Brother Joseph L R Belanger.pdf
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Part of Marist All: Brother Joseph L. R. Belanger, f.m.s. Obituary
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Brother Joseph LR Belanger, fms
11 July 1925 -
21 April 2010
Received the
Breath of Life
11 July 1925 -
Lawrence MA
Called to Accept
the Marist
Brotherhood
26 July 1943
Professed first
vows 1944
Professed final
vows 1949
Bronx NY -
30
March 1969
Was Commended
to God
21 April 2010
Bronx NY
Mass of Christian
Burial
26 April 2010 at
1:00 pm
Saint Theresa's
Church
Methuen MA
Memorial Service
28 April 2010 at
3:00 pm
Our Lady Seat of
Wisdom Chapel
Marist College,
Poughkeepsie NY
Interment
Marist Brothers
Cemetery
Esopus NY
Marist appointments
July 11, 1925 born in Lawrence, MA to Leda (Matton) and Emile
Belanger
1938-1942 Marist Juniorate, Tyngsboro, MA
1942-1944 Marist Novitiate, Poughkeepsie NY
1944-45 Marist Provincial House, Poughkeepsie NY (Laundry/ print
shop
1945-1948 Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY (student received BA in
English)
1948-1955 Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx NY (teacher)
1955 St. John's University, Queens NY (MA in English)
1955-56 Central Catholic High School, Wheeling WV (teacher)
1958 Second Novitiate, St. Paul-Trois-Chateaus, France
1959 L'Institut Catholique, Paris, France (Certificate French)
1959-1996 Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY (teacher)
1960 Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT (MA French)
1970 New York University, NY (PhD French)
1996-1997 Lujiang University, Xiamen, China (teacher)
1997-2008 Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY (retired, research)
2009 Champagnat Hall, Bronx NY (retired)
April 21, 2010 died in Bronx NY
Eulogy by Brother Rene Roy at the Funeral Mass
I am honored and privileged to represent the Province in presenting
these remarks, and it is fitting that I should do so having been a
student of Bro. Joseph at Marist College for three years, ending up with
a minor in French. You called him Roland, but in 1943 when he took
the Marist Habit, we called him Brother Joseph Emilian. Later it simply
became Joe Bel. Tout est grace, a sentence Brother Joe loved from the
novel, Journal d'un Cure de CamP-agne by Georges Bernanos: is
"Everything is grace", "All is grace",
or "Grace is everywhere". Joe
believed and lived this. He saw his life as a gift, a blessing. Coming
form a strong family of faith, love, and closeness to each other, he
learned community at home even in those brief yeas before he entered
the Juniorate in Tyngsboro at age 13.
It
is no surprise that both
families remained major forces, major loves, his whole life. He devoted
his enormous energy to the building up of both. His frequent trips to
family games of 45s, or to baptisms, birthday parties, weddings and
other family events attest to his strong family ties. His loved of
community motivated him to call together the brothers living at Marist
College on Wednesdays for prayer, dinner, and relaxation in his
apartment, when the brothers moved out of St. Peter's and into various
locations on campus. Finally, his days at Champagnat Hall in the Bronx
enabled him to find a blessing and a treasure living with some of our
'greats'
Like Saint Marcellin, he was graced with
11
un Coeur sans frontieres",
a
heart that knew no boundaries. He began the Marist Abroad Program
so that Marist College students could see what existed beyond our
borders. On a personal note, when I was in Rwanda, he convinced the
Belanger family one Christmas to forgo giving each other Christmas
gifts so that the money that would have been spent on gifts would go
to help the students in our Marist school. He was conscious of where
his former student was, and made the family aware as well. His year in
China further expanded his horizons ... And today, words of condolence
and assurance of prayers form come from our general headquarters in
Rome, where he is being remembered by the international community
and our superior general: evidence of his global presence and effect on
others.
