Bro. Francis Leo Leary, C.S.C.

Valatie- Francis Leo Leary was born on February 24, 1937, in Fall River, Massachusetts. His father, Dr. William A. Leary, was a dentist, and his mother, Ethel Sullivan, a housewife. Francis had an older sister, Ruth, and two younger siblings, Arthur and Sheila. Within two weeks of his birth, Francis was baptized at St. Patrick's Church in Fall River.

For his elementary education, Francis attended Sacred Heart School where he was taught by the Sisters of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts. He then entered Monsignor Coyle High School in Taunton, Massachusetts, where he was taught by the Brothers of Holy Cross.

During his sophomore year, he was confirmed in his faith at Holy Name Church in Fall River. Alongside the strong example of his parents living the faith, Francis had two uncles serving the Church: one, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River; the other, a Franciscan Brother at the Commissariat of the Holy Land in Washington, D.C.

In 1954, after his graduation from Monsignor Coyle, Francis continued his Catholic education at St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont, founded by the Society of St. Edmund. As he considered his options for a career in education, and the importance of faith in his life, he reflected on the positive influence of the Holy Cross Brothers who had taught him in high school. When he wrote for information, Brother Hyacinth Sniatecki, the vocation director, came to visit him in Vermont. Soon after, with the warm support of his parents and the blessing of the Edmundite priests with whom he consulted, Francis entered St. Joseph Juniorate in Valatie, New York, in June of 1956. Two months later he was received into Holy Cross at St. Joseph Novitiate in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. There he made his first profession of vows on August 16, 1957. He made his final profession of vows on August 23, 1960, at St. Joseph Novitiate, Valatie, New York.

Upon entering Holy Cross, the stated intention of Brother Francis was to become a religious who would be Christlike in teaching or any other activity, living and acting the way Jesus would. When he retired in 2016 as a beloved teacher, principal and counselor, he had served over 50 years educating minds and hearts, fulfilling this intention.

Brother Francis completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1959. Later, he took additional courses at St. Joseph's University in New Brunswick, Canada, and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1984, he received a master's degree in Education at St. John's University, Jamaica, New York.

His first assignment, 1959-1960, was to teach English and French at his alma mater, Monsignor Coyle High School. Then for the next five years, Brother Francis taught at Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York. Brother James Branigan, a VI student at the time, said, "We adored him then." The 1965-1966 school year was particularly memorable because he taught English at College Notre-Dame in Montreal with the Canadian Province of the Brothers of Holy Cross, practiced the French language and gained insight into the French-Canadian culture.

His next assignment was to Cardinal Mooney High School in Rochester, New York, where he taught French for five years and was Dean of Students.

Brother Francis then served as principal at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Connecticut, from 1971 to 1980. He arrived to accompany the school's first graduating senior class, and during his nine-year term, he oversaw the successful co-educational merger of the all boy Holy Cross High School with the Waterbury Catholic High School for girls. When Holy Cross of Waterbury inaugurated the Crusader Hall of Honor in 2016, Brother Francis received the Blessed Father Basil Moreau Award for his outstanding service to the school.

While pursuing his master's degree at St. John's University, Brother Francis served as a guidance counselor and athletic director at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York for four years, before assuming the role of principal at Notre Dame High School, West Haven, Connecticut for five years, 1984-1989. Then, Brother Francis returned to Holy Cross High School, Flushing, as a guidance counselor until his retirement in 2016.

In 2013, Brother Francis was featured in the Spring issue of Crossroads, the newsletter for Holy Cross, Flushing. The cover photograph shows him surrounded by happy students who are warmly familiar in his presence. The article reports Brother Francis as saying that being a guidance counselor was the most rewarding job he ever held because it gave him the opportunity to relate to students in a different way than as an administrator - it was "a privilege to enter into their lives." The article also reports that among the items displayed in his office were "his collection of Red Sox baseballs and his World Series book and mug."

Upon his retirement in 2016, a former student posted on Facebook:

"Bro. Francis, your selfless ministry of serving the Christ in each and every student and staff member who had the great joy and privilege of sharing your journey in education is beyond compare. Know that you were an inspiration to me."

The President of Holy Cross, Flushing at the time, Father Walter E. Jenkins, CSC, wrote that besides counseling, Brother Francis spent time "at school events, at baseball and basketball games and going to the all too frequent wake or funeral for someone connected to Cross....It takes tremendous self-knowledge and self-understanding to be as effective with young people as our Brother Francis has been for more than fifty years....Brother Francis possesses a profound empathy. That, I believe, is what gives him entry into the lives of some of the most broken young men and has won the hearts of so many of us."

In his retirement at St. Joseph Center, Brother Francis shared fully in the life and prayers of the Holy Cross community, and enjoyed reading, listening to music and swimming at the YMCA.

Over the past few years, Brother Francis faced numerous health challenges, and as his health declined, he requested hospice care at St. Joseph Center. Kept comfortable and accompanied in prayer, he passed away at age 89 on May 15, 2026.

With his profession of vows, Brother Francis sincerely offered the gift of his life in the imitation of Christ. It is Jesus himself who responds: "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you." (John 15:16)

May the Father now receive Brother Francis and all his good works and welcome him home in heaven.

-Brother Richard Critz, CSC

A period of visitation will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in the chapel at St. Joseph Center, 495 Maple Ln. Valatie, NY 12184. Bro. Francis' Funeral Mass will be celebrated, following the visitation, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in the chapel. The Rite of Committal will immediately follow in the Brothers' Cemetery at St. Joseph Center.

If you plan to stay for lunch, please RSVP to Sue Henderson at sjcval@gmail.com