NAFRA 2010 Peace Award Nomination for Brother David Buer, OFM
The Saint Thomas More Region Executive Council and the following local fraternities within this Region: Saint Anthony Fraternity, Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity, Pope John XXIII Fraternity, Saint Francis Fraternity, Our Lady of the Rosary Fraternity, Saint Clare of Assisi Fraternity, Peace Fraternity, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon Emerging Fraternity, Portiuncula Fraternity, and San Damiano Fraternity humbly nominate, Brother David Buer, OFM, Regional Spiritual Assistant and Saint Anthony Fraternity Spiritual Assistant for the 2010 NAFRA Peace Award.
Brother David lives the poverello life. He is humble, seeks only to help others, refrains from judging others, and praises God in all he does. He has made a life time of seeking out our poor and society’s forgotten men and women and serving them with dignity, kindness, and love. He clearly understands that by serving others will we find peace. He is a role model for not only Franciscans or Catholics but for all people. He evangelizes through the way he lives his life, using words if necessary. During the past year he has worked to open a cooling station allowing homeless men to spend some time inside a cool building during our blistering summers. This past winter he was instrumental in convincing members of other faiths and organizations to open a shelter for homeless men during the coldest nights of the year.
Most recently when Arizona passed a controversial law on immigration, Brother David steadfastly continued his humanitarian service to those who are crossing our southern deserts. He knows the law does not serve the poor and the helpless and he is tireless in his work to help them. He speaks to groups on the humanitarian efforts that are currently going on in Arizona but more importantly he lives it! There is no fanfare, nor boasting of what he has done for years to help the poor. He simply serves his fellow brothers and sisters with love and will continue to do so as others still argue the law.
He has managed to carve out time in his exhausting schedule to facilitate a Franciscan Family Connections class for our Region to help fulfill the need for local spiritual assistants. His nature is to be accepting and encouraging as the participants move through this course and eventually on to serve as spiritual assistants.
He truly deserves to be nominated for the NAFRA 2010 Peace Award. Brother David Buer, o.f.m., is from the Santa Barbara Province of Franciscan Friars, California. Two fraternities in the Saint Thomas More Region have provided some history of Br. David’s unwavering service to our marginalized and too often forgotten brothers and sisters.
- By Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity of Secular Franciscans, Las Vegas, Nevada:
Brother David came to the Las Vegas, Nevada area in the late 1990’s. He quickly recognized that even though Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army provided overnight shelter and beds for the homeless in Las Vegas, there was a tremendous need for a daytime home for homeless men. In 1997 through challenging work and the awesome task of raising the funds, Brother David opened Poverello House in Las Vegas, near what is known as the Homeless Corridor, where many of the homeless live. It is a welcoming place where homeless men can receive two nutritious meals during their day’s stay. The homeless men are also given clothing, blankets, and personal hygiene items, when needed. Showers and laundry facilities are available and are regularly put to good use. The men also can take naps on the beds or watch television or play games for recreation. They can also sit and rest in the large enclosed yard. Poverello House was established to provide a place where homeless men could find a safe haven to rest and refresh themselves before they began searching for a bed for the night. Poverello House is open five days a week. In 2002, Brother David started a second Poverello House in nearby Henderson, Nevada. It also welcomes homeless women one day a week.
Brother David made sure that the homeless were and are respected. He exhibits this through his caring, live-giving words he uses with all people, including those who may live on the streets. His humble approach to life is demonstrated by giving and serving our poor and marginalized brothers and sisters. Such as Saint Francis said, “Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary.” Brother David preaches the Gospel by his actions. He uses words when necessary, especially when it involves housing, services, or laws that affect the homeless. He became known to the Las Vegas Mayor and the city council, when he would speak on behalf of the homeless, whenever it was necessary. We, the Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity, would also go to the city council meetings with Brother David to face the mayor; to bring petitions opposing any closings of facilities or services for the homeless that the city was planning. The wintertime was the worst for closing shelters. Brother David was the first in line to fight for the rights of the homeless. We would also stand in silent protest or walk with Brother David on the Las Vegas Strip.
Brother David has been an inspiration to the Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity of Secular Franciscans. His Franciscan spirituality, respect and caring for the homeless (our present day lepers) and preaching the Gospel by living it, has changed our lives. We have washed walls, cleaned toilets, painted and have taken turns cooking at Poverello House. We still do. Brother David is a man of peace. He simply serves others with dignity and grace. He asks nothing for himself.
