Brother Gerard Rummery (born Richard Melville on 7 March 1931), was a versatile communicator and researcher in ministry, with a strong focus on modernity.
He was born in Blayney, New South Wales (Australia), and joined the De La Salle Brothers at 15. After graduating at Melbourne University, he taught humanities for 14 years at the flagship Brothers’ College in Malvern, Victoria. In 1965, he became the director of the trainee Brothers at Castle Hill, and challenged conservative figures on issues such as teacher training in the late 1960s, and the approach to the De La Salle’s heritage in the late 1970s. Brother Gerard completed his doctoral thesis in 1972 and has consistently advocated a modern interpretation of the Lasallian tradition over the last thirty years.
From 1986 to 2006, he served as a General Councillor of the Institute, and acted as the contact Brother with the Brothers in Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
His career has been marked by his dedication to modernizing Lasallian education and challenging traditional approaches. He was a renowned educator and researcher in ministry, with a wealth of experience and achievements to his name.
A special mention deserves his appointment by Pope John Paul II, in October 1993, as a member of the Preparatory Commission for the 1994 Synod on Consecrated Life, which also earned him the title of ‘Peritus’ (Expert) for the Synod in the same year.
On 7 April 2021, he was conferred the ‘John Johnston Award’ for his life of service to the Lasallian mission. The award is the highest honour given in the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN).
Brother Gerard’s contributions to Lasallian education have been acknowledged with two honorary Ed.D. doctorates, at St. Mary’s Moraga University, San Francisco, in June 1997, and at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, in June 2013. In addition, to honour his contributions, the ‘Gerard Rummery Institute’ was established as the formation committee of the District Lasallian Mission Council.
Brother Gerard has authored six major works, two memorials, ten articles/addresses, and numerous editorials in ‘Word in Life’.
To learn more about the history and contributions of Brother Gerard Rummery: