Brother Heribert, 1918-1922.xml
Media
content
7/8/2021
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
1/2
Brother Heribert, 1918-1922
Within seven months after Brother Heribert began his second administration, the armistice was signed to end
World War I. The peace and prosperity in America which followed brought greater stability and prosperity to the
American Province. It was during this period Brother Heribert exerted his greatest effort to achieve a more stable
and consolidated province.
This concern resulted in the closing of several schools. Small staffs were withdrawn from two New York City
schools: St. Paul in 1918, and St. Ignatius Loyola in 1921. The last of the Manitoba communities, St. Pierre
Jolys, returned to the United States in 1921.(17.) The consequent retreating boundaries of the United States
Province directed the Provincial Council's attention toward a greater expansion of existing schools. In spite of
this main interest, a new area for the Marist apostolate was opened. In 1919 Brother Heribert sent Brother Paul
Stratonic and a community of six brothers to Savannah, Georgia, to begin the staffing of what became Marist
School for Boys.
The concern for reorganization also inspired construction and real estate developments. The needs of the
Hermitage communities in Poughkeepsie were met by the addition of a four-story annex to the Juniorate
building. Provincial House funds were used for this frame structure and for the purchase of sites for another
juniorate and another academy in order to relieve the congestion in the overcrowded St. Ann's Academy in New
York City. The first of these sites was a twenty-two acre property in northeastern New York City, which was
purchased for $109,000.(18.) The second site was purchased in 1921 in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts where a
proposed juniorate would offer facilities nearer home to the New England candidates for the brotherhood.
Another feature of the reorganization period was a greater Marist participation in secondary education. At the
time there were but two high school departments conducted by the brothers: St. Ann's Academy (established in
1897) , and St. Ann's Hermitage. A high school department was started in 1907 in Lowell, but the lack of
applicants closed it shortly afterward. In 1920, the pastors in Winooski, Vermont; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and
Augusta, Georgia asked for brothers to teach in their proposed high schools. Due to limitations of personnel a
favorable answer to all requests was impossible. But attempts to establish high schools in the existing Marist
communities were made. Both grammar schools in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts inaugurated secondary
education in 1920. Within twelve years both of these departments failed, because of lack of funds and lack of
applicants. A few years later these same schools re-established high school departments which are flourishing
today. In 1923 a ninth year was added at Ecole Hevey. Due to lack of applicants the effort to begin a high school
in this Manchester school proved futile. It was closed at the end of the 1926 scholastic year.(19.)
An unusual concern was added to those mentioned during Brother Heribert's second administration. An
influenza epidemic spread over the United States adding to concerns of provincial personnel. In Manchester, the
brothers left their classrooms to tend the sick in the local hospital. In Poughkeepsie the sickness also curtailed
classes, and caused the death of one of the brothers. The February 2, 1920 entry in the Provincial House annals
records:
The epidemic of influenza prevalent throughout the United States at this time, lays low scores of our students
and teachers at the Hermitage. Two sisters from St. Francis Hospital volunteered their services to care for the
sick at the Novitiate. Sister Madeleine spent thirty-six consecutive hours by the bedside of Brother Michel Ange
just before his death. . . The devotedness and attachment of Doctor Charles McCambridge to our community
were very much in evidence as he plowed his way on foot, two or three times a day, through waist-high snow
drifts to tend to our sixty victims of the flu.(20.)
Important Marist visitors brought encouragement to the brothers during this administration. The first was
Brother Cesidius, the founder o1 the first North American community at Iberville, Canada. From his original
community of six brothers had sprung two provinces with almost five hundred brothers. This visit
commemorated his diamond jubilee as a Marist, Two years later Rev. Brother Angelicus, Assistant General,
conducted the canonical visitation of the Province. Also Very Reverend Brother Stratonique, sponsor of the
7/8/2021
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
2/2
American missions, now Superior General of the Institute, visited the Province. Both brothers were satisfied
with the progress made since 1911 and the plans of the reorganization period for future Marist developments.
Brother Heribert had the opportunity to report on the progress of the American Province on his trip to the
Mother House in Italy in 1920. The occasion was the convocation of the General Chapter of the Institute. He and
Brother Leo, Director of St. Ann's Academy in New York City, were among the sixty-one delegates from
twenty-two Marist provinces of the Institute who attended. Following the election of Brother Diogene as
Superior General, the general problems of the Institute were discussed. At the end of the Chapter, a table of
statistics issued indicated that there were 4,513 Marist Brothers conducting 587 schools in the Congregation.
(21.) The United States Province racked ninth with one hundred and sixty-six brothers and seventy-eight
candidates in the houses of studies.
On Christmas day 1922, Brother Heribert, the last of the French provincials, turned the administration of the
growing province over to Brother Leo. In the years that followed, Brother Heribert was named the Director
General of the Hermitage communities in Poughkeepsie (1922-1928, 1931-1934) . After a three ear tenure as
accountant at Mount St. Michael in New York City (1928-1931 he returned to spend his remaining days at the
Hermitage. He died in 1939, a year after he had retired to the Provincial House infirmary.