Brother David has taken members of the Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity on walks through the Homeless Corridor in Las Vegas to meet personally the homeless, to put faces and humanity on the homeless. Those type of experiences opened our eyes to see what the homeless have to go through in their everyday lives. Walking the railroad tracks and seeing the tent cities gave us all a greater appreciation for the blessings that the Lord has given us and how much we need to give to our fellow brothers and sisters.
Brother David would sleep on the streets and spend vigil time for a number of days while fasting, taking in water only. Many Secular Franciscans met him for prayers while he was fasting. Secular Franciscans would also bring him communion while he would be on the streets. On one of the vigils, Brother David was interviewed by a local television station. A woman watching the newscast saw her brother in the background. She had not seen him in years. This is the Holy Spirit at work.
Brother David was also involved with Saint James the Apostle Catholic Church in Las Vegas. His Franciscan Community provided the Pastor for the parish, which serves primarily the African American community. Brother David was always available to help with the outreach programs. He was vital in securing and distributing food for the needy people who live around the parish.
Brother David is always in motion, seeking to help others. He never says “no” to anyone who needs help. He models Franciscan spirituality and how a Franciscan can lead a life of helping and serving others. He served as Spiritual Director of the Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity of Secular Franciscans. The Secular Franciscans learned a great deal from him by the way he lead his life of peace and joy in all he approached. It was a great loss for them when his order left Las Vegas and he was transferred to Arizona. The lessons he taught them about being Franciscan continue to be valuable and poignant in a city with so much neglect of their homeless populations.
- By Saint Anthony Fraternity of Secular Franciscans, Tucson, Arizona:
Saint Anthony Fraternity's prayers were answered when Brother David became the Spiritual Assistant in 2005. He wished us a Happy Liturgical Year as we began our Advent season in that year. He reminded us that we live in the world, but also that we have another clock as Catholics, as Franciscans - that the liturgical calendar alerts us to spiritual realities that feed our souls that edify our humanity. He has since shown us by example that he lives that truth.
The first few months he was in and out of town - the friars of the Southwest region of Saint Barbara Province in the spring of 2004 elected him to serve on the Chapter Steering Committee which required meetings in the San Francisco Bay area about every six weeks. That work culminated with the Provincial Chapter at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA in January of 2006. At that time, he also continued to serve on the board of Poverello House in Las Vegas, the house of hospitality for the homeless.
He had hoped to have Father Walter Holly, OFM, as his mentor during those first months but our Lord called him home soon after Brother David accepted. He said he was comforted on occasions when he walked over to the cemetery down the road from the Mission to visit his grave. He knew he had another Franciscan friend in Heaven who was praying for us.
He urged us to reach out to Poor Clare Monasteries because it is important that the relationships with the other branches remain strong. By praying with each other, we could educate each other in our Franciscan journey. Since there were no Poor Clare monasteries near us at the time, this was accomplished at one of our meetings by the members writing a personal letter to the Poor Clares in Roswell, New Mexico. Brother David sent the 15 letters in a manila envelope to them. We received a little packet of materials including a letter from the Abbess with the name of the 21 Sisters and 1 Postulant there. This ultimately led to 39 pilgrims in the Saint Thomas More Region to participate in a 500 mile bus trip to the Poor Clare Monastery in Roswell. It was a pilgrimage to connect the Franciscan family of friars, Poor Clare Sisters and Secular Franciscans. The pilgrimage included a tour of San Xavier Mission led by Dr. Bunny Fontana, Mass and supper at St. Joseph's Apache Mission in Mescalero, New Mexico a 12-hour day of prayer with the Poor Clares in Roswell, which included three conferences by Capuchin Father McCreary. The bus was used for times of prayer, song and audio CDs on "Francis of Assisi, A New Way of Being Christian" narrated by Bill Short, OFM. Brother David coordinated this trip.
Brother David visits the home-bound members of our Fraternity quite often. He enjoys those visits and urges those members to write the stories of their Franciscan journeys. These were published in the monthly newsletters.
July 3rd of 2006, Brother David opened the doors at Saint Francis Cooling Center for the homeless. It was in the basement of an old building on Santa Cruz's property. With the help of volunteers, the basement was fixed up to be usable. Two air conditioners were installed along with a large kitchen sink. The graffiti on the walls were cleaned up, a half dozen fans were brought and inexpensive tables and chairs were gotten from St. Vincent de Paul. Some cots were borrowed from the Interfaith Homeless committee. Funds from a diocesan grant were received. Two port-a-potties were donated and a new roof was installed when a monsoon storm tore the roofing off. Thanks, to Father Bob Carney of St. Francis de Sales Church, two freezers were donated. Reverend Bandon Wert at Southside Presbyterian worked two days to help get the basement ready to open. They were open from noon to 4:45 pm, 6 days a week until August 9. The Saint Francis Cooling Center averaged 30 guests a day.
