First Retreat at St. Helena’s
The first retreat at the new Christian Brothers Retreat House at St. Helena’s, CA, was for the directors of the houses of formation in the US in late September.
FSC, December 1963, p. 3.
St. Louis District Splits
On September 1, the 113-year-old St. Louis District was divided into the Districts of St. Louis and of Winona (MN). Before the split, there had been 46 houses, 760 Brothers, 99 novices, 110 junior novices, and 26,100 students in the former St. Louis District. Brother Ignatius Basil became founding provincial of Winona.
FSC, September 1963, p. 1.
ARCHIVIST’S NOTE: The original article stated 114 years, but 113 is more accurate.
St. Mary’s Opens 100th Anniversary
St. Mary’s College in Moraga (CA) opened its 100th anniversary in fall 1963. The college started in 1863 in San Francisco, and the Christian Brothers have conducted it since 1868.
Institute Bulletin, October 1963, pp. 224-228.
General Secretariat Established
The superiors of the USA provinces of the Brothers met in Chicago in October and voted to establish a “general secretariat” for the American Brothers for central purchasing, insurance and pensions, vocations, development, national publicity, text publishing, Brothers’ missions, the CBEA, etc.
New York Newsletter, November 1, 1963, p. 1 and also LI-NE Newsletter, Nov. 1, 1963, p. 2.
Brother Dies at 90
The oldest Brother in the United States celebrated his 90th birthday on November 7 at Mont La Salle in Napa (CA). Brother Ambert Frederick was born in France and began teaching in the San Francisco District in 1904.
FSC, March 1964, p. 4.
USS Daniel Boone Christened with Christian Brothers Champagne
The USS Daniel Boone, the Navy’s newest big Polaris submarine was christened with a bottle of Christian Brothers champagne on June 22. Later, Brother Timothy (famed cellarmaster) presented Mrs. James Wakelin, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, with an unbroken bottle of the same champagne, “to replace the one that got away.”
FSC, September 1963, p. 3.
Blood Brothers Switch
Effective October 1, Brother Ireneus Philip, Provincial of the St. Louis District (1948-1963), was replaced by Brother Lambert Thomas. Ironically, both men are blood brothers!
FSC, December 1963, p. 1; Institute Bulletin, January 1964, pp. 27-28.
New School in Detroit
A new co-institutional high school in Detroit, conducted by Brothers from one of the Midwest districts, opened in Harper Woods, located two blocks outside of Detroit.