Our Founder’s heritage of experiencing his vocation as “falling in love with the service of God” has been received by many of our Brothers, and John Carpenter was certainly one of those. Brothers and lay per-sons who got to know John saw an uncomplicated man who shared his heart with them. This was particu-larly observable during his twenty-six years at Malden Catholic, and then at Xaverian House in Danvers.
From 1969 to 1995 Brother John Carpenter enthusiastically supported Malden Catholic students, faculty members and teams in all their activities. A typing teacher before he retired (nicknamed “Brother Fin-gers”), Brother John then helped out in the treasurer’s office and, later, in the athletic director’s office in any way needed, and always with enthusiasm. When he died, Brothers were reminded that this approach was not restricted to school-related activities. He was outstanding in the care he would give the infirm Brothers with whom he lived. Probably starting before his near-legendary care for Brother Albertus Ma-honey in Malden, Brother John Carpenter was an affable and enthusiastic helper of his Brothers who needed him. For almost seventy years he sought God “with all his heart” in the persons of his students, friends and Brothers.
Brother John Carpenter entered the Congregation from Somersworth, New Hampshire in 1933. After his first profession in 1935, young Brother Patrice was sent for a year to Xaverian College before beginning a teaching career that brought him from the Working Boys’ Home in Newton Highlands and St. Joseph’s School in Somerville, to the Cathedral School in Richmond, Holy Cross in Brooklyn, Mission High School, St. John’s Prep and St. Joseph’s School in Oradell. His happy years at Flaget High School in Louisville and at Cardinal Hayes inspired his enthusiastic singing about “the Flaget Braves” and cheering “Up Hayes!” throughout his life.
John Carpenter’s long stay at Malden Catholic allowed lay members of the staff to get to know and love him as much as did his Brothers. When he finally moved to Xaverian House in 1995, he carried with him the hearts of friends who continued to visit him, telephone and write him, and take him to an occasional dinner. This stalwart New Hampshire Republican whose loyalty expanded from Richard Nixon to the University of Notre Dame was able to incarnate Ryken’s own passion for the service of others by the manner in which he lived his Xaverian life for almost seventy years. Brothers who enjoyed his loud “Oh my God” at such times as when an opponent hockey player was approaching “our” goal could imagine him enthusiastically saying the same words on July 9, 2003. On that day, the response was, certainly, “Yes, John, I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home.”
BROTHER JOHN CARPENTER (Brother Patrice)
Born: Somersworth, New Hampshire, April 3, 1915
Died: Danvers, Massachusetts, July 9, 2003