Two brothers in the diocese are marking their 60th years as members of religious life.
Brother John Leane, S.C., was born and grew up in the South Bronx. He attended St. Luke’s School, St. Joseph’s H.S., Metuchen, N.J., and entered the novitiate of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and pronounced his first vows in August of 1952.
After first vows, he attended the Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. Later, he earned a Master’s degree in Spanish from St. John’s University, Jamaica.
Brother John taught in various schools of the Brothers in Louisiana, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, and he spent some time studying in Colombia, South America. He also taught in Spain and spent three years working as a translator in Rome, Italy. In addition, he worked in the Brooklyn Diocesan Office of Immigration.
Currently, he resides in the Brothers’ Residence at Msgr. McClancy M.H.S., East Elmhurst, and assists the school treasurer in the finance office.
Brother Anthony Savasta, O.S.F., is a native of Brooklyn who attended James Madison H.S., Madison, before entering the Brooklyn Franciscan Brothers’ St. Anthony’s Juniorate, Smithtown, L.I., in January 1952.
He professed first vows in August 1954 and made perpetual vows in August 1957.
For a time, he served as the community’s tailor and a part-time CCD teacher.
He worked many years as a volunteer with Catholic Charities in Brooklyn with the disabled and senior citizens. He retired in 2011.
Three Brothers are celebrating their 50th years in religious lif
Brother Michel Bettigole, O.S.F., a native of Astoria, attended St. Joseph’s school, St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg, and Hunter College, where he earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.
He received the Franciscan Habit in January 1962 and made his final profession in 1968.
He taught at St. Anthony of Padua, Greenpoint; Our Lady of Angels, Bay Ridge; St. Anthony’s H.S., Smithtown, L.I.; and Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope.
From 1974 to 1978, he was Academic Dean at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows. In 1980, he returned to Bishop Ford as principal and served in that post until 1988.
He was then named the first program director at The Prayer Channel.
In 1994, Brother Michel was named principal at Cardinal Gibbons H.S., Raleigh, N.C. There, he was instrumental in guiding the growth of the student body from 330 to 1050 students and he oversaw the construction of a new high school building.
The editor of three books, Brother Michel also has been honored by the National Catholic Education Association and the Lewis Foundation in North Carolina.
He currently resides at Our Lady of Angels Friary in Bay Ridge. He is a member of the board of trustees of C.H.I.P.S., a soup kitchen and women’s shelter in Park Slope, and serves as a member of the Diocesan Council for Religious.
Brother Andrew Manniello, O.S.F., is a native of Astoria, who attended P.S. 122, Long Island City H.S., and St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights.
In 1961, after a year and a half of college, he applied to the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn and entered the novitiate at Wyandanch, L.I.
After professing vows in 1964, he continued his studies at Hunter College and St. Francis College. In 1966, he was awarded the Brother Kevin Ryan Award for excellence in philosophy and was granted a grant by Fordham University, the Bronx, to pursue studies there.
He was awarded a doctorate in 1974.
Brother Andrew’s interests include philosophy as well as literature, art and music. Between 1974 and 1980, he conducted the Inner City Chorus, the St. Francis College Glee Club and the St. Anthony’s H.S. student and adult choral ensembles.
He also taught at St. Francis Prep, 1971-74; St. Anthony’s H.S., Smithtown, 1974-79; and St. Francis Prep, 1979-2009. In 2006, he was awarded the academic Excellence Award for outstanding teaching and service to the institution. He also served there as girls varsity tennis assistant coach.
Since 2009, he has worked as an adjunct instructor in mathematics at St. Francis College.
He has resided since 1980 at the friary at St. Francis Prep.
Brother John Raeihle, F.M.S., was born in South Ozone Park, and entered the Marist Brothers Novitiate, Esopus, N.Y., in 1962.
He received the Marist Habit in 1963.
He has taught at Resurrection-Ascension School, Rego Park, and Christ the King R.H.S., Middle Village.
Since 1979, he has been a retreat coordinator, guidance counselor and teacher at Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood.
A graduate of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he received an M.A. in Education from St. John’s University in 1969.
He presently resides at a Marist Brothers community in Manhasset, L.I.
Two brothers are celebrating their 25th anniversaries.
Brother Jonathan Beebe, C.S.C., a licensed clinical social worker, was born and raised in West Haven, Conn. He attended Notre Dame H.S., where he felt a connection to the Brothers and entered their ranks.
After many years as a psychotherapist in Georgia and in New York City and ending up at Brooklyn Catholic Charities, Woodside, he was asked to do full-time “internal ministry” as the Vocation Director for the new Moreau Province of Holy Cross, stretching from New England to Austin, Texas.
For the last four years, he has exercised his talents with electronic and printed resources, interacting with a wide variety of groups to encourage the growth of a vocation culture, and helping men discern their call to religious life in the congregation.
Brother Steven O’Neil, S.M., was attracted to the Marianists because of their inclusive family spirit.
He has been a teacher in formal and informal settings, worked alongside people living in poverty and worked for justice through advocacy and systemic change. Presently, he works as the Marianist NGO representative at the United Nations and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
He has lived at St. John’s Home for Boys, Rockaway Park, for the last nine years.