Geographical boundaries were not the only ones he crossed ... the world
of ideas, art, cinema, you name it, knew no limits with him. Always,
even in retirement, he had an enormous to do list. I wonder if he ever
finished all he wanted to do. A man of no in-betweens, for him things
were either fantastic (formidable), or a disaster. His mind, his desires,
his plans, his visions, his heart, were truly unbounded. We were
blessed to count him as brother for all these years. He has left a
definite impact on all and an outlook on life worthy of emulation. In his
own words at his 60th Jubilee, he said: I hope to spend the rest of my
days like Simeon and Anna in the temple, praying and serving. I
remember daily the millions of hungry in our world of plenty and I pray
for peace in our contentious and greedy world. Yes, original sin exists,
but with Father Pierre Teihard de Chardin, SJ, we work daily to make a
difference, to decrease chaos/evil, to increase cosmos/love.
In the final analysis, Saint Paul said it best, We are treated ... as poor,
yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
(2Cor 6:10)
Thank you, Joe, for enriching so many, so far and wide. Rest now in
possession of eternal life. TOUT EST GRACE.
- Br. Rene Roy, F. M. S.
Statement by Dennis Murray, President of Marist College
It
is with a great sense of loss that I announce Brother Joseph L. R.
Belanger, FMS, '48 passed away yesterday at the age of 84. A pillar of
Marist College, Brother Joe was a master teacher, scholar, intellectual,
and innovator who served and resided at Marist for more than 50
years. Students, colleagues, and all who knew him were touched by
his great intellect, deep faith, and unbounded enthusiasm for life. A
dedicated Marist Brother for 66 years, he served God, his religious
congregation, and his fellow human beings with passion and humility.
Brother Joseph Lucien Roland Belanger was born July 11, 1925, in
Lawrence, Massachusetts, and took his first vows as a Marist Brother
on July 26, 1944. He was awarded a bachelor's degree in English with
honors from Marist in 1948, and subsequently earned an M.A. in
English from St. John's University and an M.A. in French from
Middlebury College. A medievalist who focused on French epics,
Brother Joe was awarded a Ph.D. in French from New York University in
1970.
Upon graduating from college, Brother Joe spent seven years teaching
English and French at Marist high schools in Wheeling, West Virginia,
and in the Bronx. He joined Marist's faculty in 1959 and was made a
full professor by 1975. While his principal courses were in French
language, literature, and civilization, throughout the years he also
taught courses in English, French literature in translation, American
literature, world literature, Greek mythology, occidental mythology,
global studies, and college writing. He was also very engaged with The
Science of Man, Marist's innovative three-year degree honors program.
Brother Joe retired from full-time teaching in May, 1997, and was
subsequently named Professor Emeritus of French. In recognition of
his academic contributions during Marist's formative years, he was
designated a Marist College Heritage professor in 2004. Known for
excellence in the classroom, Brother Joe received the Trustees Award
for Distinguished Teaching in 1993. He chose to use the award funds
to underwrite student scholarships and to enhance the lower level of
the Lowell Thomas Communications Center with framed artwork.
Brother Joe's influence extended beyond the classroom. He helped
shape the College through service on many faculty and college
committees, and assisted with the founding of the Modern Languages
Department and the French major. He initiated the campus' first
theatre efforts, leading the way for a vibrant tradition that has engaged
legions of Marist students. In 1961, he began a 30-year commitment
to the Foreign Film Program, which is still offered at Marist. A proctor
or resident director of Sheahan Hall for several years, he organized
student weekend retreats near Phoenicia, New York. For many years,
he volunteered with the College Advancement Office to obtain support
for the Marist Fund and to set up several student scholarships, as well
as an annual endowed lecture on literature named for a retiring
colleague, Dr. George J. Sommer.
Among Brother Joe's most significant legacies is his founding in 1963 of
the Marist Abroad Program (MAP), which transformed hundreds of
students' lives and helped bolster Marist's reputation for academic
excellence through its high standards. More than 45 years later,
Marist's International Studies Program - spawned by MAP - supports
Brother Joe's commitment to encouraging students to think in new
ways and to value global awareness. His own life identified him as a
citizen of the world. He went around the globe twice - visiting such
places as Africa, Japan, and Australia - and made 30 trips to Europe.
In 1996, at age 71, he traveled to Xiamen, China, to teach English for
about a year; upon his return he wrote a book, "China Prism: Yellow-
Red-Green" and produced a video to advance understanding about
China.
Ever mindful of the College's Catholic heritage and the enduring
influence of the Marist Brothers, the College's founders, Brother Joe
established The St. Marcellin Champagnat Endowment for Catholic
Activities. The endowed fund is named for the founder of the Marist
Brothers, whose canonization in 1999 inspired its creation. Brother Joe
was a tireless fund raiser for this project, which annually supports a
lecture that deals with theology and spirituality, and confronts issues of
faith and action currently facing Catholics in the United States and the
world. The fund also annually sponsors several high-quality seminars
on Catholic topics. In another measure to promote understanding
about the College's heritage, Brother Joe collaborated with the
President's Office in developing and installing permanent plaques
around the campus to highlight Marist founders and the history of early
buildings.
A devotee of Edgar Morin, Brother Joe arduously and voluntarily
translated two books by the internationally-known French philosopher
and sociologist. Morin's master work, La Methode, was published in
more than a dozen languages, but it remained unavailable in English
until Brother Joe translated Volume 1, published in 1996, and Volume
2, now in production. He strongly believed that Morin's understanding
of what it means to be human should be made accessible to American
and other English-speaking readers. He tenaciously took on this last
project in his early 80s, and despite health challenges, completed the
translation and its revisions. "What it means to be human" was an
ongoing point of thought and meditation for Brother Joe, who was a
disciple of Teilhard de Chardin, the subject of a course he taught at
Marist for many years, beginning in 1959. In 2005, he was the moving
force behind a major symposium held at the College, with significant
underwriting from the Templeton Foundation, which was part of the
international commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the famed
existential philosopher's death.
Brother Joe taught thousands students at Marist, and over the years
many spoke of the intellectual and professional impact he had on them.
Just recently, David L. Donoghue '64 endowed The Brother Joseph L.
R. Belanger, F.M.S., Scholarship to show his appreciation for the
guidance and inspiration Brother Joe provided him as a student and
lifelong friend.
For those who have known and admired Brother Joe, and especially his
students, the following words of self-description from a story profiling
him in 1990 are a meaningful characterization: "I love life - there is so
much to read, to know, to do, to live!" Brother Joe often exuberantly
referred to people, books, and accomplishments he admired as
"Superb!!!" Brother Joe's life was indeed "superb," and we thank him
for all he did for the College.
Brother Joe had a large and loving family who visited Marist countless
times for special celebrations and college activities. Last October,
Brother Joe welcomed to campus his brother Ernest, Class of 1959,
who traveled from Spain for his 50th reunion. In addition to Ernie, he
is survived by brothers Emil and Raymond and sisters Irene Golden and
Rita Cote. He was predeceased by his two sisters: Bernadette Elston,
Juliette Smart and his brother: Philipe Belanger.
Eulogy by Brother Don Kelly given 28 April 2010
Joseph Lucien Roland Belanger was born July 11, 1925 at home in
Lawrence, MA. Today I have been given the privilege to talk about Br.
Joe, but where do I begin to sum up his life? How do I begin to
describe a man as profound as Br. Joe, a man we knew at Marist as Br.
Joe Bel?
Br. Joe was teacher, a scholar and an intellectual, and most of all Joe
was a good friend. He never did anything half way. At times he would
describe things using superlatives, like the best, or the worst, or using
that common adjective "superb". This was his favored phrase.
People were an important part of Joe's life. He was always concerned
about helping others. He traveled often to see his friend Br. Cornelius
Russell in a nursing home in New York City. When I had my heart
attack Joe came every week for 10 weeks to see me in Long Island.
