Submitted by: Dan Rich
Brother Damien Daele CSC
Mar. 6, 1901 – Oct. 9, 1983
Brother Damien Daele, CSC, 82, former
St. Joseph High School teacher, known as the “Rosary Brother”
died unexpectedly at 5:30 a.m. Sunday in St. Joseph Medical
Center. He had been living at Dujarie House, Notre Dame, for the
past year. Brother Damien received his nickname of the “Rosary
Brother” from his vast collection of rosaries, some of which
are quite rare. A rosary craftsman as well as a collector, having
made thousands of rosaries in his lifetime, he was a member of
the research committee for the International Rosary Museum.
Born on March 6, 1901, in Ostende, Belgium,
he moved to the United States in 1903 and attended St. Rose
School in LaPorte. He dropped out of school in the fourth
grade, then later completed 14 years of schooling in eight years.
He attended classes under the Holy Cross Brothers at Sacred Heart
College in Watertown, Wis., and on June 23, 1915, he entered the
Congregation of Holy Cross. His first profession of vows was
taken on Oct. 8, 1918, with his final profession of vows on June
23, 1923.
Brother Damien received two bachelor of arts
degrees, majoring in English and history, and two master of arts
degrees, majoring in history and biology, all from the University
of Notre Dame. He also held an honorary doctorate degree, Before
coming to St. Joseph High School in 1956, he taught at Cathedral
High School in Indianapolis for 29 years, and Holy Cross High
School in Bangladesh, India for three years. Retiring in 1981, he
moved to the Brothers Center at Notre Dame.
In 1977, honoring his 60th
anniversary as a Holy Cross brother, he received the key to the
city of South Bend from then Mayor Peter Nemeth. Brother Damien
was also seen daily to walk the Burke Golf Course at the
University of Notre Dame, with a stick in one hand and a bag of
found golf balls in the other. He is survived by three sisters,
Sister M. Caroline Daele, CSJ, of Tipton, Ind., Mrs. Rose Hurstel
of Mishawaka and Mrs. Margaret Petritz of LaPorte.
A funeral mass will be conducted at 3:30
p.m. Tuesday in the Chapel of St. Joseph at Holy Cross Brothers
Center, with Rev. William Simmons, officiating. Burial will be in
St. Joseph Cemetery on the campsu at Holy Cross Junior College.
Friends may call at the Chapel of St. Joseph at Holy Cross
Brothers Center after 3:30 p.m. today, where a wake service will
be conducted at 7:30 p.m. today.Brother Andrew Steffes, CSC, will
deliver the eulogy.