Cletus Drew

Recently, Cletus’ quality of life deteriorated as cancer spread throughout his body.  After a time in hospital, Cletus decided on receiving no more dialysis treatment and was moved to Molloy House, the nursing home facility at our Campbelltown Community.  This morning, he passed away peacefully around 4:40am.  Br Jeff Barrington had been with him a short time earlier with his medication.  Our sympathies go to Br Lawrie McCane (Community Leader) and the Brothers of the Canberra Community and to Clete's family, most of whom have stayed at Campbelltown in the past week.  Our thanks to Br Jeff Barrington and the nursing staff at Molloy House for their exceptional care of our brother during these past days.

Family Details:

• Date of Birth:  May 9, 1936.
• Place of Birth: Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
• Baptismal Name:  Anthony Willis Drew.

School and Initial Formation:

• Juniorate: February 4, 1954 – December 31, 1955 at Mittagong.
• Postulancy: December 31, 1955 – July 1, 1956 at Mittagong.
• Novitiate: July 2, 1956 – July 1, 1957 at Mittagong.

Vows:

• First Vows:  July 2, 1957 – at Mittagong to Br Hilary Conroy.
• Perpetual Vows: January 15, 1963 – at Hunters Hill to Br Quentin Duffy.

Ongoing Education and Formation:

• Champagnat College (Scholasticate) Victorian Registration – 1958.
• Fribourg Second Novitiate – February 2, 1982 to June 3, 1982.
• B.Ed. studies at Catholic College of Education (Sydney) – 1985 to 1986.
• Marcellin Hall (N.Z.) Renewal Course – 1992.
• Graduate Diploma of Education (Special Ed) – 1995.
• Hawkstone Hall Renewal Course – January 1, 1998 to May 31, 1998.
• Third Age Renewal, Manziana – October 15, 2008 to December 15, 2008.

Community and Ministry Appointments:

Cletus’ parents ran a small Merino sheep farm at Collector (a small town on the Federal Highway between Goulbourn and Canberra) and raised a family of 5 girls and 2 boys, one of them being the young Anthony (Br Cletus).  After attending St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown, he entered the Juniorate in 1954, received the Habit in July 1956 and made first vows in 1957.  Since then he worked in Marist Primary schools all his life, some as Principal (Broadway, North Sydney, Bondi Beach, Parramatta, Cairns (3 times), Penshurst, Coogee, Westmead, Canberra (twice) and Murgon).  He was a Primary Schools’ man through and through.  His most recent ministry was working in the Primary Learning Support area at Marist College Canberra.  In his own words: “I have enjoyed living with the Brothers, working with children, their parents and staffs, admiring their talents, energies and innate goodness.”

May he rest in peace.

__________________
Br Matthew Clarke – Province Secretary.