It
was not just me or Br. Cornelius. Over the years Joe went out of his
way to reconnect with his many friends he made in the Marist
Community. On May 5, 1986, Br. Joe wrote
"It
is not the goal of life to
be a Roman Catholic.
It
is not the goal of life to be Christian.
It
is the
goal of life to be Christ-like." He said," to be Christ-like, for me, means
to give one's life for one's neighbor."
He had a tremendous love for his family illustrated by his monthly trips
to New England to play cards. Family was important to Joe; during the
summers he organized many family gatherings here at Marist with his
numerous nieces and nephews. Frequently Joe told us about their lives.
His love of family extended beyond his immediate family, and included
the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. He was a die hard New
England fan and he often stayed up way past his bedtime to watch
games on TV. Joe also enjoyed playing tennis with his four brothers,
Raymond, Philip, Emo, and with Ernest.
Joe's love of knowledge and life is illustrated in many ways. He loved
his books and took great pride in his collections. He went to many talks
in various locations throughout the world. He organized a conference at
Marist on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a famous Jesuit philosopher who
is buried not far from here. He was instrumental in creating a lecture
series on literature named for Dr. George Sommer. Joe did French
translations for the Daughters of Wisdom. Combing his religious
background and his French proficiency, Joe not only gave the sisters
the translations, but the spirit behind the words. He translated for the
Marist Motherhouse in Rome every week from French to English and
vice versa. I would say to Joe, do not send the translations to Rome so
quickly, because they would only send him more work, but this was not
Joe's style of doing things. At times I would needle Joe by saying that
if it was not written in English, Joe, it was not worth reading. Of
course, this would get him going.
As an intellectual Joe was diverse in his many interests. Here are just
some of his accomplishments at Marist. He started the foreign film
program and the Marist Abroad Program. He would have weekly
dinners in his apartment for the brothers and others in the Marist
Community where discussions would evolve. He carefully selected the
dinner guest to create stimulating conversations. Together with Brian
Desilets, he organized weekly retreats in Phoenicia for the students. Br.
Joe set up the St. Marcellin Champagnat Endowment for the annual
lecture series in Catholic Studies. After retirement at the age of 71, Joe
packed up his bags and charged off to China to teach English. He then
wrote a book about his experiences.
Joe had a sense of humor. When he needed a new a TV set, I
convinced him to go with me to Best Buy. After picking out a nice set, I
paid for it. In his yearly Christmas letter he mentioned that he got a
new TV from a benefactor. I asked him since when did I become a
"benefactor". Joe said I did not want people to know you had any
money, so I called you a "benefactor".
Br. Joe was a good listener. He was never afraid or embarrassed to give
his position on issues. Over my last 26 years at Marist he was seldom
wrong in his point of view.
The one thing that kept Joe alive this past year was his translation of
Edgar Morin's second master work, La Methode. I said to Joe on Good
Friday, you cannot die, the translation is not finished. Joe said, yes it is,
the rest of it can be finished by someone else. He was beginning to
look for greener pastures and to return to his Maker.
Br. Joseph Bel was small in statue but powerful in spirit. He really lived
by one of the models of the Marist Brothers; do good, but do it quietly.
Joe taught by his actions, not just his words. To be a teacher is more
than a classroom activity.
It
is a way of life and Christ serves as the
model because Christ, s teaching was more than his words.
It
was the
way He lived, his very life. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life." For the Brothers, Christ serves as a model, as a teacher. The
Brothers' way of life is modeled on that of Christ. As teachers, the
Brothers not only instruct in the classroom but they teach by their very
way of life. Their very spirituality is not just an internal spirit but a gift
to the world. And this is what Br. Joe was, a gift to the world.
Br. Joe was one of the true original founders of Marist College and with
his death we have a passing of another generation. For 84 years Joe
lived his life to the fullest and he was active to the end. He was at
Marist College for over 50 years and it is fitting that we bid him
farewell from here. Br. Joe, I have no doubt that you are in heaven
today with Marcellin Champagnat.
