When Brother Michael Mandernach passed away on March 17 at 94, the Order of Brothers of St. Pius X ended peacefully. This religious order of brothers was established to serve the people in the Diocese of La Crosse, and the men did so joyfully for more than 70 years.
Brother Michael, then named Wilfred Mandernach, was born in 1929 to Peter and Catherine. He grew up on a farm outside St. Martin, Minn. After completing high school, Brother Michael worked on the family farm until he felt called by the Holy Spirit to start a new life in the Diocese of La Crosse.
The Beginning
The Holy Spirit was working in the hearts of many men at the beginning of the 1950s, and brought together a unique group of men to share the Faith in the diocese. In 1951, Bishop John Patrick Treacy, S.T.D., from the Diocese of La Crosse, felt called to establish a diocesan religious order of brothers.
He recognized that the diocese lost men and women every year to religious orders that allowed them to live in the community as vowed sisters and brothers. Often, after joining a religious order, these devout men and women from the diocese would be sent to other places in the U.S. to work for that order.
Bishop Treacy envisioned the Diocese of La Crosse as having the service of an order of brothers who would live and work in the diocese. Donald McAllister and Marcus Resch were perfect examples of what Bishop Treacy had noticed. Both young men were leaving the seminary to join religious orders with brothers.
Bishop Treacy contacted the two 18-year-olds to ask if they would like to join a religious order of brothers who would live and serve in the diocese. They were very enthusiastic about the idea of staying in the Diocese of La Crosse.
By early 1952, the new congregation had its first director, Father Albert P. Roemer. The next step was to determine the name of this order of brothers.
Bishop Treacy had a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and wanted Christ in the Eucharist to be at the heart of the congregation with a modern 1950s focus. After extensive discussions with the priests in the diocese, Bishop Treacy decided that Blessed Pius X, the pontiff from 1903 to 1914, would be the ideal role model for the new order of brothers. They would follow his papacy’s motto, “To restore all things in Christ.”
The Brothers of Blessed Pius X were founded officially on the Feast of Epiphany, Jan. 6, 1952. Blessed Pius X was canonized as a saint in 1954 by Pope Pius XII, and as a result, the order’s name was changed to the Brothers of St. Pius X.
The Early Years of Formation
After making repairs to the congregation’s first home at 1105 King St. in La Crosse, Donald and Marcus shared a first Mass with Father Roemer on Jan. 26, 1952, and Bishop Treacy came to say Mass and bless the house on Jan. 31.
By February 1952, William Kundert and Francis Peters were part of the congregation. The Brothers of St. Pius X now had four candidates ready to profess to the order.
The future brothers needed an appropriate habit to identify themselves and their focus as a congregation. Father Roemer collaborated with designer Chuck Holland of Crawfordville, Ind., to design the unique black habit with the green scapular.
To illustrate the order’s focus, its emblem was a eucharistic design that incorporated Pax (Peace), a fruit of the Eucharist and a part of St. Pius’ focus in his ministry.
The order added a fifth candidate in April 1952 when Wilfred Mandernach arrived at King Street. His understanding of farming quickly came in handy as Bishop Treacy guided the congregation to self-sufficiency with a donation from Richard P. Loftus in De Soto that included two houses, a barn and machine sheds with 200 acres of wooded bluffs and an acre for farming.
In June 1952, an investiture ceremony was held for candidates at St. Joseph Cathedral. Wilfred arrived later than the first four men and was, therefore, not part of the first investiture. The four candidates took on new names as religious brothers: Donald McAllister became Brother Thomas, Marcus Resch became Brother John, William Kundert became Brother Joseph, and Francis Peters became Brother Francis. In June 1953, a second group of five candidates, including Brother Michael (formerly Wilfred), were invested as novices.
Making a Life in Community
The community life included prayer, farming, and spreading the Faith across the diocese. Additionally, the congregation published a monthly newsletter called “The Pax,” which, over 24 years, shared the life of the Brothers of St. Pius X with 24,000 readers in every state and several countries outside the U.S.
Early financial support came from the Brothers of St. Pius X auxiliaries established in several states. The brothers provided catechetical support wherever it was needed. For two weeks, the first assignment was in Iowa, where four of the novices taught catechism to elementary students at St. Mary’s in McGregor, Iowa.
Beginning in 1954, the brothers offered Field Masses to pilgrims who came to the De Soto farm for 15 years. In addition to Mass, the brothers fed the pilgrims.
Over the years, the brothers’ work varied considerably in type and location. The brothers operated a print shop and candle shop, worked at St. Michael’s Home for Children, served in various roles at the Holy Cross Seminary, operated a candle shop, taught at Catholic schools and worked in healthcare.
“As I reflect on my relationship with the Brothers of Pius X, these characteristics come to mind: faith—they lived in community with poverty and simplicity; mission—wherever they served there was an acceptance of all; life—they had balance, including an enjoyment of music through sing-alongs, which brought fun, relaxation and laughter,” said Sister Marie Kyle, FSPA, a close friend of the brothers for more than 50 years.
