The De La Salle Christian Brothers

Body

The De La Salle Christian Brothers are the guiding light for everything we do at Saint Mary's. 


Our Brothers live in two communities: the Saint Mary’s College Community and the Joseph Alemany Community. Why two? By the early 1970s the original Saint Mary’s College Community had grown to almost 40 Brothers, and it was at that time that the Joseph Alemany Community was founded. This latter community is named for the first Archbishop of San Francisco, who built Saint Mary’s College in 1863 and turned it over to the Christian Brothers in 1868.

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History of the De La Salle Christian Brothers

The De La Salle Christian Brothers were founded more than 300 years ago by Saint John Baptist de La Salle, named the Patron Saint of Teachers by the Catholic Church. He was a French priest of the 17th century, born to an aristocratic family, a considerable fortune, and prospects for a bright future. He earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Reims. And, quite by accident, De La Salle met a man named Adrien Nyel who needed help starting a school for poor boys. This became De La Salle’s true calling. Abandoning his fortune and his future, De La Salle gathered together a small group of simple men to educate the sons of the poor and working-class in the city of Reims. Today there are approximately 3,000 Brothers, some 100,000 Lasallian Partners, and a million Lasallian students in 80 countries around the world. 

Meet the Brothers

Brother David L. Caretti

Brother David Caretti

Director of Vocation Ministry — District of San Francisco New Orleans

Board of Trustees, Saint Mary’s College

 

Brother David Caretti, FSC ’99 is the Director of Vocation Ministry for the Brothers’ District of San Francisco New Orleans and a resident of the Joseph Alemany Community of Brothers. As vocation director, he accompanies young men who are discerning their vocation as a Brother and supports students, faculty, and staff, both at Saint Mary’s and in other Lasallian ministries in Lasallian formation and vocation discernment. He holds a BA in Integral Liberal Arts from Saint Mary’s College of California, an MA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, and an EdD in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco. He returned to Saint Mary’s College in 2019, serving in the Mission & Ministry Center, after spending close to 20 years at Saint Mary’s College High School and Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. In addition to his service as a Trustee of Saint Mary’s College, Brother David also serves on the boards of other SFNO District schools.

 

Brother Patrick Moore

Brother Patrick Moore

Brother Patrick Moore, a former professor of English at Saint Mary's, taught for thirty years in the U.K. at the Universities of Cambridge and Kent at Canterbury. He was then Scholar-in-Residence at Sarum College, the Graduate School of Spirituality in the University of Winchester.  He has been a Guest Fellow at Yale and External Examiner for the University of Ireland in Dublin. Brother Patrick is now retired and an occasional lecturer.

 

Brother Anthony Lenz

Brother Anthony Lenz

Brother Anthony Lenz is a retired De La Salle Christian Brother. He graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 1968 with a BA degree in Mathematics with minors in Theology and Philosophy. He taught Mathematics for over 32 years in three Lasallian High Schools, Cathedral in Los Angeles, SHCP in San Francisco, and Lasalle in Yakima, Washington. For 14 years he was a tutor in the Brother’s after school program in Oakland.