11 July 1925 -
21 April 2010
Received the
Breath of Life
11 July 1925 -
Lawrence MA
Called to Accept
the Marist
Brotherhood
26 July 1943
Professed first
vows 1944
Professed final
vows 1949
Bronx NY -
30
March 1969
Was Commended
to God
21 April 2010
Bronx NY
Mass of Christian
Burial
26 April 2010 at
1:00 pm
Saint Theresa's
Church
Methuen MA
Memorial Service
28 April 2010 at
3:00 pm
Our Lady Seat of
Wisdom Chapel
Marist College,
Poughkeepsie NY
Interment
Marist Brothers
Cemetery
Esopus NY
Marist appointments
July 11, 1925 born in Lawrence, MA to Leda (Matton) and Emile
Belanger
1938-1942 Marist Juniorate, Tyngsboro, MA
1942-1944 Marist Novitiate, Poughkeepsie NY
1944-45 Marist Provincial House, Poughkeepsie NY (Laundry/ print
shop
1945-1948 Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY (student received BA in
English)
1948-1955 Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx NY (teacher)
1955 St. John's University, Queens NY (MA in English)
1955-56 Central Catholic High School, Wheeling WV (teacher)
1958 Second Novitiate, St. Paul-Trois-Chateaus, France
1959 L'Institut Catholique, Paris, France (Certificate French)
1959-1996 Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY (teacher)
1960 Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT (MA French)
1970 New York University, NY (PhD French)
1996-1997 Lujiang University, Xiamen, China (teacher)
1997-2008 Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY (retired, research)
2009 Champagnat Hall, Bronx NY (retired)
April 21, 2010 died in Bronx NY
Eulogy by Brother Rene Roy at the Funeral Mass
I am honored and privileged to represent the Province in presenting
these remarks, and it is fitting that I should do so having been a
student of Bro. Joseph at Marist College for three years, ending up with
a minor in French. You called him Roland, but in 1943 when he took
the Marist Habit, we called him Brother Joseph Emilian. Later it simply
became Joe Bel. Tout est grace, a sentence Brother Joe loved from the
novel, Journal d'un Cure de CamP-agne by Georges Bernanos: is
"Everything is grace", "All is grace",
or "Grace is everywhere". Joe
believed and lived this. He saw his life as a gift, a blessing. Coming
form a strong family of faith, love, and closeness to each other, he
learned community at home even in those brief yeas before he entered
the Juniorate in Tyngsboro at age 13.
It
is no surprise that both
families remained major forces, major loves, his whole life. He devoted
his enormous energy to the building up of both. His frequent trips to
family games of 45s, or to baptisms, birthday parties, weddings and
other family events attest to his strong family ties. His loved of
community motivated him to call together the brothers living at Marist
College on Wednesdays for prayer, dinner, and relaxation in his
apartment, when the brothers moved out of St. Peter's and into various
locations on campus. Finally, his days at Champagnat Hall in the Bronx
enabled him to find a blessing and a treasure living with some of our
'greats'
Like Saint Marcellin, he was graced with
11
un Coeur sans frontieres",
a
heart that knew no boundaries. He began the Marist Abroad Program
so that Marist College students could see what existed beyond our
borders. On a personal note, when I was in Rwanda, he convinced the
Belanger family one Christmas to forgo giving each other Christmas
gifts so that the money that would have been spent on gifts would go
to help the students in our Marist school. He was conscious of where
his former student was, and made the family aware as well. His year in
China further expanded his horizons ... And today, words of condolence
and assurance of prayers form come from our general headquarters in
Rome, where he is being remembered by the international community
and our superior general: evidence of his global presence and effect on
others.