The End of an Era
The congregation grew each year in the 1950s and 1960s, with young men coming from the diocese and across the country. “By the time I entered in 1969, the brothers were well on the way to getting professional training, college degrees and certification in their chosen field,” says Steve Sims, a former brother of St. Pius X. “Several of us had master’s degrees. Even though credentials don’t guarantee excellent performance, I feel we grew in professionalism, which helped boost the image of the religious brother and enhance our work.”
“The brotherhood was a very positive experience for me,” said Bob Klabunde, a former member. “During our time together, we learned, lived and grew in our faith. Our prayers together as men of God have brought me great comfort in my life since leaving the brotherhood years ago.”
“During and after leaving the Order and entering married life, I was a nurse at a Catholic Hospital, which I felt was a meaningful way to live my life, praying with and working with the sick and elderly. I am married to a wonderful woman, and together, we live our Catholic Faith through prayer and the Sacraments, which are built on a foundation that I received as a member of the Brothers of St. Pius X.”
But by the 1970s, the number of Brothers of St. Pius X began to decline, and the congregation was shrinking. By August 1982, the order had only two members, Brother Michael and Brother Charles Bisenius.
When they met with Bishop John Paul to discuss how to proceed, the two men hoped for the opportunity to recruit new members to the congregation. The bishop’s decision was disappointing—the Brothers of St. Pius X would not pursue new men to join them in the congregation’s ministry.
The brothers would be the order’s final members, and when they died, the congregation would be completed.
Brother Michael Continues to Live the Faith
Brother Michael had served the community as secretary, farm manager, mentor to new members and brother director, and he continued to manage the congregation’s affairs by selling off properties and assets.
Bishop (now Cardinal) Burke asked Brother Michael in 2014 to write a history of the order, and he worked with Richard Berendes and Rose Peterson to write the book “Together as Brothers.”
“Through my friendship with Dick Berendes, I was invited to the brothers’ reunion in 2012. I marveled at the distance they traveled to reconvene and how close their connection was, regardless of the path their lives took,” says Rose.
“The conversations flowed easily, and the shared prayers felt mystical and magical. It struck me that if their bond was this strong after 60 years, it must have been incredibly strong when they were together as brothers. Since then, a book has been written, more reunions have occurred, Brother Michael’s meal prayer was offered at my daughter’s wedding reception, and we’ve also mourned the passing of some of these former brothers. It’s hard to believe I only had 12 years with these men, but their commitment is evident—to God, each other and the community—regardless of whether they chose a single or married life or the priesthood.”
Brother Michael served as a pastoral associate at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Spring Valley and St. Luke Parish in Boyceville. He was dearly loved by the members of both parishes, and to honor him, each congregation named its gathering hall after Brother Michael.
With Brother Michael’s death on March 17, the Brothers of St. Pius X officially came to completion. The congregation no longer officially existed, but the former brothers continue to carry memories of all the work done in the Diocese of La Crosse.
“March 17, 2024, will always be a very significant date for me. It marks the death of my close friend and mentor, Brother Michael. It also marks the completion of the Brothers of St. Pius X. I grieve both losses,” said Steve. “When I think about the Brothers of St. Pius X coming to completion with the death of Brother Michael, I think about the following quote from Ecclesiastes 3:1, ‘For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.’”
The Legacy of the Brothers of St. Pius X
The work of the Brothers of St. Pius X lasted less time than Brother Michael would have liked, but the dedication of so many young men in this diocesan order enriched the Diocese of La Crosse in countless ways. And thanks to Brother Michael’s book and his work as a historian, the congregation lives on in other ways.
“Brother Michael asked me to transport important items related to the Brothers of St. Pius X from his apartment to the diocesan archives in La Crosse. He had a few relics of St. Pius X,” said Steve. “My parish, Guardian Angels in Oakdale, Minn., recently received an altar from a closed church in the area. It was missing relics for the altar stone. I asked my pastor, Father Joe Connelly, if we could place one of the relics of St. Pius X in the altar. He graciously agreed. Our new altar was used for the first time this year on first Communion Sunday. The Brothers of St. Pius X are now represented at Guardian Angels, and this story will be told for years to come.”
Reflections on the Brothers of St. Pius X
My appreciation for Brother Michael grew substantially after I was ordained and began serving as a priest. He set the standard for pastoral care for the people with whom he lived and worshiped. He let them know that God loved them unconditionally and immersed himself in their lives, eager to serve them. He didn’t care who you were. He was only interested in helping you. I found myself often trying to imitate that zeal and pastoral care. He truly was a gem of a man and a faithful follower of Christ.” —Father Tim Baltes, Diocese of St. Cloud, and nephew of Brother Michael.
Story by Mary Kay McPartlin