Brother Marcel Sylvestre

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Brother Marcel Sylvestre, a Brother of Christian Instruction.  Brother Marcel died on May 4 at the youthful age of 90.

A native of Biddeford, Brother Marcel taught high school religion in schools run by the brothers in Fall River, MA; Plattsburgh, NY; and Detroit, MI before becoming a professor of sociology at Walsh College in Ohio.  He served in leadership positions within his religious community as local superior but also on the general council.  He was also appointed by The Congregation for Religious to serve as the religious assistant for the American Federation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.  His other activities included helping the local bishop establish the University of Notre Dame d’Haiti.  He served for six years as a project offiSscer for Terre Sans Frontieres based in La Prairie, Province of Quebec, Canada, with special responsibility for projects in Haiti, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.

In his retirement, Brother Marcel took on responsibility for the annual edition of “Agencies for Development Assistance,” written in three languages to help non-profit organizations in 139 countries locate funding for their programs.  The majority of his “retired years” were spent at Walsh University, only moving to the retirement community in Alfred in 2017.

 Brother Sylvester was a gentle, humble soul who went about his mission quietly, with great serenity.  He will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Brother Marcel Sylvestre and for the consolation of his religious brothers and his many nieces and nephews whom he leaves behind.

May his soul and the soul of all the faithful departed rest in peace.  Amen