Geographical boundaries were not the only ones he crossed ... the world
of ideas, art, cinema, you name it, knew no limits with him. Always,
even in retirement, he had an enormous to do list. I wonder if he ever
finished all he wanted to do. A man of no in-betweens, for him things
were either fantastic (formidable), or a disaster. His mind, his desires,
his plans, his visions, his heart, were truly unbounded. We were
blessed to count him as brother for all these years. He has left a
definite impact on all and an outlook on life worthy of emulation. In his
own words at his 60th Jubilee, he said: I hope to spend the rest of my
days like Simeon and Anna in the temple, praying and serving. I
remember daily the millions of hungry in our world of plenty and I pray
for peace in our contentious and greedy world. Yes, original sin exists,
but with Father Pierre Teihard de Chardin, SJ, we work daily to make a
difference, to decrease chaos/evil, to increase cosmos/love.
In the final analysis, Saint Paul said it best, We are treated ... as poor,
yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
(2Cor 6:10)
Thank you, Joe, for enriching so many, so far and wide. Rest now in
possession of eternal life. TOUT EST GRACE.
- Br. Rene Roy, F. M. S.
Statement by Dennis Murray, President of Marist College
It
is with a great sense of loss that I announce Brother Joseph L. R.
Belanger, FMS, '48 passed away yesterday at the age of 84. A pillar of
Marist College, Brother Joe was a master teacher, scholar, intellectual,
and innovator who served and resided at Marist for more than 50
years. Students, colleagues, and all who knew him were touched by
his great intellect, deep faith, and unbounded enthusiasm for life. A
dedicated Marist Brother for 66 years, he served God, his religious
congregation, and his fellow human beings with passion and humility.
Brother Joseph Lucien Roland Belanger was born July 11, 1925, in
Lawrence, Massachusetts, and took his first vows as a Marist Brother
on July 26, 1944. He was awarded a bachelor's degree in English with
honors from Marist in 1948, and subsequently earned an M.A. in
English from St. John's University and an M.A. in French from
Middlebury College. A medievalist who focused on French epics,
Brother Joe was awarded a Ph.D. in French from New York University in
1970.
Upon graduating from college, Brother Joe spent seven years teaching
English and French at Marist high schools in Wheeling, West Virginia,
and in the Bronx. He joined Marist's faculty in 1959 and was made a
full professor by 1975. While his principal courses were in French
language, literature, and civilization, throughout the years he also
taught courses in English, French literature in translation, American
literature, world literature, Greek mythology, occidental mythology,
global studies, and college writing. He was also very engaged with The
Science of Man, Marist's innovative three-year degree honors program.
Brother Joe retired from full-time teaching in May, 1997, and was
subsequently named Professor Emeritus of French. In recognition of
his academic contributions during Marist's formative years, he was
designated a Marist College Heritage professor in 2004. Known for
excellence in the classroom, Brother Joe received the Trustees Award
for Distinguished Teaching in 1993. He chose to use the award funds
to underwrite student scholarships and to enhance the lower level of
the Lowell Thomas Communications Center with framed artwork.
Brother Joe's influence extended beyond the classroom. He helped
shape the College through service on many faculty and college
committees, and assisted with the founding of the Modern Languages
Department and the French major. He initiated the campus' first
theatre efforts, leading the way for a vibrant tradition that has engaged
legions of Marist students. In 1961, he began a 30-year commitment
to the Foreign Film Program, which is still offered at Marist. A proctor
or resident director of Sheahan Hall for several years, he organized
student weekend retreats near Phoenicia, New York. For many years,
he volunteered with the College Advancement Office to obtain support
for the Marist Fund and to set up several student scholarships, as well
as an annual endowed lecture on literature named for a retiring
colleague, Dr. George J. Sommer.
Among Brother Joe's most significant legacies is his founding in 1963 of
the Marist Abroad Program (MAP), which transformed hundreds of
students' lives and helped bolster Marist's reputation for academic
excellence through its high standards. More than 45 years later,
Marist's International Studies Program - spawned by MAP - supports
Brother Joe's commitment to encouraging students to think in new
ways and to value global awareness. His own life identified him as a
citizen of the world. He went around the globe twice - visiting such
places as Africa, Japan, and Australia - and made 30 trips to Europe.
