Three Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn are marking significant anniversaries this year. Brother Emmet Corry, O.S.F., is celebrating 60 years with the community, and Brothers Lawrence Boyle, O.S.F., and Edward Wesley, O.S.F., are members of the 50th anniversary class.

 

Brother Emmett Corry, O.S.F., born as Patrick J. Corry, attended St. Francis de Sales School, Belle Harbor. He entered St. Anthony’s Juniorate in 1949.

He received the Franciscan habit in 1953 and was professed in 1955. He attended St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, and later earned a master of library science degree from Columbia University and a doctorate in media studies from N.Y.U. in 1977.

He taught at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Bedford-Stuyvesant; St. Patrick’s, Bay Ridge; and St. Anthony’s, Greenpoint, 1954 to 1962. He was founding librarian at Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, and remained in that post from 1962 to 1969. He was the periodicals librarian at St. Francis College, 1969-70, and was a librarian and teacher in St. Anthony’s H.S., Smithtown, L.I., 1970-72, returning there in 1974 after serving two years at St. John’s University, Jamaica.

In 1977, Brother Emmett became an associate professor of St. John’s University’s graduate Division of Library and Information Science and its director from 1989 to 1994. Before his retirement in 1995, he was awarded the rank of full professor.

He has been active in the library profession as a council member of the Catholic Library Association, 1989-91. He is the author of Grants for Libraries.

As an active member of the New York Irish History Roundtable, he became its president in 1994. During his tenure, he had the honor of hosting Mary Robinson, the president of Ireland, at a symbolic meal to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Irish Famine.

Brother Emmett is the author of The History of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn in Ireland and America that was published by St. Francis College and the Franciscan Brothers.

Brother Emmett moved to Our Lady of Angels Friary, Bay Ridge, in 2001 and subsequently to Lutheran Augustana Center, Sunset Park.

 

Brother Lawrence Boyle, O.S.F., was raised in Glendale and is a graduate of St. Pancras School, Glendale, and St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg.

He entered St. Francis Novitiate, in Upper Brookville, L.I., in 1962 and professed vows on Aug. 2, 1964.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights; a master’s in education from St. John’s University, Jamaica; and also a professional diploma in educational administration and supervision from Fordham University, Lincoln Center.

He taught at Our Lady of Angels, Bay Ridge; and St. Joseph’s School, Babylon, L.I., before being assigned in 1971 to St. Francis Prep, Brooklyn, where he taught and was chairman of the Social Studies Department.

Beginning in 1977, he served as an administrator at various schools, including: St. Bartholomew School, Elmhurst; St. Mary Star of the Sea School, Carroll Gardens; and Fort Greene Catholic School, Adelphi St. He also served as assistant to the academic dean at St. Francis College.

In 1984, he joined the faculty of St. Anthony’s H.S, when it relocated to South Huntington, L.I., assisting in student services and teaching social studies.

He joined the staff of the Superintendent of Education in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1988, and he served as a district superintendent for Brooklyn East.

He returned to St. Anthony’s H.S. in 1998 as a teacher and then school treasurer. He joined the staff of St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, in 2004 as the registrar and currently serves in that position.

 

Brother Edward Wesley, O.S.F., was born in Brooklyn and was raised in St. Stanislaus Kostka parish, Greenpoint, where he attended elementary school and went on to St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg, before entering the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn in 1962 and receiving the habit in 1963.

He attended the novitiate in Upper Brookville, L.I., and the Scholasticate in Brooklyn Heights.

He taught at St. Aidan’s Elementary School, Williston Park, L.I., while completing his bachelor’s degree at St. Francis College. He was then assigned to St. Bartholomew School, Elmhurst.

In 1969, he took final vows and joined the faculty at St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg. He did graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and pursued additional course work at Queens College, The New School and St. John’s University.

After teaching briefly at Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, he was assigned to St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, until 1983 when he began doctoral studies in English at the University of Notre Dame.

In 1987, he returned to Brooklyn where he worked as curriculum coordinator for the Catholic schools and later served as principal of Newman Prep in Wayne, N.J., and Bailey-Ellard H.S., Madison, N.J.

He also has worked in formation in a pre-novitiate house in Brooklyn and has directed a pre-novitiate house in Woodside. He was elected a general councilor for the Franciscan Brothers and served as Secretary General in that office.

He is an associate professor of English at St. Francis College where he had also served as chair of the English Department.