Homily
Memorial Mass
Brother Fred Buerman, Obl. OSB
October 22, 2011 - Our Lady of Mercy - Daly City, California
I want to begin by expressing to Fr.
Bill Brown, the former pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, Fr. Domingo, the current pastor, and staff, especially Barbara, and the
parishioners of OLM for the kindness you have shown to Bro. Fred these past 10 years. Your friendship, support and encouragement
of Hand of Help and love of his preaching was his life. He had found a home here at Our Lady of Mercy. I am sure
Fred would want me to express to you his heartfelt thanks and gratitude.
Also I want to express a word of gratitude
on behalf of Bro. Fred to Fr. Henry, Prior of Holy Trinity Monastery for accepting Fred into the Benedictine way of life and
to Mary McCarthy, a Benedictine oblate, who took excellent and loving care of Fred these past months.
Fred and I
began a life-long friendship when we were freshman at Christian Brothers Military High School. Yes, Fred did go to a
military high school and graduated with the rank of captain. Those of us who knew Fred well were amazed that he made
it through all that polishing of brass and shoes. I think it is safe to say Fred wasn't the neatest person in the world.
I use to kid him about this and say I am sure your mother did all the polishing.
Our friendship could be described
the odd couple, Oscar and Felix. I am sure you can guess who was Oscar. Despite our differences, in the
end we remain friends for over 53 years - through our Christian Brothers days - our days in Kansas City - and my 30 years
as a Paulist priest. We never grew apart. We traveled the world, supported one another in our missions,
fought, laughed, and cried. I use to threaten him that in my retirement I was going to write a book about his
life. I am sure you remember the book My Friend Flicka? I was going to title my book: My Friend Fred.
I am sure it could be a great comedy sitcom!
Bro. Fred was a unique, imaginative, intelligent visionary. Someone
who from his early days of formation who was thinking outside the box. From my personal perspective of 53 years, I believe
that Fred spent his life searching for a spiritual home his place in the church. He searched for ways to serve God and
took various paths to find his place.
In 1962 Fred and I began our novitiate with the Christian Brothers at Glencoe,
Missouri. This was the beginning of his search. Believe it or not Brother Kenneth Roderick (his religious name)
was scrupulous in his early days of formation! It wasn't until his 2nd year in the scholasticate in 1964
that he really began to think outside the box and becoming more involved in civil rights.
It had been rumored that Fred took off to Selma, AL to march in civil rights protest with Martin Luther King and ended
up sitting with him in his limousine. Knowing Fred I am sure it is a true story!
Fred remained with the Brothers
until his departure in 1967. However, he still remained committed to Christian education, first at Miege High School
in Kansas City, Ks. and then again in Jefferson City, MO at Helias High School, a Christian Brothers school, where he actually
returned to the Brothers for a short time. Fred seemed to be always restless. He wanted community life, but he
also knew that God was calling him to a more active life - more involvement with the kids he taught. The balance between
community life and the apostolate was a challenge for him.
It was at Helias that the seed of Christian service
was planted. Through his tireless efforts he invited young people to service in the Church as a requirement in
his religion courses.
I have said for many years, Fred was like the piped piper. Young people responded to
him; and most of us couldn't say no to him. During his time in Jefferson City he founded a Diocesan wide
volunteer program. I was always amazed that he had anywhere from 10-15 college students give a year of service the diocese.
Who would want to spend a year in Frankenstein, Missouri? Yes, there is a town about 20 miles from Jeff City called
Frankenstein!
Fred, responding to the continuous call of the Holy Spirit, then became involved with the Pallottines,
an Italian religious order of priest and brothers founded by St. Vincent Pallotti. Fred was responsible for setting
up regional clearing houses, the Pallotti Center for lay volunteers working with a variety of religious orders throughout
the country. He gave tirelessly to this ministry so much so, that he went through a "dark night of the soul".
Yet, he kept on searching for God.
Soon after his rediscovery of the prompting of the Holy Spirit he pursued a Masters
of Divinity at the Aquinas Institute in St. Louis. While exploring theology and how it can be applied pastorally, Hand
of Help Christian Service Foundation was founded. After consulting with his closest friends, he renewed his commitment
to reaching out to young adults and inviting them to service in the church. Hand of Help was his life, yet
he was still missing something. He was still searching for a deeper experience of God and community.
At one
point he felt called by God to priesthood. For a short period of time he joined the Diocese of Bellville, IL.
When he realized that he would be confined to a parish in some town in southern Illinois and left the Diocese.
Eventually he joined the Marist community and made another novitiate in Boston. Again, when he realized that eventually
he would have to give up his passion for Hand of Help and be assigned to parish work, he began searching again. How
could he dedicate his life to Hand of Help and deepen his spirituality in a community setting. Fred was a free spirit
- a thinker outside the box. His search began once again.
The Spirit finally led him to Holy Trinity Monastery
and the Olivetten Benedictines at St. David, Az - of all place out in the desert! This monastery is unique in
that priests, brothers, and lay people live, pray and eat together as a community. Because of this Benedictine
spirituality, Fred was attracted to making a life-long commitment as a Benedictine oblate.
