Br. Pat Conway '71: How Cretin led him to the Christian Brothers
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
January 29, 2025
For Br. Pat Conway ’71, FSC, the seeds of his future vocation were planted during his time with the Christian Brothers at Cretin. Each Wednesday morning, Blessed Br. James Miller, FSC passed an envelope around his ninth-grade homeroom for students to donate their spare change for schools the Brothers were building and staffing in Nicaragua and Guatemala.
“There were times before or after the collection when Br. James would speak about his desire to be a missionary and serve in one of the Brothers’ schools in Central America,” Conway said. “He would speak about the poverty, the lack of water and electricity, as well as the day-to-day struggles of the people. As a 14-year-old kid, it was hard for me to make sense of why he’d want to leave a comfortable life in St. Paul and work with and among the poor.”
Fifteen years later, Conway, then serving as a teacher and campus minister at Cretin, listened to Br. Miller speak about the difficulties his students were facing in the Guatemalan Civil War, having spent the last year there after a decade serving in Nicaragua. About a month later, Br. Miller was killed in retaliation against his efforts to protect his students from forced conscription in the army.
“Br. Miller taught me what it means to be a man for others, to not forget about the poor, the vulnerable, and those living on the margins,” Br. Conway said. “Those Wednesday morning collections and his very short and simple comments on the poor of Central America, left an indelible mark on me and made manifest one of the reasons John Baptist de La Salle founded the Brothers: education is a powerful tool that can break the cycle of poverty and ignorance.”
During Conway’s sophomore year at the University of St. Thomas, one of his English professors recommended he consider teaching with the Christian Brothers. He has since dedicated his life to Catholic education, working in various positions from teacher to principal to professor to academic dean at a number of high schools and colleges. In addition to his time as a campus minister and teacher at CDH, Conway was also assistant principal, a member of the Board of Trustees, and vice president. He currently serves on the board at Lewis University in Romeoville and the Provincial Council of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, along with directing the McLaughlin Social Justice Institute at Christian Brothers University.
While Cretin-Derham Hall students are now primarily taught by laypeople, the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or Lasallian Brothers, continue to support CDH and advance its mission.
“Up until the mid-1990s, the Brothers received a stipend for their service in the schools of our province. They never saw a paycheck, nor do they today,” said Conway. “Today, however, Brothers receive a lay person’s salary that goes to help operate the province where 85% of the Brothers are retired. Although the majority of Brothers are on Social Security, when pooled together there is more than enough to fund the community of Brothers at a local school. At the end of each fiscal year, the Brothers at CDH look at what money is left for discretionary spending and will give it to CDH to help with financial aid for students in need.”
Beyond supporting affordability, the brothers also provide educational enrichment opportunities for students and staff. Each year, CDH sends two faculty members to the Huether Lasallian Conference, which the Brothers organize to bring Lasallian educators together in conversation around different innovative educational themes.
This year, Principal Mona Passman is serving as president of the Lasallian Association for Secondary School Chief Administrators. The Brothers’ annual LASSCA Conference provides an opportunity for Lasallian administrators to collaborate as they seek to embody the Brothers’ charisms. The Christian Brothers continue to empower Lasallian schools to, as Conway puts it, “teach young men and women their vital role in making this a more compassionate and understanding world in which to live.”
It’s an experience he hopes can reach as many students as possible.
“It all comes back to our Founder and what we refer to as our Lasallian mission,” said Conway. “Regardless of one’s financial status we believe everyone should have an opportunity to be educated in the Lasallian mission, which emphasizes the development of the whole person, integrating academic excellence with character formation and spiritual growth. Lasallian education aims to prepare students for life, work, and service to society and the Church”
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