Dear Jonathan and Janeen; Rhonda, Peter, Geoff, Robert and Jenny; and all our OE/ICA colleagues,

When I shared this sad news of Brian’s completed life with Joe, he said “Brian was one of the great statesmen of the Church and our Order.” 

And we began remembering our time in the Sydney House in the 70s with Brian and Rhonda and their lovely young children; and then times later on in the US and elsewhere when Brian and Rhonda were priors in various locations and always brought maturity and deep spirituality to the work they undertook in support of our mission.

More recently we learned (thanks to Jeanette) of the research into the “role of the elder” that the Stanfields, Robins and Oakleys undertook in Australia before Brian Stanfield died.  And in reflecting on that work, in relationship to Fr. Richard Rohr’s work in his book Falling Upward, a spirituality for the two halves of life, we are convinced that very early on Brian was a “second half of life” person ministering to “soul needs” not “ego needs”.

We celebrate the wisdom, steadiness, welcoming smile, fine mind and deep faith this dear colleague shared with us and we will surely miss him, as do those many who have loved him.

Grace and peace,

Marilyn and Joe Crocker

To friends and colleagues near and far