He had found what he
was looking for - an apostolic life, prayer and community. But I must also add, it was truly a blessing to him when
the people of this parish accepted him into your home and lives. You provided him with a home away from
the monastery. You gave him the opportunity to continue the many activities of Hand of Help and at the same time welcomed
him to your family, especially Fr. Bill and the other priests in the rectory.
To say the least, Fred was an unique,
creative, intelligent individual who had a vision and he followed that vision. He was a thinker outside the box.
I was always amazed at his ability to quote authors, poems, passages from scripture, even in Latin.
Those
of us who knew him well, found out it was difficult to say no to him. Because of our "yes" to
him, we enabled him to do God's work and find his place in the Church and reach thousands of young people who may have never
found a place in the church.
Through Hand of Help Bro. Fred placed young lay volunteers in Colorado, Mexico, New
Zealand, Japan, England as well as in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The first group
of international volunteers from Sheffield, England served in the Diocese of Santa Rosa.
His commitment to
young people gave him the opportunity to work at the Newman Centers at the University of Missouri -St. Louis, Washington University,
and San Jose State University. He was one of the first to offer "busy person" retreats on these campuses.
He had a great love for the poor and worked with Ron Latterie in distributing Halloween, Christmas and Easter gifts to children
and the poor around the world.
In recent years Br. Fred had led Hand of Help to service on the East Coast.
High school students from the Diocese of Scranton spent summers working with the poor in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, Mexico and in St. Louis. In the Diocese of Charleston, SC he had helped facilitate and gave Parish Missions.
In the Diocese of Palm Beach, FL a "Community of Young Adult Preachers" was formed using college students on various
campuses to minister to their parishes and peers through "lectio Divino", the praying of sacred scripture, and lay
preaching. A project that was dear to his heart.
Now we are brought together today to celebrate his
life and his gift to the Church, but more importantly to celebrate how his life has changed the world. I would
add that knowing Bro. Fred has changed my life.
The scripture readings this morning seem very appropriate in celebrating
Fred's life. In the reading from Ecclesiastes we are a reminded there is time for everything under the heavens:
A time to be born, and a time to die;A time to plan, and a time to pluck up what is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A
time to break down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time
to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
I believe these
words reflect Fred's journey of faith. For him it wasn't always an easy life. He knew what it was to break down
and build up; and when it was a time to weep, to laugh, to mourn, to dance. I am sure if Fred was here he
would want us to dance and not mourn. For all is right with God and with Fred.
The reading from St. Paul's
letter Timothy, I believe sums up Fred's spiritual journey of faith:
"I charge you in the presence of
God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim
the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient, convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and
teaching."
The last two year's of Fred's life were the hardest especially after being diagnosed with pulmonary
fibrosis. In addition to his physical decline he experienced another "dark night of the soul." As we
all know he was a person of great energy always on the run, non-stop, always seeking new ways to reach young adults.
I use to comment to him that I thought he should slow down, but as usual he ignored me. Maybe he knew that his
time on earth was short and he needed to be about "his father's business."
It took him along time to come
to accepting that his would never be the same - that he wouldn't have the energy to continue his mission. Yet, his faith
was strong and his hope even stronger. He was waiting, waiting, and waiting for that lung transplant! But as we
now know God had other plans. I believe that because he embraced Benedictine spirituality his relationship with God deepen
as well as his devotion to St. Therese of Liesuix.
The words of St. Paul, his letter to Timothy, are appropriate
for us today, "For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of departure is at hand. I have
competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." Fred poured out his life for the sake of the gospel;
he competed well; he finished the race and kept the faith.
And, finally, in Matthew's gospel we heard read,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we welcome you
away from home or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we visit you when you were ill or in prison?' And
the king will answer them: ‘I assure you, as often as you did it for the least of my brothers and sisters, you
did it for me.'" Bro. Fred's whole life was seeing Christ in others by reaching out a hand of help.
In
closing, I want to share with you a prayer that Fred prayed daily. It is the Prayer of St. Therese of Liesiux - a prayer
that gave him the courage to face each day. This prayer is on the back of the Memorial Prayer Cards available in the
back of the Church.
Your love, O God, fills each day of my life.
Like St. Therese of the child Jesus, give me faith and trust in your care.
Grant me the grace to recognize your life in my sorrows and joys, in trials and in peace, in uncertainties
and in times of confidence.
Instill in me St. Therese's "little way."
May
I trust that my simple efforts and sacrifices each day will guide me on the way of holiness and bring blessings
to others, especially to the poor and to all those who serve you as missionaries, bring the message of your goodness
and love to the ends of the earth. Amen.
Thank you, Fred, for sharing your life - for inviting
us to journey with you - to cry and laugh - to build up the kingdom of God.
PS Bishop McGrath,
Episcopal Advisory to Hand of Help, after communion express a word of thanks to Bro. Fred for his dedication and commitment
to the Church, especially for the his ministry in the Diocese of San Jose at the Newman Center at San Jose State and the Mission
office. His Excellency jokingly added that Fred was very creative and persuasive. He wasn't sure what he
had agreed to when Fred asked him to be Episcopal Adviser to Hand of Help. But he knew the work Fred did was for the
good of the church. He concluding by saying with a big smile on his face: "Fred was God's problem now and God will
never be the same."
