Br. Gerry Brown at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish

(Originally published in the Saint Cathering of Alexandria Parish News Bulletin, January 31, 2021)

Dear Community of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, I would like to introduce myself to you. I am the one you may have seen wearing a black suit and a collar as you entered the church for Mass on Sunday. I am a Marist Brother named Brother Gerard “Gerry” Brown, FMS. I was born in Brooklyn, New York. Like everyone, I volunteer at the parish as time and circumstance permit. The Marist Brothers are an international community of more than 4,000 Catholic Brothers in 81 countries around the world. As the Marist name implies, our patroness is Our Blessed Mother. The Marist Brothers Order was founded in France by Saint Marcellin Champagnat. Our Mission is to teach young people to know and love Jesus. We have over 60,000 students in our schools around the world, with Marist High School being our local apostolate. I have taught mathematics, science, and religion for over 50 years in Massachusetts and Illinois. I am retired from the classroom, but stay active using my certification as a nationally registered paramedic working part-time for Windy City EMS which covers all events at the United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field. If you have any questions about the Marist Brothers, please stop by and ask or just say “hello.” Thank you for letting me be part of your community.