CULLMAN – The president of Saint Bernard Preparatory School, Father Joel Martin, O.S.B., has announced the appointment of Brother Linus Klucsarits, O.S.B. as assistant headmaster of the School. Under the immediate direction of School Headmaster Daniel Baillargeon, Br. Linus will maintain an office in the middle school, where he will serve as its administrator. Other responsibilities will be the discipline program of the school, grades 7-12, and the English Language Learner program for many international students who attend Saint Bernard.
Br. Linus is a native of Allentown, Pennsylvania and was the second of five children born to the late William and Alice Klucsarits. A product of Catholic schools, he graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School in 1983. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Saint Charles Seminary in Philadelphia in 1987. He is an alumnus of Gallaudet University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and obtained his Master of Arts in sign language interpreting. After becoming a monk of St. Bernard Abbey, Br. Linus earned a second master’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studying education with a focus on teaching English as a second language. Presently enrolled at Saint Meinrad School of Theology at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, Br. Linus will receive his M.Div. degree this May in preparation for his ordination to the priesthood.
Br. Linus joined Saint Bernard Abbey in 2011 and took solemn vows in 2015. In March of 2016 he was ordained a deacon, and plans are for him to be ordained a priest this June. Br. Linus had a career working with the deaf and hearing impaired before entering the monastery. He was a tenured professor of sign language interpreting and ran the Interpreter Education program at Camden County College in Blackwood, New Jersey for 13 years. Br. Linus was also a certified sign language interpreter with certification in interpreting and transliterating. He taught ESL (English as a Second Language) at Saint Bernard for two and a half years. In addition, he implemented the ESL Summer Program and taught theology to ninth-grade students.
Br. Linus enjoys several hobbies, including gardening, running and even cross-stitching. In 2015 he completed his first full marathon and has run several half-marathons.
Father Joel said, “It’s a double pleasure for us to have Brother Linus back home full-time after his studies for the priesthood, and to have a tried and true educator and monk dedicated to the life of our school.”
