DEVELOPM ENT NE WS NEWS 70 Years a Jesuit A Celebration of Fr. Francis Brou, S.J. From the Class of 2016, celebrating with Fr. Brou and Fr. J. Patrick Hough, S.J., were (L-R) Sean Wickett, Jacob Yodzis, Sean Lanoue, Matt Ruel, and Brett Gajewski At a special Convocation at the start of the school year, Jesuit High School celebrated the 70th anniversary of the school’s beloved chaplain, Fr. Francis Brou, S.J., entering the Society of Jesus. The Aug. 14 event was highlighted by warm, personal testimonials about Fr. Brou from Joe Ficarrotta ’65 and Connor Penn ’11, as well as from Jesuit school president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. Also, there were two special presentations to Fr. Brou: a plaque dedicating the school’s Offi ce of Campus Ministry in Fr. Brou’s name, and a beautiful portrait of Fr. Brou drawn by Jesuit’s fi ne arts director Kevin Ball ’03. (The portrait currently adorns a wall in the campus ministry offi ce.) The Offi ce of Campus Ministry dedication was made possible through the generosity of Ficarrotta, Mac Greco ’65, and the Hon. Ron Ficarrotta ’76, and it refl ects the enormous spiritual impact 36 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • FALL 2017 Joe Ficarrotta ’65 (left) and Connor Penn ’11 spoke at the celebration Fr. Brou’s trademark humor and warmth were evident at his celebration Fr. Brou has made on hundreds of young men at Jesuit. First from 1964-71, when Fr. Brou initially was assigned to Jesuit as a teacher – he had been ordained in 1961 – and then from 2006 until today as school chaplain (with a one-year respite in 2015-16). Numerous alumni from the both 1960s- 70s and 2000s-10s were on hand to join in the celebration and the reception afterward. Fr. Brou spoke last at the celebration, exhibiting his trademark grace and humor, occasionally eliciting laughter from the students. It was exactly seven decades earlier in Louisiana, on Aug. 14, 1947, that 18-yearold Francis Brou entered the Jesuit Order. On Aug. 14, 2017, Fr. Brou shared a few anecdotes about his early days in the Jesuit novitiate, and then addressed the student body. “It’s always with a prayer of thanksgiving that I approach my days,” he said. “Because being with you is my daily prayer.” Scan to view a video of the Convocation Scan to view a feature story about Fr. Brou in the Tampa Bay Times
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