Brother Jonathan Letzelter died at the age of 93 on June 15 at Christopher East Nursing Home, Louisville, KY. His Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the St. Xavier High School Chapel in Louisville, KY, followed by burial in the Brothers’ cemetery there. Brother John Joseph Sterne, CFX, offered the eulogy.

Born on March 4, 1907 in Wheeling, West Virginia, Edward J. Letzelter graduated in 1925 from Mount St. Joseph High School in Baltimore. Four years later at the age of 22, he began his journey of 71 years as a Xaverian Brother, entering as a postulant the Sacred Heart Novitiate at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph. Known in religion as Brother Jonathan, he earned his B.A., with a major in Education and minor in English and History, after study at Mount St. Joseph Junior College in Baltimore, MD, and St. John’s University in Brooklyn, NY.

Before pronouncing final vows, Brother Jonathan gained experience in teaching in grade schools in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, as well as Brooklyn, NY. His assignments over the years took him to St. Xavier High School in Louisville, KY; St. John’s High School in Worcester, MA; Holy Cross School, St. Theresa’s School and Holy Name School in Brooklyn, NY; St. Patrick School in Lowell, MA; and Mt. St. Joseph High School. He retired to the Brothers’ home at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Wheaton, MD, in 1973._ Nine years later, he went to the Brothers’ Retirement Home, Ryken House in Louisville, where he remained in community until his death.

Brother Martinian Smith passed away peacefully after many years of courageous and uncomplaining suffering at the age of 85 on March 5 at the D’Youville Senior Care Center in Lowell, MA. His Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the St. John’s Prep Chapel in Danvers, MA, followed by burial in the Brothers’ cemetery there. Brothers Guy Behenna and Rosarius Wameling jointly shared reflections in alternating sequence after Communion.

Born on June 8, 1914 in Utica, New York, Edwin V. Smith grew up there, attending St. Francis de Sales for elementary grades and Assumption Academy for high school. On September 17, 1932, shortly after graduation from Assumption, he entered the Xaverian Brothers. Completing novitiate with the pronunciation of vows, he went on to attain his Bachelor of Science degree from Catholic University in 1938. In future years, he attained a Master of Science in Education degree with concentration in mathematics and chemistry from St. John’s University in Brookly, NY, and pursued graduate study at Fordham University.

In his years in the classroom, Brother Martinian taught biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. His teaching career took him to many Xaverian schools. Starting out at St. Xavier in Louisville, he proceeded to teach at John Baptist in Bangor, ME, Cardinal Hayes, Stepinac and Mount Loretto in New York, and back to Bangor. After illness took him from the classroom, he spent the years after 1960 in community at Newton Highlands, MA, Utica, NY, Montvale, NJ and Xaverian House, Danvers, MA.

Brothers Guy and Rosarius offered some beautiful insights that seem to cluster around family and community, exercise and prayer life. His treasures were the members of his family. His love for his family was evident in his desire to have family letters repeatedly read to him. He spoke of them often and saved their photos. He also had a special devotion to his confreres. He enjoyed their banter and their company. He had a rubber-banded stack of memorial cards of Brothers who had passed on that he referred to each day, with the most recent one on top. He loved sports and exercise. A Yankee fan, he delighted in meeting legends in pinstripes, Joe Pepitone and Gene Michael. There are also tales of Marty’s high-diving, jogging from CU back to home at the college in Silver Spring (7 miles) and ten-mile walks from Stepinac High to Yonkers.

Prayer, nurtured in his life as a Xaverian Brother, sustained him. Coping with muscular dystrophy, which set in at Mt. Loretto in 1957, and later, deafness and poor eyesight, constituted his cross to bear. Marty had the patience of Job; he never complained. He had his rosary in his possession at all times, reflecting on the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. He really lived the rosary, always faithful to community prayer and his private devotions. He died while the rosary was being recited at the fourth glorious mystery, Mary’s Assumption into heaven. His response to Jesus’ call to be a Brother, a prayerful one that triumphed over suffering, is gloriously fulfilled.