Father Gerald Brown, CM

1927–2005

Father Gerald Brown, CM, was born on September 10, 1927 to Alva and Josephine Brown of St. Louis, Missouri. He entered the Congregation of the Mission in 1948 and was ordained a priest on June 2, 1957. His classmate and friend, Father Martin J. Culligan, CM, composed the following reflections on the life and ministry of Fr. Gerald Brown.

After high school graduation, Jerry joined the Navy and developed into a strong and powerful man. After his honorable discharge, he decided to enter the seminary. Although he had graduated from McBride High School in St. Louis, Jerry went to St. Vincent’s Seminary in Cape Girardeau in the fall of 1947 in order to learn the Latin language.

After the school year ended in May 1948, he and his class entered the Novitiate in Perryville, Missouri. After two years of prayer, meditation, spiritual direction and other exercises of one sort or another plus some college courses, he professed perpetual vows of poverty, obedience, chastity and stability on May 23, 1950. Jerry was an exemplary Novice.

Immediately, he entered the scholasticate where he would complete his college education, earn his BA in Philosophy and begin a four-year course in Theological studies. The Professor of Philosophy recommended that each member of the class spend time developing his memory. Jerry and another classmate spent a fair amount of free time practicing the “Roth Memory Course.” This was not a requirement for graduation, but it would be quite useful for them in their Theological studies. (There is a myth that one day both of them couldn’t remember where they left their “Roth Memory Course” texts.)

On June 2, 1957, the Feast of Pentecost, Jerry was ordained to the Ministerial Priesthood. He was a very happy fellow. He had been smiling ever since.

His first assignment after ordination took him to St. Vincent’s High School Seminary in Montebello, California where he taught, was treasurer and was involved with Spiritual Direction for the seminarians. His second assignment took him to St. Vincent’s High School Seminary in Lemont, Illinois where he was a member of the faculty and a Spiritual Director.

His friendship with the Mexican Nuns in both Seminaries made him realize the importance of communicating with them in their own language. Therefore, he applied for and received permission to become a student at the University of Mexico in Mexico to study the Hispanic tongue. He received his Masters Degree in the Spanish Language in 1962. His next assignment took him back to California where he was on the faculty at Queen of Angels, the diocesan high school seminary in San Fernando. While there, the Provincial asked Jerry to go to Chile with him and be his translator and he did. On the return trip the Visitor (Provincial) asked Jerry if he would like to be assigned to Chile. Jerry said “yes.”

In August of 1964, Jerry received a new assignment. He, along with two other confreres, were given the task to bolster the struggling Chilean Province. Jerry became a Foreign Missionary. He served in a number of offices within the Vin­centian community as well as pastoral work in many Vincentian parishes. During his time in Chile, he was a chaplain at a military camp within the boundaries of his parish, and where Presidente Pin­ochet had a summer home. Jerry was Spiritual Director for the President.

He left Chile around May or June of 1998. Upon his return, he was interviewed by The National Press Club in Washington, DC. They knew that Jerry was a good friend and confidant of Pinochet and that Jerry did all in his power to eliminate Communism from the areas where he worked. In the US, Jerry was assigned as Pastor of St. Henry’s Church in Charleston, Missouri where he attended to the needs of the People of God until his health began to fail in January of 2003.

Jerry loved to pray the Rosary. He was a hard working Vincentian, faithful and dedicated to his assignments. He, like Mary, said “yes” to the call to enter a different kind of culture in a foreign land. He was very quietly spiritual and undoubtedly touched the lives of thousands. May he rest in Peace!