Meet Br. Stephen
The Midwest District interviewed Br. Stephen Markham, a Senior Brother who is retired, serving as Parish Pastoral Care at Saint Joseph Church in Iowa and acts as a Lasallian Animator for St. Mary’s University (Winona, MN).
What inspired you to become a Christian Brother?
I was impressed with the Franciscan Sisters of Dubuque, IA who ran the schools I attended for grades 1 - 12. Then when I was seriously ill while in grade 8 and was homeschooled under the guidance of Sister Verina, her kindness and personal attention inspired me and I recall thinking at the time I would like to, and intend to, be a teacher. Later, The De La Salle Christian Brothers’ ad in a local paper that read “All Brothers, all Teachers” caused me to pursue the vocation and I praise God for the past fifty-nine years as a De La Salle Brother.
Share an interesting story about your time at a school.
While teaching seniors at Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville, Iowa one of my finest students, Ray, did not show up for graduation. I was named Auxiliary Visitor that Spring and thus left Dyersville. While visiting my parents in the Dyersville area the following Christmas Ray contacted me by phone and arranged for us to get together the following day. He told me he freaked-out on graduation day, hitchhiked across the country, got into a lot of unhealthy behaviors and then enrolled in one of the Iowa universities in the fall.
One day while being zoned out while in a psychology class the phrase “Let us remember we are in God’s holy presence” flashed through his head. He recalled that that came from Br. Stephen’s religion class and found himself recalling that he had not done one thing since he left Dyersville to remind himself that he lived in God’s presence. He said he committed himself to start attending Sunday Mass again, at least until he could find something that allowed him to remember God’s presence in his life.
I visited him some ten years later in California and learned that he was a biology teacher in a Catholic school in California.
What is one wish you have for the next generation?
To grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and trust in their ability to help others do the same.
What is your life like after retirment?
It is great. I am blessed to be surrounded with parishioners, former students, and friends who remember me from earlier days here. I am showered with their kindness and love. I have enough ministry to be able to feel that I can continue to touch the hearts of another generation. I never get up in the morning wondering what I need to do or should do, but praise God for what I can do and what I want to do. I have yet to have a day wondering what I will do.