the vision of his future . After a short probation , he was received into the community and sent back to Switzerland to expand the community there . He wanted to go to America , but the optimistic Moderator General at the time , Biagio Valentini , thought he would prosper in his home country . Over the next five years , he was able to recruit and organize a community that included the young women drawn to his mother as well as his own recruits , however his audience in Switzerland was diminishing : local pastors were becoming reluctant to have him for mission , and his local reputation as an unreliable renegade worked against him .
He could have given up . He had purchased Löwenberg Castle , and could have stayed with his little community , living a cloistered existence under his complete control , until his time on earth was done . But the appeal of preaching missions and fulfilling his life-long dream of foreign missions led him to seek an invitation from then Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati to come to America .
Brunner has been called a failure in Europe , and a success in America . Perhaps life at the edge of civilization was the garden meant for him , although success may have come partly from filling a desperate need . His community in America was the same as in Europe : the houses were cloisters , strictly segregated between the sexes , with minimal contact with the outside world .
Life in his houses was tough . Brunner was a charismatic man , a prolific recruiter , and a spellbinding preacher , however there seemed to be few people with lukewarm opinions of him . Other Germanspeaking pastors in Ohio wanted little to do with him . Some of his followers may have thought him a tyrant , especially since acting as the doorkeeper in his houses meant he controlled access to the outside world . A major difference between Gaspar ’ s houses and Brunner ’ s is Brunner left no time for recreation in his daily schedule . He believed in hard work and strict silence , complaining of any boisterous celebration he ran across .
Yet in his own way , Francis de Sales Brunner was adaptable , and did not express disappointment when his suggestion for vows was rejected by the community in 1852 . The first posting in America was an impossible parish , full of personal rivalries and discord , however he quickly shifted his focus to other places on the fringe where they could cultivate peaceful communities .
Perhaps the most important lesson I value from Francis de Sales Brunner is his willingness to venture into an unknown country with a group of young people he hardly knew , in spite of questionable health . He had a vision of a better world , he never let the dream die , and he didn ’ t let anything keep him from it , even his own aging body . Even though most of us would not be able to live in one of his houses , we can learn from him . As we look at new creations today , perhaps we should not focus our attention on our own personal mortality , or a history of recent disappointment , but on the vision of the kingdom of God . Tending the garden together , faithful to the hope of harvest , even if we have to move the garden to more fertile territory , can bring new life to anyone . �
Fr . Cyr , continued from page 7 I liked everywhere I was , but I was most at home in Coleman .”
At the conclusion of that interview , Fr . Larry was asked how he would like people to remember him and he said simply , “ That I loved them and they loved me .” We did love Fr . Larry Cyr and he loved us . He loved his family , he loved the Missionaries and Companions of the Precious Blood , and he loved the people of Coleman and Wichita and Kansas City and St . Charles and every place where he lived as a servant of the blood of Christ through these remarkable 99 years of life .
Now , we commend Fr . Larry to the Lord , as he arrives on God ’ s holy mountain that the prophet Isaiah describes in today ’ s first reading , the place that God provides for all people , the place where “ God will wipe away the tears from all faces .” We thank God for the gift of Fr . Larry ’ s life as we echo Isaiah ’ s prophecy : “ Behold our God , to whom we looked to save us ! This is the Lord for whom we looked ; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us !”
Were not our hearts burning with love within us as he journeyed with us on this road of life ? Rest in peace , Fr . Larry , and enjoy the feast of God ’ s eternal love . �
January 2018 • The New Wine Press • 9