- ST.
NORBERT ABBEY
- DE
PERE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A.
- Rev.
Robert M. Brooks, O. Praem.
- b.
Saturday, Sept. 16, 1922 – d. Monday, Jan. 11, 1988
Our brother Robert Brooks was
born in
Green Bay
in 1922. After graduating from
St.
Norbert
High School
, he joined the Order in 1941 and was solemnly professed in 1946.
That same year he was appointed to the faculty of
St.
Norbert
College
, and the following year to
Archmere
Academy
.
In
1955 he earned an M.A. from
Notre Dame
University
and in 1960, a Ph. D. in sociology, after which he returned to
St.
Norbert
College
. Ever the student, he also
did post graduate work at
Loyola
University
in
New Orleans
,
Mexico
City and the
University
of
Chicago
, where he worked with Fr. Andrew Greeley at the
National
Opinion
Research
Center
.
Bob
directed the novitiate and formation programs during the 1970’s, infusing the
juniors with his liberal views and social concerns about Church and state.
No opinion of others ever went unchallenged.
As
cancer invaded his body, the fulfillment of his liberal dreams and aspirations
came as co-founder of
Santa Maria
de la Vid Priory in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
in 1984. He died and was buried
there in 1988, at the age of 65.
