New Leader Of Christian Brothers Has Philadelphia Roots
By Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The new superior general of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools has strong ties to Philadelphia.
Brother Robert Schieler grew up in Southwest Philadelphia - the oldest of seven children.
After graduation from West Catholic in 1968, Schieler says he was so impressed by the dedication and committment of the 45 brothers on the school faculty that he decided to enter the order's novitiate:
"I had originally thought about being a teacher and the more I was exposed to the brothers over the fours years of my time at West Catholic, I was impressed by what they were doing and I thought, well, maybe I have a vocation for this so let me give it a try."
Along the way, Schieler taught at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, was principal at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, spent more than ten years in the Philippines and served for many years as a board trustee at La Salle University.
Now based in Rome for at least the next seven years, Schieler says as vocations to the religious life decline, his mission is to reach out to and recruit more lay men and women to help carry on the order's work.
