Brother Dennis Craig Honored By Religious Brothers Conference

Brother Dennis Craig trims Brother Tom Kelly's hair as Brother Ken Woods observes. Brother Dennis was honored with the Brotherhood Witness Award for his work with Glenmary senior members like Brother Tom.

CINCINNATI—Glenmary Brother Dennis Craig received the 2008 Annual Brotherhood Witness Award, presented by the Religious Brothers Conference (RBC) in July. The RBC is a service organization in the Catholic Church whose mission is to promote the identity and vocation of all brothers from the apostolic, contemplative and monastic traditions. Each year the conference presents three awards to deserving brothers in the categories of Witness, Ministry and Presence.

A native of Anthon, Iowa, Brother Dennis has been a Glenmary brother for 43 years. Shortly after joining Glenmary in 1965 he became a member of the Glenmary Brothers Building Crew which traveled through the home missions building churches and parish centers as well as repairing people’s homes. Later, as a parish brother in West Union, Ohio, Brother Dennis helped with religious education, visited parishioners, and worked in the parish and in the greater community doing outreach through building projects and evangelization.

Brother Dennis received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from St. Louis (Missouri) University in 1981 and a Masters of Pastoral Theology from Loyola (Illinois) University in 1990.

During the past nine years Brother Dennis has focused his ministry on serving Glenmary’s senior members. A key part of this ministry is being present to and spending time with senior members who have had surgery or are dying. “A lot of the time we’re their family,” says Brother Dennis, who shares this ministry with Brother Ken Woods. “Brother Dennis has been tireless in attending to the needs of our senior members,” says Father Dan Dorsey, Glenmary’s president.

Brother Dennis also serves as the Guest Master and House Director for the Glenmary residence in Cincinnati where he “goes out of his way” to make visitors to Glenmary Headquarters feel “a part of the Glenmary family,” says Father Dorsey.

Brother Dennis admits it is quite an honor to receive the 2008 Brotherhood Award and says it’s “extremely humbling for me when I think about all the thousands of brothers out there who could have received it.”

“I am thrilled that Brother Dennis is being recognized for the compassionate and loving service that he has given over the past nine years to our Glenmary seniors,” says Father Dorsey. “Above all, he is truly a witness of what it means to be brother.”

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