By Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda
The following is an excerpt from a reflection written by Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in an archdiocesan e-newsletter on Jan. 27, 2025. It is shared here with permission. Brother James Miller, FSC, taught Spanish, English and religion, and started the boys’ soccer program at Cretin High School, now Cretin-Derham Hall, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
This Catholic Schools Week, I would like to celebrate the work of the excellent teachers who make such a difference in our schools by recalling the great witness offered by a Catholic school educator who taught here in the archdiocese, Blessed James Miller, FSC, whose memorial is celebrated later next month (Feb. 13).
In 1966, after professing his first vows with the Christian Brothers, Brother James came to Minnesota to teach Spanish, English and religion at then-Cretin High School. Brother James proved himself to be not only a teacher and coach but also a witness to the love of Christ, as is the case with so many of our excellent archdiocesan teachers. While at Cretin, Brother James always went out of his way to make sure that the school would be in tip-top shape to reflect the importance of the work that took place there, becoming affectionately known by the students as “Brother Fix-it.”
After Brother James professed perpetual vows, he was sent to be a missionary in Latin America, teaching and directing in schools during a turbulent time in Nicaragua. When he returned to Cretin High School in 1979 due to the revolution in Nicaragua, he found himself longing to return to Latin America and teach. He was allowed to return in 1981 and was assigned to a mission in Guatemala, where he taught the Mayan students English and religion, doing all he could to ensure that the young boys were not only able to stay in school (rather than be conscripted to join the military) but also given an experience of the love of Christ.
Sadly, on Feb. 13, 1982, Brother James Miller was shot multiple times and killed by three unknown gunmen as he was repairing the school building. He was deeply mourned by the students he had served both in Guatemala and in St. Paul. When Archbishop Roach celebrated Brother James’ funeral in our cathedral, every pew was filled.
At the time of Brother James’ beatification, Bishop William Callahan, then the bishop of Brother James’ home diocese, La Crosse, wrote that Brother James “was doing what God had made him to do. Standing on a ladder, attending to his school’s building, Brother Fix-it was restoring God’s kingdom — ordered, beautiful, and at the service of those in need.” What a beautiful description of what the teachers in our Catholic schools are called to do day after day.
This Catholic Schools Week, please join me in seeking the intercession of Blessed James Miller, as we ask for the Lord’s blessings on the students, teachers, administrators, benefactors and families of our Catholic schools.