burden to organize major hiking and summer camps. We explored the three lakes of Abiyata, Shala and Langano. Thus long before the thick Acacia forest was destroyed. We would walk the 20 odd kms from one lake to the other principally from Langano to Abiyta underneath a blanket of millions of large almost 2 inch long black spiders with yellow and red stripes. Their thick yellow webs spanning the canopy of the trees. The reward of walking briskly through this gantlet of spiders was the spectacular colony of pelicans that flew over the single mountain that separated Lake Abitata from Shala. In addition . Frere Roger had a great love of music which he passed on to his students despite the fact that there was no music taught af the school. He took it upon himself to organize a glee club which went on to win competitions against professionally coached schools. Unlike most others who came to live and work in Ethiopia he spoke Amharic well enough to o be conversant in it and appreciated the subtleties and nuances of wax and gold. He was a great man who lived the simple life he wanted in country he loved and that loved him back.
May his soul rest in eternal peace!
Bro. Roger was our teacher during 1965-1969.
I was his student in Addis from 1967-69, 9-11th grade) he was a teacher of french.
Thank you brother Roger RIP
I was at St. JOSEPH SCHOOL IN ADDIS ABABA until 1973 and Brother Roger was a Family member. His contribution. to my Academics,Music appreciatiotion and Extracuricullar Activities is beyond any words.Thank You.
He will surely missed by all of us.We pledge to follow his good deeds and absolute conviction to God.
May He Rest in Peace.
Brother Roger never thought me but he was my late brother’s teachers during his formative years in high school at Saint Joseph School in Addis. I remember how fondly my brother spoke of him. May his soul rest in peace.
May he rest in eternal peace. St. Joseph School class of 1969.
The Troop salutes it’s departed leader.
Another SJS students in Hiking, Arts and Crafts, Cinema and Photo Club. From Happy Wanderers in 7th Grade to Explorers, to Pathfinder and eventually Troop Leader, I learned a lot. I learned that following was as important as leading, that details mattered.
That my shoulders had to get as big as the responsibilies I sought and not allow any to fall off.
During the Red Terror days, these school activities probably saved a lot of us. After Brother Roger left and Brother Michael took charge we used those people skills to wriggle out of a lot of sticky situations in War time Ethiopia.
In all he was very human with human frailties, but I learned a lot from him.
I was lucky enough to visit him in 2010 and renew our acquaintance and reminisce over old days. The twinkle was always in those eyes and he remembered a lot of you from the old days.
The world got a little emptier or standard hangs a little lower and the bugle sounds retreat over a sun we thought would never set.
We assemble as the note from his 3 tone whistle sounds and line up by Patrols, Black Star, Walias, Black Lion as we did so many times at the top of Yerer, Babogaya, Akaki Dam, Nech Sar this time to silently salute our leader for the last time from all the corners of the world we occupy and wish him God speed.
Brother Roger contributed, to who we are today, in lots of aspects, directly and indirectly. To mention few, his foot prints (art works he put together and done by students) are still exhibited on the walls of Saint Joseph School of Addis Ababa. Thanks for your service to our country, which destitutely needed. Eternal memory and perpetual light. REST IN PEACE AND GLORY!
Bro. Roger was a one of a kind teacher who always made everyone at ease. I remember taking swimming lessons and diving from him and he always challenged you to do more. I was in Addis Ababa in 2003 and got his phone number from school and had a chance to speak with him and couldn’t believe how sharp his memory was. Camping at lake Langano and trip to soderae, he made school memorable. Brother Roger may have passed on like all of us will one day but his spirit lives on in our memories. Rest in Peace!!!!! Class of 1973
I am one of the fortunate ones who had a chance to know brother Roger. I was his student at Saint Joseph school, Addis Ababa for two years, from 1982 – 1983. I had a pleasure to participate in all the extracurricular activities he was involved in. I would arrive at school early in the morning looking forward to work on the activities run by him. I also spent most of my recess breaks and would stay after school working on club activities.
In those short two years, he taught me a lesson that lasted a life time.
Brother Roger is one of a kind who touched many lives, influence others to chase after their dreams.
It is a sad day to loose a fatherly figure who gave everything. He is missed by all who crossed his path.
