Philip Drouin

Alfred- Brother Philip Drouin died at the age of 87 at Goodall Hospital in Sanford on February 26, 2008 after a long illness. Brother Philip, son of Mr. Joseph Philip Drouin Sr. and Mrs. Blanche Sadie Pleau, was born in Waterville, Maine on July 4, 1920. He entered the juniorate of the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Alfred, Maine on November 26, 1941 and the novitiate of the Brothers at LaPrairie, Quebec, Canada on August 15, 1942. He made his perpetual profession on July 2, 1948 and spent 65 years in religious life. In 1945 Brother Philip started working in the Notre Dame gardens and farm in Alfred. After a few years he transferred to the Brothers' Mount Assumption School in Plattsburgh, New York, and later another Brothers' school in England where he worked as a custodian. In 1950 he returned to Alfred, Maine to be an assistant baker. For almost a quarter of a century he was the right-hand man to Brother Matthew, the master baker . In 1983 he joined the Brothers who were opening a mission in Maysel, West Virginia, where he helped in their pastoral work and served as a big brother to the people, listening to their troubles and advising them when not supervising children's indoor games in the parish hall. In 1988 he went to Nome, Alaska to serve as pastoral assistant in St. Joseph's parish. In the words of the Nome District Court Magistrate writing to the Bishop of Fairbanks, Brother Philip became a comfort to bereaved families and an unequalled counselor to children, youth and others, without regard to background or denomination. He is accessible to all that desire help or a caring ear. He is always there when needed, which is often . In short, Brother Philip was loved, admired and respected by all who knew him. In a special citation, the Seventeenth Alaska Legislature honored him for having helped the homeless as a street minister . After walking the streets of Nome, helping the needy, befriending the friendless and lending a caring ear for ten years to anyone who needed it, Brother Philip returned home to Alfred in 1998 to rest in the midst of his brothers. Needless to say that the words of scripture apply to him : Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren that you do unto me .Brother Philip is survived by four sisters : Rita Drouin and Jeannette Drouin both of Waterville, ME, Sister Constance Drouin of Newport, VT and Sister Martin Drouin of Denham, MA.Visiting hours are set for saturday, March 1, from 9 :00- 10 :30 AM at the Brothers Chapel in Alfred. A Concelebrated Funeral Mass will be follow at 10 :30 AM. Burial will be at the Brothers Cemetery.Arrangement are by Lafrance-Lambert & Black Funeral Home, 29 Winter St., Sanford, ME.To leave a message of condolence please use the "condolences" tab to the left.