In 1996, at age 71, he traveled to Xiamen, China, to teach English for
about a year; upon his return he wrote a book, "China Prism: Yellow-
Red-Green" and produced a video to advance understanding about
China.
Ever mindful of the College's Catholic heritage and the enduring
influence of the Marist Brothers, the College's founders, Brother Joe
established The St. Marcellin Champagnat Endowment for Catholic
Activities. The endowed fund is named for the founder of the Marist
Brothers, whose canonization in 1999 inspired its creation. Brother Joe
was a tireless fund raiser for this project, which annually supports a
lecture that deals with theology and spirituality, and confronts issues of
faith and action currently facing Catholics in the United States and the
world. The fund also annually sponsors several high-quality seminars
on Catholic topics. In another measure to promote understanding
about the College's heritage, Brother Joe collaborated with the
President's Office in developing and installing permanent plaques
around the campus to highlight Marist founders and the history of early
buildings.
A devotee of Edgar Morin, Brother Joe arduously and voluntarily
translated two books by the internationally-known French philosopher
and sociologist. Morin's master work, La Methode, was published in
more than a dozen languages, but it remained unavailable in English
until Brother Joe translated Volume 1, published in 1996, and Volume
2, now in production. He strongly believed that Morin's understanding
of what it means to be human should be made accessible to American
and other English-speaking readers. He tenaciously took on this last
project in his early 80s, and despite health challenges, completed the
translation and its revisions. "What it means to be human" was an
ongoing point of thought and meditation for Brother Joe, who was a
disciple of Teilhard de Chardin, the subject of a course he taught at
Marist for many years, beginning in 1959. In 2005, he was the moving
force behind a major symposium held at the College, with significant
underwriting from the Templeton Foundation, which was part of the
international commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the famed
existential philosopher's death.
Brother Joe taught thousands students at Marist, and over the years
many spoke of the intellectual and professional impact he had on them.
Just recently, David L. Donoghue '64 endowed The Brother Joseph L.
R. Belanger, F.M.S., Scholarship to show his appreciation for the
guidance and inspiration Brother Joe provided him as a student and
lifelong friend.
For those who have known and admired Brother Joe, and especially his
students, the following words of self-description from a story profiling
him in 1990 are a meaningful characterization: "I love life - there is so
much to read, to know, to do, to live!" Brother Joe often exuberantly
referred to people, books, and accomplishments he admired as
"Superb!!!" Brother Joe's life was indeed "superb," and we thank him
for all he did for the College.
Brother Joe had a large and loving family who visited Marist countless
times for special celebrations and college activities. Last October,
Brother Joe welcomed to campus his brother Ernest, Class of 1959,
who traveled from Spain for his 50th reunion. In addition to Ernie, he
is survived by brothers Emil and Raymond and sisters Irene Golden and
Rita Cote. He was predeceased by his two sisters: Bernadette Elston,
Juliette Smart and his brother: Philipe Belanger.
Eulogy by Brother Don Kelly given 28 April 2010
Joseph Lucien Roland Belanger was born July 11, 1925 at home in
Lawrence, MA. Today I have been given the privilege to talk about Br.
Joe, but where do I begin to sum up his life? How do I begin to
describe a man as profound as Br. Joe, a man we knew at Marist as Br.
Joe Bel?
Br. Joe was teacher, a scholar and an intellectual, and most of all Joe
was a good friend. He never did anything half way. At times he would
describe things using superlatives, like the best, or the worst, or using
that common adjective "superb". This was his favored phrase.
People were an important part of Joe's life. He was always concerned
about helping others. He traveled often to see his friend Br. Cornelius
Russell in a nursing home in New York City. When I had my heart
attack Joe came every week for 10 weeks to see me in Long Island.