May he rest In peace!
Bro Roger was a great mentor. The hiking, the camping, and the swimming with him will always be remembered. The Haile’s 4 was the name Bro Roger gave to my three brothers and me. One of the clubs the Haile’s 4 will never forget is the Dolphin swimming club, which honors the member’s swimming skill by the budges and diploma’s provided by Bro. Roger. Thank you for making life at St. Joseph fun. RIP Class of 1973
Every single day of school,
He dedicated 15 Minutes of his Coffee Breaks to help me learn French,
even if He wasn’t assigned and paid to do that, without Brother Roger, wasn’t able to say “Hi” and “Bye” in French !
Brother Roger, that Brown Leather Bag (Briefcase) of Yours,
I bought one now, as promised and dreamed of buying Brown Leather Bag (Briefcase) just like Yours when I get older.
In Loving Memory of a Very Dear Friend, Brother Roger Brossolasco!
Reading through the comments and his bio, I can’t help but wonder the multitude number of young boy/adults he mentored, coached, teased and formed. The places he has been and the lives he touched. Truly, a life well lived.
Class of ’81.
RIP!
Brother Rodger was a mentor of many of us.
He dedicated himself in teaching his hobbies ,his talents .
He contributed what we are today.
He was a real devoted Christian .
ነፉስ ይማር ወንድም ሮጄ(RIP)
Un souvenir ému d’un ami de toujours pour notre famille. Il reste dans notre coeur et nos prières. Reposez en paix.
Un souvenir ému d’un ami de famille. Vous resterez dans notre coeur et nos prières. Reposez en paix.
I remember him fondly. He was the one who introduced me to the power of electricity through lab where by him encouraging some of us in trying to pick a penny at the bottom of a bowl full of water that had current passing through it.
I know he’d live forever through each and everyone of us students of his, May He Rest In Peace.
HannibalZ Kassaye.
Class of ’79
Hiking, swimming, art & craft and most of all the Cinema clubs he organized and led made my school life enjoyable both at Nativity and St. Joseph High. He was a mentor, a friend, a big brother and a person who lived an exemplary life. May his soul rest in peace.
Bro. Roger was a good teacher, role model and mentor during out formative years. He was a classy man with a lot of talent and a true Christian. A great human being who will be greatly missed by a lot of people. May his soul RIP!!
For anyone of us who attended Nativity/Cathedral and St. Joe in the late 70s, there was perhaps no more influential educator than Bro. Roger. He opened our eyes about the possibilities in our own beloved Addis. From hiking trips to Guge Mountain, Menagesha Forest, Akaki Dam to swimming lessons in Ghion and film club, he left a lifetime of memories for many of us. Wish Ethiopia which had benefited from his exemplary and selfless service over a period 60 years (!!!) recognize him in some form. What a well-lived life! The footprint you leave, Brother Roger, will last forever.
I am an alumnus of St. Joseph School Addis Abeba, class of 1980. Frere Roger was my geography teacher in 10th grade, my French teacher in my junior and senior years. And before being in any of the classes that he actually taught, any student would have known him through one of the extracurricular activities he single-handedly led; be it the cinema club, photography club, hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, etc. He made learning fun and made it possible for me to look forward to coming to school each morning. I remember in his geography class; he would give us a quiz every Friday. Come Monday when he handed us back our results, if a student got below 60%, he would have him write the answer to all of the question the student got wrong 3 times to get a 60% grade. There were times when I qualified for such a make-up, and sure enough the answers to the questions I missed were forever etched in my head after that. He reveled in improving the knowledge and talents of students and instinctively knew how to get better results from them. He was a teacher in the truest sense of the word. I was in his photography and swimming club and was always happy to be in his presence. Beyond the skills that he taught and imparted he was also a kind man. He did not have favorites and engaged everyone with the same level of interest and enthusiasm. Looking back, it’s hard to state what an extraordinary human being Frere Roger was.
May your kind soul rest in peace, brother. You live forever in our hearts not just for what you have taught us but for HOW you have taught us. Thank you for putting your passion equally in the journey of learning and not just in the destination that is knowledge. I have truly enjoyed that journey.
