BY SALO OTERO.
Laredo native Brother Joseph Herrera, a Religious Marist Brother, affectionately known as “Brother Joe,” left a defined imprint on the landscape of his beloved Laredo. Brother Joe, a much-valued faith and prayer-filled religious educator at St. Joseph Academy and later at J.W. Nixon High School, died Tuesday at age 77 after an illness.
Brother Joe’s legacy reached far beyond his mathematics classroom students with his involvement in several parishes with both youth and adult retreat and music ministries. He was a familiar face in the Search For Christian Maturity high school retreats which later became Youth Cursillo at San Francisco Xavier Parish in far west Laredo near Laredo College.
His jovial personality and knack of playing the guitar attracted Catholics of all ages. The era of his classroom days at Nixon included almost daily, and for sure weekly, bomb threats disrupting many a class as students and teachers evacuated the campus buildings. Brother Joe, more than a handful of times, applied the Marist wisdom of preparation. He came prepared. Before the bomb threat signal alert, he was already teaching his class outside the building under a shade tree.
And the guitar? Brother Joe devoted his time teaching others to play the guitar, thus planting the seeds for music in church youth and adult choirs. The reflection: “Singing is like praying twice” came alive. With Brother Joe in the background, the parish chorus lines that flourished were at San Martin de Porres, Blessed Sacrament, St. Patrick, Christ the King, St. John Neuman and others.
Thankful to you Brother Joe. Your music seeds emphasized the word “treat” in “reTREAT.” May you rest in Peace. You will be missed.
Salo Otero
Salo Otero
Salo Otero