BROTHER THOMAS DILLMAN, CSC.
Brother Thomas Celebrates 90
Saints Friskies Alumni Association extends happy belated birthday wishes to Brother Thomas Dillman, CSC.
Brother Thomas, who taught at St. Patrick's High School and St. Teresa's Convent for over 25 years, celebrated his 90th birthday in August 2017.
Brother Thomas currently lives in Cape Coast, Ghana and serves with the Holy Cross Missionaries. He is the Editor of Holy Cross Today - Ghana quarterly newsletter.
The following story on his 90th birthday celebration was culled from Holy Cross Today - Ghana, Volume 19 - Issue 3, July - September 2017:
"On Monday evening, August 28, the District members and Holy Cross Sisters in Ghana gathered together to celebrate Brother Tome Dillman, C.S.C.'s 90th Birthday.
The 40 or so well-wishers came from Takoradi, Sekondi, Kasoa and Cape Coast. A Celebration of the Eucharist began at 4:00pm to accommodate the travelers from Kasoa which is a normal 2 hours distance. Fr. George Bona, diocesan priest and a good friend of the Brothers, celebrated the Eucharist. He always has been the most gracious in coming
to events such as this. He was not sparing in his lauding Brother Tom for his many year in Holy Cross, most of which have been in ministry in Liberia and Ghana. His remarks were humbly accepted by Brother Thomas.
The celebration was concluded with a social on the rooftop patio, offering a gourmet's delight in the cuisine and beverages---AND CAKE! The celebration on this occasion surely gave Brother Thomas much to remember on his 90th birthday."
BROTHERS & PRIESTS
1960 - 1993
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Bro. Martin Able
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Bro. Donald Allen
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Bro. Jerome Aschbenner
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Bro. Paul Clark
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Bro. Edward Dailey
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Bro. Thomas Dillman
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Bro. Foulgence Doherty
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Bro. Francisco Drury
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Bro. Edward Foken
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Bro. Vincent Gross
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Bro. William Healy
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Bro. James Kozak
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Fr. Charles Mahoney
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Bro. Austin Maley
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Bro. Edwin Mattingly
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Bro. Anthony McGalla
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Bro. David Naples
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Bro. James Newberry
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Bro. Chester Rachael
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Fr. Lou Rink
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Bro. Robert Salzmant
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Bro. Theophan Schmitt
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Bro. Donald Steffes
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Bro. Dennis Wangeret
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Bro. John Zolgleman
A Note from Brother Thomas
The President of SFAA, Stephen Koffa, contacted Brother Thomas on November 5, 2017. The following is Bro. Thomas' response to Stephen:
Ah yes, Stephen -- Memories, memories!
Good to hear from you, and presume that your SFAA members are able to find true meaning and purpose in your lives, sharing to some degree your common ties. I am pretty well retired, or shall be at the end of the year with the terminating of my Ministry to the Poor, the latter sustained by the generous response to my appeals for funds for the poor and needy here in Ghana when on my bi-yearly vacations stateside. I shall be continuing as editor of HOLY CROSS TODAY-GHANA quarterly newsletter, and writing a bit about this and that as conference material for our young novices. Our Ghana District now numbers some 50 Ghanaian members, all relating to education in preparation for, if not already with degrees for this.
My health is relatively good at 90, but I now use a cane when going for walks outside, the latter which I still try to keep up with for a modest daily one mile with cane most days, and highly dependent on the benefits of Modern Medical technology!
Truly fond memories of "my" Liberian people, most of whom are still sorely deprived of that which you enjoy stateside. I was there through "thick & thin" for some 27 years, plus two years in writing the three math books for WAEC preparation for Catholic High Schools, but also used by government schools. And since then here in Ghana to make it some 48 years in West Africa--
Peace and joy and prayers for God’s blessings to all --
BT
If you wish to send Brother Thomas well-wishes, you can contact him at the following address:
Brother Tom Dillman, CSC
Editor - Holy Cross Today - Ghana
Distirct of West Africa
Holy Cross District Center - Brafuyaw
P.O.Box AD 183
Cape Coast, Ghana
Brother Thomas can also be reached at the following email address:
Brother Thomas: 66 Years as Brother of Holy Cross
At age 22, I had completed three years of university studies in Engineering, and had a reasonable social life. I happened to read Thomas Merton's Seven Story Mountain. Suffice to say, this served as a significant turning point in my life, and in January, 1950 I entered the postulate at Watertown, Wisconsin.
I entered the novitiate in August, 1950, at Rolling Prairie, Indiana. It is only in retrospect I realize how austere our novitiate program was as compared to today's standards.
I studied at St. Edward's University and continued there in General Engineering studies toward that degree.
After one and a half years, with degree in hand, I was assigned to teach at Cathedral High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, in January, 1952.
Following Final Vows in August, 1954, I went to Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio. During the next 13 years I would teach the Industrial Science classes: Woodworking and Metalworking and Mechanical Drawing, along with Math. I was also Director of Maintenance and bus driver for athletic events.
From September - December 1968 I was the Novice Master and Director of Aspirants at the Holy Cross Brothers' Center at Notre Dame. In less than three months, we had a new provincial and procedural changes. The novices were moved to the Novitiate in Valatie, New York, and I was really happy to be released from an extremely challenging role involving experimaentation and new modus operandi in the formation program.
After enrichment studies in Theology at Notre Dame, I accepted Brother Charles Krupp's request to got to Monrovia, Liberia, to teach math/science at St. Patrick's High School. For the next 42 years I would be a Holy Cross missionary. There is no way to describe the myriad of unfolding events and experiences in my 28 years of ministry in Liberia.
In April, 1996, an open conflict resulted among four different rebel factions erupted in an inner-city civil war in Monrovia, thus closing down all schools, from which the archbishop decided not to reopen St. Patrick's, deciding to opt for a new polytechnic school.
With the closing of St. Patrick's, I was assigned to live with the Holy Cross community in Ghana. There I opted to write math textbooks for the senior high school program in Catholic schools in Liberia.
I am currently editor of our District quarterly newsletter: HOLY CROSS TODAY - GHANA. I also am House Directory of our Holy Cross Community at St. Augustine's College, Cape Coast. All things considered, it has been a wonderful 66 years living out my vocation as a Brother of Holy Cross, more than half of which has been here in West Africa. (Credit: Brothers of Holy Cross)