Photo Courtesy of The New Orleans Advocate
With sadness at his passing, but with joy at a life long lived in service of God, we share with you the death of Brother Warren Laudumiey ’36 SA. He was 95 years old when he passed away this past Saturday.
Some may remember Brother Warren, who worked here at Brother Martin and lived in the next door residence, up to Hurricane Katrina. Over his many years as a Brother of the Sacred Heart, Warren played a quiet but important role in the Brothers’ mission. Early in his ministry, he was one of the first brothers to bring missionary appeal to Africa, specifically to Uganda and Zambia. When he returned to the States, he was a teacher of young brothers in the novitiate.
When in New Orleans in the 70s and 80s, he served 12 years as the provincial secretary for Brothers Lee and Xavier, who served as provincials in that time. At Brother Martin, he taught English and study skill courses. Much of his later years here were spent in auxiliary ministries, such as maintaining our first collection of audio/visual materials in the video collection room (now a part of the downstairs faculty room), maintaining the front entrance information sign listing the week’s activities and upcoming events, and calling priests to serve our students with the sacrament of reconciliation. This latter responsibility was especially important to Brother Warren because of his reverence for this particular sacrament. In the days before electronic communications and cell phones, one can imagine how challenging it was to contact and line up priests for multiple days of reconciliation here on our campus!
Warren was a gentle, soft spoken, unassuming man, always well-groomed and well dressed and always with a kind word–a true gentleman. His example to us all was the great care and calmness with which he handled his ministry, attesting to the natural and inexorable manner of always doing “the right thing.” One couldn’t help but feel calm and at peace in his presence.
May Brother Warren rest in peace.
The Brothers in Baton Rouge, where Warren was living, are holding a Memorial Mass for him on Saturday, December 5th at 5 p.m. in the Brothers’ Chapel on the campus of Catholic High School, at 801 Hearthstone Drive. A similar service will be held for him here in New Orleans at a later date, to be determined. Brother Warren has donated his body to science.
