March 12, 2014 Plattsburgh - The council of the American Province of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, has announced the closure of the Plattsburgh house for their members. As of Sept. 1, 2014, the religious community will end its 111-year ministry and its presence in the North Country. The brothers taught at Mount Assumption Institute, Seton Catholic Central, St. Peter's School, all in Plattsburgh and St. Alexander's School in Morrisonville. One brother also ministered at St. Joseph's Parish in Treadwells Mills. The Brothers of Christian Instruction came to Plattsburgh in 1903 and taught at St. Peter's grade school and high school until 1914. When St. Peter's closed its high school, some brothers remained to continue teaching in the grade school while others went to their new high school at the Vilas mansion on North Catherine Street - Mount Assumption Institute The brothers met the needs of two groups - the parish of St. Peter's which was looking for teachers for their parish school and their religious community looking for a place to send their members to live, to learn English, and to become more involved in evangelization in a new country. At that time most of the brothers were from Brittany, France, where religious congregations were being spurned by laws which were enacted to make the teaching of religion more difficult. In 1989 the brothers joined in the movement to merge MAI with St. John's School, creating a new school now known as Seton Catholic Central School. In 2001, Seton Catholic was moved to the air base school on New York Ave. The old school on North Catherine became Catherine Gardens while the gymnasium is now the Clinton County Senior Center. Three Brothers remain in the Plattsburgh area. They are retired while doing volunteer work both for CVPH hospital and for Seton Catholic. The Brothers will leave Plattsburgh around Sept. 1, heading for the retirement facility at their American headquarters in Alfred, Maine. Bishop expresses gratitude “It is with great sadness that we received word from Brother Jerome Lessard, FIC, Provincial Superior of the Brothers of Christian Instruction that their Plattsburgh house will close this fall and that the three Brothers presently residing and ministering in Plattsburgh: Brother Raymond Fortin, FIC, Brother Charles Thomas, FIC and Brother Mark Connor, FIC will be moving to Alfred, Maine. “This Congregation has left a tremendous legacy to the Diocese of Ogdensburg and, particularly, the City of Plattsburgh. All those who passed through the doors of St. Peter’s grade school and high school, Mount Assumption Institute and then, after its merger with St. John’s School, Seton Catholic Central School were the beneficiaries of the strong Catholic education and Christian witness that these men provided. “Their gifts were not only in the field of education but their work in social service and social justice benefited greatly the wider community. I remember my father “We find in the Mission Statement of the Brothers of the Notre Dame Province in Alfred, Maine the following words: “As participants in the life of God who is love, we challenge ourselves to become an evangelical community by willingly sharing who we are, what we are, what we have and by carefully discerning that our lives and our ministry bespeak justice.” Since 1903, these men have lived their mission so faithfully and so generously. The Brothers of Christian Instruction who served the Diocese of Ogdensburg through the years have truly incarnated the words of their Mission Statement and have served in the spirit of their co-founders, Jean Mary de la Mennais and Gabriel Deshayes. “We express our gratitude to Brothers Raymond, Charles and Mark for their faithful ministry among us. May God bless them and all the Brothers of Christian Instruction as they continue to share their consecrated lives with God’s holy people. Their presence will be greatly missed. |
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