In the winter of 2007, after Brother David’s attempt to get a shelter opened for the homeless failed, he instead rented a van and went out each evening providing hot soup, hot chocolate, bread, cookies and blankets to the homeless. The food was generously provided by Caridad, a feeding program begun by Father Joe Baker at Holy Family Church. From 6 - 9 pm, he and a helper patrolled some of the washes in the area, Santa Rita Park, the streets near the Convention Center, Santa Cruz Church, Millers Surplus, Ajo, and the Santa Cruz River, the main library and any place they found homeless camped. They continued six nights a week through February.
He considers it a blessing to have worked almost thirty years with the homeless - the Open Door community in Atlanta, St. Francis Center in Denver, the Franciscan House of Mary and Joseph in Chicago, the Catholic Workers in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and elsewhere. He is still amazed at how blessed the work is when the poor and homeless are treated with respect and dignity as we work to get their basic needs met.
Brother David recently opened a Poverello Hospitality House here in Tucson similar to the one in Las Vegas. The homeless can come by appointment to spend a day in a home where they can take a shower, wash their clothes, get needed clothes and have a cooked meal.
When the homeless receive food, shelter, showers and hospitality, it is good. But Saint Paul's challenging words remind us that without love, it is nothing. We know this is true in other areas of our lives. If we get into disputes, do we allow anger and righteousness with our position disrupt our fraternal relations? With love and mutual respect, we can defend our deeply held beliefs without disrupting our relationships. As we go about our daily work, do we get irritable with co-workers who we judge to not be carrying their weight? Or do we recognize that Jesus calls us to 'forgive those who trespass against us? Brother David asks us.
He is very involved in the "No More Deaths" movement which works with humanitarian help to the migrants coming across the border. He regularly goes on patrol in the southern Arizona desert near the Mexican border in order to provide water, shelter from the sizzling sun, food and basic clothing items such as hats, sox and shoes. Poverty has no boundaries so Br. David courageously serves all he meets in the desert and stands up for the immigrants who are seeking a better life.
Brother David served Saint Thomas More Region as a "de facto" Regional Spiritual Assistant for many months before being officially installed as Regional Spiritual Assistant at the Pastoral and Fraternal Visitation of the Region in July of 2008.
Brother David wrote a 20-page report for the provincial on the Religious Brothers, Franciscan Saint Barbara Province, 1908-2008". The book, "Gregor Janknecht and the Franciscans in Nineteenth Century United States and Europe" published by the Academy of American Franciscan History Berkeley, CA has in the Editor's Note inside: Special thanks to Brother David Buer, OFM for facilitating this project. Without his determination it would never have come to fruition.
We are blessed to know Brother David as our Region’s Spiritual Assistant. He provides compassion and concern to all he meets. He offers ideas on how we as Secular Franciscans can reach out to other Franciscans and has planned activities to do so. At our Regional Council meetings, Executive Council meetings, workshops, days of retreat, and pilgrimages, Brother David peacefully speaks and walks the talk.
Peace and joy from Saint Thomas More Region:
Terry McCarthy, Sr., SFO, Minister, Saint Anthony Fraternity
Madge Lange, SFO, Minister, Saint Margaret of Cortona Fraternity
Rosie Roman, SFO, Minister, Pope John XXIII Fraternity
Linda Raimundo, SFO, Minister, Saint Francis of Assisi Fraternity
Robert Bundy, SFO, Minister, Our Lady of the Rosary Fraternity and Region Treasurer
Ron Muller, SFO, Minister, Saint Clare of Assisi Fraternity
Lynn O’Connor, SFO, Minister, Peace Fraternity
Kathleen Ott, SFO, Minister, San Damiano Fraternity
Michael Nam, SFO, Minister, Saint Andrew Taegon Emerging Fraternity
Clarita Caswell, SFO, Minister, PortiunculaFraternity
Carol Bundy, SFO, Region Formation Director
Paul Winter, SFO, Region Youth Councilor
Rosemarie LeClercq, SFO, JPIC Councilor
Pat Nikolaisen, SFO, Region Secretary
Bill Neu, SFO, Region Vice Minister
Susan Simeone, SFO Region Minister
Cc: Pat Nikolaisen, Region Secretary
