Father Leonard James Brown, CMF died on Friday, September 10, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas as a result of complications from the Covid 19 virus. Father Brown was born on February 22, 1950 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He is the son of the late James Lee Brown and Zelma Cecile (nee Braud) Brown and is survived by his siblings: brothers Leigh and Frank Harper Brown and sisters Darlene Lawson and Glirma Guerra.

It was in 1968 when Fr. Len had his first contact with the Claretian Missionaries while a freshman at Louisiana State University.  However it wasn't until 1972, after attending a religious conference with Claretian Father Phil Kapella, CMF that a deep impression was made and re-kindled his earlier fleeting interests in the priesthood as a vocation.  At the time he was a public-school teacher in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.  Father Brown made his first profession in 1979, perpetual profession in 1982 before being ordained to the priesthood on October 23, 1982 at Sacred Heart Church in Norco, Louisiana.

In 1975, he entered LSU's Graduate Division of Education as a full-time student pursuing a Master of Education degree in special education for the hearing impaired. He then became a part-time student after becoming a full-time teacher at St. John the Evangelist High School in  Plaquemine, LA.

In 1977 his application for formal admission to the Claretian Missionaries was approved and so his history with the Claretians begins as a vocation student at Claret House in Chicago, IL.  In 1978, he was admitted to the Novitiate program as preparation for formal entry into the Congregation and eventual profession of vows. The following year he made his first profession of vows at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Chicago, IL.

Upon graduation from Loyola University in 1981, he was temporarily assigned as Acting Principal of Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Chicago, given his extensive teaching background. He was also assigned to the Youth Ministry Team at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

After his ordination to the priesthood on October 23, 1983, Fr. Len was assigned as Associate Pastor and Chaplain at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO until 1985 when he was assigned to a foreign mission in Guatemala. He was assigned as Pastor of the Parroquia de Santo Tomás de Aquino in Izabal for the next four (4) years.

Father Brown's next assignment brought him back stateside in 1989, assuming the position of Pastor of our Claretian parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Perth Amboy, NJ and in 1990 as the Local Superior of the community where he remained until 1998.

During the US Eastern Province Chapter in 1998, Father Len was elected as Provincial Superior for a six-year term of office, until 2004.  Since Father Len was not re-elected as Provincial at the Claretian's next Chapter in 2004, his next assignment was as Director of Catholic Campus Ministry which served the campuses of Southwest Missouri State University, Drury University, and Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, MO.

Father Len's next assignment was from 2008-2010 where he was Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Stone Mountain, GA.  From there, in June of 2020, he was assigned in-residence to our Claretian parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary in San Antonio, TX while working at the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) first as Director of Campus Ministry and Diaconal Studies and later as Vice President of Campus Ministry and Formation. During his time in San Antonio, Father Len was also elected as Provincial Consultor and part of the Claretian USA Province Provincial Council from 2011-2017. In 2015, he was also appointed as Local Superior of the Claretian community in San Antonio at Immaculate Heart.

Our Claretian parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary would be Father Len's last place of residence.

He was hospitalized in early September of 2021 where he unfortunately succumbed to complications from the Covid19 virus; he was 71 years old.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Visitation will begin at 2:00pm with the Rosary Vigil at 4:00pm at

The Angelus Funeral Home

1119 N. St. Mary's St. in San Antonio, TX.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Funeral Mass will be offered at 10:00am at

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

617 S. Santa Rosa Ave.

Private interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery at Cordi-Marian

for family only due to current COVID protocols in place.

For those unable to attend services, please sign the online guestbook.