Yes indeed Bro. Roger not only my teacher he was our scout master, he thought us moral in elementary and French in high school, Bro. Roger is the one who thought me how to swim at Ghion Hotel. One funny memory from Bro. Roger he was our home room teacher in 5the grade I came in late and gave him the late pass, I forgot to close the door all the way, and he called me back told me that the door has to be completely open or completely close, I completely opened it to annoy him. Guess what he make me do. He told me to stay after school and learn how to close the class room door by practicing on our class door from 3:30 to 4:30, my arm was so tired, from that day on even now I always completely close doors. RIP Bro. Roger you have taught me a lot.
Yes indeed Bro. Roger not only my teacher he was our scout master, he thought us moral in elementary and French in high school, Bro. Roger is the one who thought me how to swim at Ghion Hotel. One funny memory from Bro. Roger he was our home room teacher in 5the grade I came in late and gave him the late pass, I forgot to close the door all the way, and he called me back told me that the door has to be completely open or completely close, I completely opened it to annoy him. Guess what he make me do. He told me to stay after school and learn how to close the class room door by practicing on our class door from 3:30 to 4:30, my arm was so tired, from that day on even now I always completely close doors. RIP Bro. Roger you have taught me a lot. Dawit Bekele
Dear Brother Roger,
You come to Africa not to find yourself, but your 4,000 strong sons of Saint Joseph School. In addition to your own spiritual growth and teaching us about Christ, you formed a bond with us that will last for the rest of our lives. You accepted our culture, learned our language and connected with us inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you for the 58 fruitful years of grooming well rounded Ethiopians. As confessed by so many, you occupy a special space in my heart too. You gave me gifts in the form of experiences and skills that I can use forever.
Thank you for teaching me and my brothers how to swim at the Ghion Hotel Olympic Swimming pool. I fondly remember the hiking club and the trips to Babogaya. Introduce by you, I am hooked to nature and to the Discovery Channel. Because of that, our family vacation to the Masai Mara in Kenya felt like a return trip. The loud speakers in your dark cinema room announcing “The Serengeti” and “The Gurunguru” still ring in my ears like an old favorite song.
My Geography classes with you were very enjoyable. You are the benchmark of a great teacher that is equally compassionate to those that succeed academically and deserved praise as well as to those that struggled and needed your support. You earned our love and respect by genuinely caring for every single one of us.
I regret that I didn’t take French, but I remember the day when you called me into the room and made me read a sentence in French. The whole class laughed and then you said ” Thank you Mengesha, I just wanted them to see how much they have learned in three months”. 😊
The major part of teaching is installing confidence and self belief in the student. Whenever I see frustrated parents teaching theirs annoyed kids at the pool and parks, I uninvitedly jump in and get the kids riding the bikes or floating in the pool in just a few minutes. I learned that from the best. I have raised my kids accordingly.
The class of ‘81 will forever cherish your handwritten letter for our 35th anniversary. During our last phone conversation, I felt your usual energy when you challenged me to go hiking with you in France. You proudly said that you were ሰማንያ ስድስት ብቻ! Congratulations on ninety years of a well lived life.
Thank you for the lasting memories. Please continue praying for us from heaven. Rest In Peace Brother Roger.
Mengesha Berhanu
SJS Anbesaw ‘81
Iremember his Fiat124 grey color car when I was a student in nativity boys school 1968 to 1975. He taught us geography and composition writing. RIP
For many of us students of Besrate Gabriel of Dire Dawa in the late sixties and seventies, let me say it was indeed a thrill and joy to have been mentored by Bro Roger. What a perfect duo he and Brother Philip were! The hiking and scouting clubs they led provided so much more endearing moments in our lives as we went hiking and camping to many parts of the Dire Dawa and Harar countryside. Strict disciplinarian with a short fuse, Bro Roger certainly came down hard on every bit of tomfoolery but always encouraged us to do our level best. Forever will I continue to remember that afternoon on Aromaya when I swam across the lake nonstop on the longer side while he and two other students on the school inflatable boat and encouraged me on. May he rest in peace!
May his soul rest in peace. We all remembet how cool he was with love in his eyes. While he was with us at St Joseph School, Nazareth he took a lot of students to a hiking trip and were founding stone for exploration and communication.