Thursday, August 4th, 2016
Brother Jude Brown
Br. Jude Brown, C.PP.S., 88, died at 10 p.m. Tuesday, August 2, 2016, in the infirmary at St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio. He had been in failing health.
He was born Richard E. Brown on March 14, 1928, in Bradford, Ohio, to Arden and Florence (Petitjean) Brown. He entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1951 and was professed a religious brother on July 1, 1953.
After his profession, Br. Jude was assigned to work on the Community's farm in Burkettsville, Ohio. In 1965, he was appointed to the business office of St. Charles Center (then a seminary) in Carthagena, Ohio. There he spent nearly 50 years in ministry, and was instrumental in the administration of the facility. He maintained a prodigious garden that helped feed the people of St. Charles.
In addition to his other duties, Br. Jude managed the Congregation's pension fund for many years, and helped many of its priests and brothers with their tax forms and estates. He helped oversee the sale of the Community's farm and minor seminary, Brunnerdale, near Canton, Ohio. For many years, he also volunteered during the summer pilgrimage season at the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, Ohio.
He is survived by one brother, Nelson Brown, Greenville, Ohio; a sister-in-law, Carol Brown, Versailles, Ohio; numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters-in-law, Lowell and Elizabeth Brown; Gene and JoAnn Brown; and Jerome Brown.
Br. Jude gave all that he had to his God and his religious community, said his longtime friend, Br. Nicholas Renner, C.PP.S.
"He always said, 'God gave me a good mind, and I'm going to use it.' Mostly, he was self-taught," Br. Nick said. "He was always good with numbers. He was the business manager of St. Charles for over 25 years; he ran the place, and ran it efficiently. He got the bills paid and kept things moving. And he was a man of faith - he never missed Mass."
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 5 at 2 p.m. in Assumption Chapel of St. Charles Center, Fr. Larry Hemmelgarn, C.PP.S., presiding. Burial will follow in the Community cemetery.
Calling hours at St. Charles will be held from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, August 4, with a prayer service at 7 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Cincinnati Province.
