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Brother John Johnston, FSC
Nov. 10, 1933 - Oct. 11, 2007
Brother John (Calvin) Johnston, FSC ’55, M.A. ’60 — an inspirational, influential and respected leader, Christian Brother and Saint Mary’s University alumnus — passed away Oct. 11, 2007 in Memphis, Tenn.
Brother John, 73, former Superior General of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, had an illustrious career as a Christian Brother that spanned 56 years. He was a champion for the rights of children, and zealous for the mission of educating the young, especially the poor.
Brother John attended Christian Brothers High School and graduated from Saint Mary’s College in Winona in 1955. He then served as a high school teacher, school administrator and director of the order’s Student Brothers.
Brother John received his M.A. from Saint Mary’s in 1960 and did post-graduate work at Loyola University in Chicago; Gregorian Institute in Toledo, Ohio; International Headquarters in Rome, Italy; and St. Louis University in St. Louis.
He was awarded honorary degrees by Christian Brothers University, Memphis, Tenn.; Lewis University, Romeoville, Ill.; Saint Mary’s University (1987); Manhattan College, N.Y.; Universidad La Salle, Mexico; Bethlehem University, Palestinian Authority; and the College of Santa Fe, N.M.
In 1971, Brother John was appointed Provincial of the St. Louis District of the Christian Brothers. In 1976, he became Vicar General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome, and in 1986, he began 14 years of service as Superior General of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. As Superior General, he oversaw Christian Brothers working in the 81 countries in which the Brothers have educational institutions.
Brother John returned to Memphis in 2003, where he continued his involvement in education as a senior consultant for the Lasallian Association for Mission. He conducted retreats and was a presenter at many educational conferences in the United States, Haiti, Africa and in Europe.
Brother John served as Saint Mary’s Lasallian Scholar in Residence in spring of 2005 at both the Winona and Twin Cities campuses.
Even when diagnosed with cancer in 2006, he continued his intensive interest and participation in all Christian Brother activities until his final days.
Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, FSC, Superior General, expressed his admiration and memories of Brother John in a message on the Christian Brothers’ website: “I have felt Brother John to be a man of convictions, spiritual depth, and profound interior life; his sense of Lasallian values was contagious for all of us and he had an extraordinary capacity for leadership. He always remained close to young people... . Another of his characteristics was his love of the Church, a clear and filial love.”
A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Memphis, on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be at the Cathedral on Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 5 to 9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Brother John had requested memorials be sent to the Lasallian International Children’s Fund (c/o Christian Brothers of the Midwest, 7650 S. County Line Road, Burr Ridge, IL, 60527-4718).
To read more about Brother John, go to:
http://www.cbhs.org/
www.cbu.edu/News/Releases/johnstonrelease.html
www.lasalle.org/English/Events/2007/john_johnston.php |
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