1st Brother Member of Vatican Council

The first Christian Brother to become an official member of the Second Vatican Council was Brother Michel Sauvage, a Frenchman. He was selected by his blood brother (a French bishop) to be his personal theologian.

New York Newsletter, December 1, 1962, p. 1.

Brothers Theophanius Exhumed

IntTheopaniusLeo016In November 1962, the remains of Brother Theophanius Leo (Adolphe Chatillon), of French-speaking Canada, were exhumed and inspected because this is a requirement of anyone who is being considered for eventual sainthood.

Institute Bulletin, April 1963, pp. 85-89.

Archivist’s Update: As recently as April 2, 2011, the Vatican declared Brother Theopanius Leo, who died in Laval (Quebec) in 1929, as Venerable—two steps away from sainthood.

Cuban Missile Crisis

October 1962 was also the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the absolutely tense showdown between the USA and the Soviet Union. A few of the entries under “Local” reflect the realities of this extremely tense time in American—and world—history.