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
1/2
Brother Heribert, 1918-1922
Within seven months after Brother Heribert began his second administration, the armistice was signed to end
World War I. The peace and prosperity in America which followed brought greater stability and prosperity to the
American Province. It was during this period Brother Heribert exerted his greatest effort to achieve a more stable
and consolidated province.
This concern resulted in the closing of several schools. Small staffs were withdrawn from two New York City
schools: St. Paul in 1918, and St. Ignatius Loyola in 1921. The last of the Manitoba communities, St. Pierre
Jolys, returned to the United States in 1921.(17.) The consequent retreating boundaries of the United States
Province directed the Provincial Council's attention toward a greater expansion of existing schools. In spite of
this main interest, a new area for the Marist apostolate was opened. In 1919 Brother Heribert sent Brother Paul
Stratonic and a community of six brothers to Savannah, Georgia, to begin the staffing of what became Marist
School for Boys.
The concern for reorganization also inspired construction and real estate developments. The needs of the
Hermitage communities in Poughkeepsie were met by the addition of a four-story annex to the Juniorate
building. Provincial House funds were used for this frame structure and for the purchase of sites for another
juniorate and another academy in order to relieve the congestion in the overcrowded St. Ann's Academy in New
York City. The first of these sites was a twenty-two acre property in northeastern New York City, which was
purchased for $109,000.(18.) The second site was purchased in 1921 in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts where a
proposed juniorate would offer facilities nearer home to the New England candidates for the brotherhood.
Another feature of the reorganization period was a greater Marist participation in secondary education. At the
time there were but two high school departments conducted by the brothers: St. Ann's Academy (established in
1897) , and St. Ann's Hermitage. A high school department was started in 1907 in Lowell, but the lack of
applicants closed it shortly afterward. In 1920, the pastors in Winooski, Vermont; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and
Augusta, Georgia asked for brothers to teach in their proposed high schools. Due to limitations of personnel a
favorable answer to all requests was impossible. But attempts to establish high schools in the existing Marist
communities were made. Both grammar schools in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts inaugurated secondary
education in 1920. Within twelve years both of these departments failed, because of lack of funds and lack of
applicants. A few years later these same schools re-established high school departments which are flourishing
today. In 1923 a ninth year was added at Ecole Hevey. Due to lack of applicants the effort to begin a high school
in this Manchester school proved futile. It was closed at the end of the 1926 scholastic year.(19.)
An unusual concern was added to those mentioned during Brother Heribert's second administration. An
influenza epidemic spread over the United States adding to concerns of provincial personnel. In Manchester, the
brothers left their classrooms to tend the sick in the local hospital. In Poughkeepsie the sickness also curtailed
classes, and caused the death of one of the brothers. The February 2, 1920 entry in the Provincial House annals
records:
The epidemic of influenza prevalent throughout the United States at this time, lays low scores of our students
and teachers at the Hermitage. Two sisters from St. Francis Hospital volunteered their services to care for the
sick at the Novitiate. Sister Madeleine spent thirty-six consecutive hours by the bedside of Brother Michel Ange
just before his death. . . The devotedness and attachment of Doctor Charles McCambridge to our community
were very much in evidence as he plowed his way on foot, two or three times a day, through waist-high snow
drifts to tend to our sixty victims of the flu.(20.)
Important Marist visitors brought encouragement to the brothers during this administration. The first was
Brother Cesidius, the founder o1 the first North American community at Iberville, Canada. From his original
community of six brothers had sprung two provinces with almost five hundred brothers. This visit
commemorated his diamond jubilee as a Marist, Two years later Rev. Brother Angelicus, Assistant General,
conducted the canonical visitation of the Province. Also Very Reverend Brother Stratonique, sponsor of the
7/8/2021
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/writtenHistory/chapterIII/brotherHeribertCh3_1918_to_1922.htm
2/2
American missions, now Superior General of the Institute, visited the Province. Both brothers were satisfied
with the progress made since 1911 and the plans of the reorganization period for future Marist developments.
Brother Heribert had the opportunity to report on the progress of the American Province on his trip to the
Mother House in Italy in 1920. The occasion was the convocation of the General Chapter of the Institute. He and
Brother Leo, Director of St. Ann's Academy in New York City, were among the sixty-one delegates from
twenty-two Marist provinces of the Institute who attended. Following the election of Brother Diogene as
Superior General, the general problems of the Institute were discussed. At the end of the Chapter, a table of
statistics issued indicated that there were 4,513 Marist Brothers conducting 587 schools in the Congregation.
(21.) The United States Province racked ninth with one hundred and sixty-six brothers and seventy-eight
candidates in the houses of studies.
On Christmas day 1922, Brother Heribert, the last of the French provincials, turned the administration of the
growing province over to Brother Leo. In the years that followed, Brother Heribert was named the Director
General of the Hermitage communities in Poughkeepsie (1922-1928, 1931-1934) . After a three ear tenure as
accountant at Mount St. Michael in New York City (1928-1931 he returned to spend his remaining days at the
Hermitage. He died in 1939, a year after he had retired to the Provincial House infirmary.