Jubilarians 2025

BROTHER PHILLIP AARON

75 years of profession

The journey that started with a train ride to Dayton, OH, at age 15 continues. As in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the hero finally achieves the boon and takes it back home to share, only to start a new adventure. He is not stuck in the past, has no regrets, and is always looking forward to a new beginning, for which help will come as long as he takes the first step.

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BROTHER ALBERT KOCH

75 years of profession

Born in Cleveland, OH, in 1932, I attended St. Rose School and graduated in 1948. I entered the Novitiate in Marcy, NY, in 1949 and professed my First Vows there on September 8, 1950, before moving to Mount St. John for my scholasticate studies. My many years of ministry focused on construction and maintenance within several Marianist schools and communities.

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BROTHER PAUL METZGER

75 years of profession

I was born and raised in South St. Louis, MO, and professed my First Vows in Galesville, WI, on September 15, 1950. I’ve been very blessed to be able to live as long as I have and to dedicate so much of my life as a Marianist Brother. It means that I am able to be faithful to my vows, continuously trying to live my life according to those vows, and grow my personal relationship with Jesus and Mary.

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BROTHER DONALD NEFF

75 years of profession

Brother Donald Eugene Neff passed away on February 23, 2025, in Dayton, OH, at the age of 94.

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FATHER GERALD HABY

70 years of profession

As I wrote in my 50th-anniversary autobiography, I was a reluctant religious and priestly vocation. Born in Hondo, TX, in 1934, I am the oldest of seven brothers and two sisters who grew up on a farm and ranch near the hamlet of Rio Medina, TX, about 25 miles west of San Antonio. After finishing both grade school and high school at St. Louis Parish School in Castroville, TX, I went to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1952 for reasons other than religious, but seeking the answer to my question, “How can I, given my talents and abilities, do the most good for the greatest number of people?” Click here to read more.

BROTHER STANLEY MURAKAMI

70 years of profession

I was born in Wailuku, Hawaii, on the island of Maui on March 24, 1936. I grew up in Maui and professed my First Vows on August 15, 1955 in Santa Cruz, California before going on to earn Bachelor of Arts in Latin with a minor in philosophy (1963) and a Master of Arts in Latin (1971). Twenty-four years of my Marianist service was spent teaching in both Hawaii and California, beginning in 1958 with two years at Saint Louis School in Honolulu. Click here to read more.

FATHER THOMAS THOMPSON

70 years of profession

My vocation is rooted in the fervent Catholic atmosphere that was part of the family, school, and parish life in Pittsburgh, PA, in the early 1950s. Brother Joe Meder was an enthusiastic religious whose weekly letters to his mother (my grandmother) and family described the daily life of a versatile grade school principal. The Sisters of Divine Providence at my home parish and school, St. Basil’s, provided a rich devotional atmosphere. Click here to read more.

FATHER JAMES TOBIN

70 years of profession 

“For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes.” That quote from Dag Hammarskjold has always captured a milestone moment for me.  As I reflect on these 70 years as a Marianist, I am grateful to God for so many blessings—too many to count—and I recall a verse from one of the Psalms: “What return shall I give the Lord for all that He has done for me? I will take up the chalice of salvation and call upon the Lord.” I attended Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, MO, for both elementary and high school, graduating in 1954. Click here to read more.

FATHER PATRICK TONRY

60 years of ordination

I am impressed by how fast Jubilees come upon us. As I reflect on this, my 60th anniversary of ordination, I am almost overcome with feelings of gratitude and appreciation. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, NY, I attended St. Clement Grade School in Queens and then Mount St. John Normal School in Dayton, OH, before professing my First Vows on September 5, 1952, in Marcy, NY. Click here to read more.

FATHER JAMES FITZ

60 years of profession

In the book of Proverbs, we read: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Marianist life has given me a vision – a vision expressed well in the opening chapter of our Rule of Life: “Our goal is to be transformed into His (Christ’s) likeness and to work for the coming of His kingdom.” (article 2). In whatever I have done as a Marianist religious, the vision and dream of God’s kingdom have been the inspiration for my ministry and life. Much has happened in the 60 years since I professed First Vows on August 22, 1965, in Marcy, NY. Click here to read more.

FATHER PAUL FITZPATRICK

60 years of profession

Though I have served in many varied ministries over the years, what gave me energy in all of them was the possibility of supporting people in their faith life. Whether it was in high school retreat work, sacramental ministry and preaching in parishes, teaching scripture at the university level, leading many biblical study trips, or family ministry, what got me out of bed every morning was the possibility of supporting others and being supported by them in their graced search for God. Click here to read more.

FATHER JOSEPH KOZAR

60 years of profession

As I look at the past 60 years of religious life, I see the serendipity of historical circumstances and opportunities. I professed First Vows on August 22, 1965, in Marcy, NY, just prior to the decrees of the Second Vatican Council being put into effect. That Advent, the Catholic Church changed. The grand Latin transcendent and universal liturgy gave way to the Mass in English. We went from “dialogue” Mass with a mix of English and Latin to awkward, make-it-up-as-you-go-along, loose-leaf binder liturgies to the return of the beautiful post-Vatican II liturgy that we witness today. Click here to read more.

BROTHER GARY MORRIS

60 years of profession

Leo Tolstoy: “The business of a Christian is everywhere and always one: to increase one’s fire and let it give light to everyone.” When I wrote a reflection on my Marianist life for my Golden Jubilee 10 years ago, I mentioned that many of my friends thought that the chance of my perseverance as a brother was a “long shot” at best. Well, 10 years later, that “long shot” has gotten better than ever. And my aim, despite my failing eyesight, has gotten keener. My target is perseverance because I was called to be a brother in the best way I know how. Click here to read more.

BROTHER MICHAEL O’GRADY

60 years of profession

I was born in Cleveland, OH, and grew up in Bluefield, WV, and Cleveland, attending Sacred Heart in Bluefield and both St. Aloysius and St. Philomena in Cleveland. My high school years were spent at Cathedral Latin School, also in Cleveland, and Marianist Preparatory in Beacon, NY, from which I graduated in January 1964. I professed my First Vows on February 11, 1965, in Marcy, NY, before relocating to University of Dayton, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and English in 1969. I then went on to earn a master’s degree in religious education from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago in 1975. Click here to read more.