Brother Martin Hernandez, S.C., our namesake, passed into eternal life thirty-three years ago. This morning, our Principal, Mr. Ryan Gallagher '00, reflected on Brother Martin's legacy:
"It is important that we reflect upon and celebrate the many men and women - both religious and lay Partners in Mission - who have helped pave the way for each of us to be here at Brother Martin High School. Five years ago, the sculpture of Brother Martin Hernandez, S.C. was unveiled as our school community paid homage to this important man. This sculpture, made possible by the incredible generosity of those whose hearts were touched by Brother Martin Hernandez in and around these very hallways and classrooms many years ago, stands as a testament to his lasting legacy. His sculpture stands in the back courtyard, overlooking his school. We walk this campus under the watchful eye of Brother Martin Hernandez every day.
In the days following Brother Martin’s death in 1991, former WWL-TV news director Phil Johnson made Brother Martin the subject of his weekly television editorial. Mr. Johnson wrote, in part, the following in honor of Brother Martin:
"[Twenty-two years ago,] when St. Aloysius High School closed and was torn down, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart incorporated that student body into another school they ran on Elysian Fields Avenue called Cor Jesu. They felt a new name was needed for the school, now that it was an amalgamation of two schools, so they named it to honor the most outstanding member of their order – Brother Martin Hernandez.
Brother Martin was a legendary name, particularly here. Everybody agreed it was most suitable to name the new school after him. There was but one dissenting vote – Brother Martin himself. He objected strenuously. But he was outvoted. It was one of those rare moments when honors were paid to a person before he died, rather than after. And it was so fitting. Brother Martin was, indeed, a legend in his own time.
When he died at age eighty-seven, he had been a Brother of the Sacred Heart for seventy-two years. In his last will and testament, he said: “If I have done any good in my life, it was done only because God used me as His instrument.” What an instrument. What a man. What a legacy to leave to his school and to this community."
Gentlemen, the man whose name our school is memorialized by is a legend. He dedicated his life to evangelizing young people through education for seventy-two years. He joined the Brothers of the Sacred Heart at the young age of 15 years old - younger than many of you students. What an incredible vision by an incredible man, a vision we continue to benefit from today."