It
was not just me or Br. Cornelius. Over the years Joe went out of his
way to reconnect with his many friends he made in the Marist
Community. On May 5, 1986, Br. Joe wrote
"It
is not the goal of life to
be a Roman Catholic.
It
is not the goal of life to be Christian.
It
is the
goal of life to be Christ-like." He said," to be Christ-like, for me, means
to give one's life for one's neighbor."
He had a tremendous love for his family illustrated by his monthly trips
to New England to play cards. Family was important to Joe; during the
summers he organized many family gatherings here at Marist with his
numerous nieces and nephews. Frequently Joe told us about their lives.
His love of family extended beyond his immediate family, and included
the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. He was a die hard New
England fan and he often stayed up way past his bedtime to watch
games on TV. Joe also enjoyed playing tennis with his four brothers,
Raymond, Philip, Emo, and with Ernest.
Joe's love of knowledge and life is illustrated in many ways. He loved
his books and took great pride in his collections. He went to many talks
in various locations throughout the world. He organized a conference at
Marist on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a famous Jesuit philosopher who
is buried not far from here. He was instrumental in creating a lecture
series on literature named for Dr. George Sommer. Joe did French
translations for the Daughters of Wisdom. Combing his religious
background and his French proficiency, Joe not only gave the sisters
the translations, but the spirit behind the words. He translated for the
Marist Motherhouse in Rome every week from French to English and
vice versa. I would say to Joe, do not send the translations to Rome so
quickly, because they would only send him more work, but this was not
Joe's style of doing things. At times I would needle Joe by saying that
if it was not written in English, Joe, it was not worth reading. Of
course, this would get him going.
As an intellectual Joe was diverse in his many interests. Here are just
some of his accomplishments at Marist. He started the foreign film
program and the Marist Abroad Program. He would have weekly
dinners in his apartment for the brothers and others in the Marist
Community where discussions would evolve. He carefully selected the
dinner guest to create stimulating conversations. Together with Brian
Desilets, he organized weekly retreats in Phoenicia for the students. Br.
Joe set up the St. Marcellin Champagnat Endowment for the annual
lecture series in Catholic Studies. After retirement at the age of 71, Joe
packed up his bags and charged off to China to teach English. He then
wrote a book about his experiences.
Joe had a sense of humor. When he needed a new a TV set, I
convinced him to go with me to Best Buy. After picking out a nice set, I
paid for it. In his yearly Christmas letter he mentioned that he got a
new TV from a benefactor. I asked him since when did I become a
"benefactor". Joe said I did not want people to know you had any
money, so I called you a "benefactor".
Br. Joe was a good listener. He was never afraid or embarrassed to give
his position on issues. Over my last 26 years at Marist he was seldom
wrong in his point of view.
The one thing that kept Joe alive this past year was his translation of
Edgar Morin's second master work, La Methode. I said to Joe on Good
Friday, you cannot die, the translation is not finished. Joe said, yes it is,
the rest of it can be finished by someone else. He was beginning to
look for greener pastures and to return to his Maker.
Br. Joseph Bel was small in statue but powerful in spirit. He really lived
by one of the models of the Marist Brothers; do good, but do it quietly.
Joe taught by his actions, not just his words. To be a teacher is more
than a classroom activity.
It
is a way of life and Christ serves as the
model because Christ, s teaching was more than his words.
It
was the
way He lived, his very life. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life." For the Brothers, Christ serves as a model, as a teacher. The
Brothers' way of life is modeled on that of Christ. As teachers, the
Brothers not only instruct in the classroom but they teach by their very
way of life. Their very spirituality is not just an internal spirit but a gift
to the world. And this is what Br. Joe was, a gift to the world.
Br. Joe was one of the true original founders of Marist College and with
his death we have a passing of another generation. For 84 years Joe
lived his life to the fullest and he was active to the end. He was at
Marist College for over 50 years and it is fitting that we bid him
farewell from here. Br. Joe, I have no doubt that you are in heaven
today with Marcellin Champagnat.