A R C A D E
A Life of Faith and Adventure: 1949–2011 BROTHER
Brother Donald Mansir, who was internationally recognized for his MANSIR work in renovating the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in the 1990s, died of cancer on October 8, 2011, at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. The much-loved Christian Brother and longtime professor at Saint Mary’s and Bethlehem University in the Palestinian territories was 62. We offer here, in memory of Brother Donald, some photos taken during his lifetime and excerpts from eulogies delivered by Brother President Ronald Gallagher and Brother Richard Lemberg at a Mass of Christian Burial in the Saint Mary’s College Chapel on October 14.
for abandoned infants in Bethlehem. Donald procured funding for the Creche and delighted in taking visitors to see this orphanage, meet the sisters and especially the abandoned infants, who were the most helpless and greatest in need.”
DONALD
CARE
“Brother Donald was an extraordinary man who as a COMPASSION humble Brother lived a life filled with faith, and more adventures than any of us here might imagine. We come today to pray for Donald because we have all in some way or other been a part of those adventures: whether it be as a classmate, student, friend, colleague, fellow traveler or, as James Joyce might put it, ‘a victim of Donald’s hospitality.’ This latter usually involving dinner, song, conversation, deep thought and hearty laughter.” “Perhaps the best example I can think of regarding his response to those in need is the Creche. One of his great friends was Sister Sophie, a Lebanese nun who runs an orphanage AND
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WINTER 2012
DEEP THOUGHT
“As Director of the Saint Mary’s College Brothers LAUGHTER Community, Donald was responsible for arranging our annual meeting before the semester began. For a number of years he arranged for us to go to San Diego, his territory. We would always go out to dinner at a restaurant of his choice and usually end up in lively conversation and singing. On one occasion, here we are, a dozen men, not in our clerical garb, at table in a nice restaurant, and Donald gets us singing. All heads turn to us, and we sang away (although some Brothers were trying to look AND HEARTY
invisible). Word gets back to us that people in the restaurant were curious about exactly who were these men and had decided that we must be a reunion of officers from the Naval Academy. We let them think that. But just at the end of the meal a young man comes to the table and asks Donald if we could come to his table and sing, because he is proposing to his fiancé. So some of us did. We don’t know to this day whether she said yes; but she looked shocked and a little confused. A pure Brother Donald event. We have all had these events with Donald and I hope that you all take the opportunity to share them with each other. He has been a blessing, a friend, a teacher to us all.” – BROTHER RONALD GALL AGHER