LEAD Story 448

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 28 (April 2012)

Of all the Brothers of the Month covered in “The Gateway”, none has had a shorter term of service in Hong Kong than Brother Peter Damian Whealan, barely nine months in fact. Yet, over seventy years later, we find that he has left us an admirable and unforgettable example and memory.

Edward Proctor Whealan was born in Newark, New Jersey, America, on the 22nd January 1908. He was brought up in a fervent Catholic household and trained from childhood to value the spiritual and eternal. Even as a child he was precocious by nature, straightforward and independent in action. In St Michael’s Primary School he made rapid progress and graduated with honour.

At this stage he had made up his mind to become a religious and chose the Christian Brothers because of their involvement in the education of the young. And so, in December of 1922, Edward entered the Juniorate of the Brothers at Ammendale. Family circumstances, however, made it necessary for him to return home and look for employment. He found it with the Chrysler Corporation in its Newark office. Advancement was rapid until he was recognized as one of the Corporation’s best salesmen.

While working with Chrysler, he strengthened his Catholic faith by joining the Knights of St Columbus, the Holy Name Society and the St Vincent de Paul Society. Through these organizations he was given scope to practice the various acts of mercy.

Things took a turn for the better and, after an absence of eight years, he requested admission to the Brothers Novitiate at Ammendale. On October 31st 1930, he returned to his former home and restarted the spiritual formation he had so reluctantly dropped. He received the habit of the Brothers, the religious name Damian Peter and made a fervent Novitiate.
At the completion of his Novitiate, he pronounced his first vows and was sent to the Scholasticate at Eddington, Pennsylvania, where he continued his studies and was initiated into the work of the classroom. Right from this early age, he showed himself capable of directing his pupils.

In September of 1932 he was transferred to the West Catholic High School for Boys in Philadelphia, where he spent the next four years. While teaching there, he attended classes in La Salle University and received his Bachelor Degree in Commerce in June 1934. 

A Brother companion of his at the time had this interesting note: “Brother Damian Peter had a great devotion to the Most Blessed Mother and succeeded in instilling this devotion into the hearts of his pupils. At West Catholic School he erected a permanent shrine to the Mother of God. This he constructed of wood and plastic in a most artistic manner. His students voluntarily contributed to purchase a beautiful statue of Our Lady for the shrine.” 

Another close Brother companion of the time attests: “Brother Damian Peter did nothing by halves. The business acumen he had acquired before entering the Novitiate made him careful to require from his students neat, tidy and exact work. The blackboards in his classroom were always bordered with appropriate maxims, sayings and suggestions. His Catechism lessons and Reflections were highly praised by the boys, and the extreme care with which he prepared and presented all his lessons was a frequent subject of comment.”

He liked order and discipline in his classroom but this was tempered with kindness, in the best Lasallian tradition.

Another companion at West Catholic High School recalls: “Brother Peter possessed many wonderful qualities. Among them, we may mention faithfulness in writing encouraging letters to friends and pupils who were suffering from illness or because of some reverse in fortune or in family affairs. Neatness was characteristic of him. His classroom merited the title ‘spotless’. His remarkable sense of humour gave the Brothers many a hearty laugh. His impersonations, especially of the British aristocracy, would do justice to an accomplished actor.” 

Although he loved his family and country, it was around this time that he showed an interest in missionary work and in 1936 he requested to be sent to the mission field. His request was accepted and he was assigned to De La Salle University, Manila.

Soon after arriving in Manila he was entrusted with the responsibility of the deanship of the College of Commerce. He also took charge of the College publications. In addition, in 1939, he took out a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Santa Tomas. With the necessary qualifications in tow, all was set fair for a strong period of tenure at De La Salle University.

The looming clouds of war changed everything. The Lasallian leadership of the time was aware of the dangers to the German Brothers in various parts of the world. In April 1941, and since Britain was already at war with Germany, it was thought best to transfer a German Brother from St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, to neutral Manila. Brother Peter Damian was asked to replace him in St Joseph’s. Brother Peter’s response was to say that he would be happy to spread the good news of Christ even to the depths of war-torn China. 

And so, Brother Peter was sent to St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, arriving there on the 3rd April 1941. He taught there until his untimely death in December. Judging by an account of two American friends who visited him in St Joseph’s, Brother Peter had settled in nicely. One of them records: “We spent a most pleasant day with the Brothers. Brother Peter proved himself a most accomplished, interesting and entertaining host. Besides, he seemed so happy in his work.”

The outbreak of war in Pacific Asia, however, intervened mercilessly. On December 8th 1941 the Japanese attacked Hong Kong. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, the United States declared war on Japan. Brother Peter felt he should do his bit for the war effort and signed up for voluntary service as a non-combatant.

Things moved swiftly. Brother Peter had been given an ambulance to drive the wounded to hospital, usually to the Indian General Hospital, now called Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, Causeway Bay. Despite Japanese guns and vigilance, he had driven his ambulance safely through the lines, bringing in several wounded whom he had picked up on the Northern front.

Colonel Ride was in charge of No 1 field ambulance. By the 23rd December his soldiers were dying on every front and there were so many waiting wounded. His officers in council were almost in despair when in walked Brother Peter who had somehow or other managed to get his ambulance through the Japanese lines. He said he would return to the northern front to pick up more of the wounded that he had been forced to leave behind. Colonel Ride and his officers tried to dissuade him, knowing that such a journey was tantamount to almost certain death.

Brother Peter made up his mind. “I must go” he said. “I promised them that I would return.” Taking his young Portuguese companion with him, Private A. B. Carvalho, he was soon speeding northward to the wounded men. Guns blazed around him as he sped on. Eventually, outside the Po Leung Kuk orphanage in Happy Valley, a blast of machine-gun fire found him. He groaned in agony, uttered a prayer and fell forward on his wheel. Then all was still.
Private Carvalho, who rode in the front seat, was pushed out of the vehicle and, although injured, survived the attack. He was taken to Bowen Road Hospital and later made his way to St Joseph’s College and told the Brothers what had happened to Brother Peter. His parents only learned of his death in August 1942 when a ship returned to the United States with the first internments.

There is no record of where Brother Peter was buried. His name and date of death is inscribed on the Brothers memorial tombstone in St Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley.

A father of a boy who was taught by Brother Peter wrote to his parents: “Please accept my heartfelt sympathy on the death of your good son. He taught my boy to love and serve God. My son is now in the military forces of our country under General MacArthur in Australia. You really have reason to rejoice as your son is indeed an angel in heaven.” 

And this is how his death was seen by a Brother who knew him:

“You sleep, tonight, in a lonely grave,
Far, far from your native shore;
The roar of guns and the drone of planes
Are thrills that you heed no more;
Your noble death on the field of fame,
Unexcelled by decrees of fate;
It gained for a Brother a martyr’s crown,
A hero for the church and state.”

Although Brother Peter’s burial site is unknown, his memory is green and the Lasallian Family in Hong Kong will ever treasure his example of self-sacrifice.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 27 (February 2012)

Brother Hugh was Irish, and was born on the 4th April 1912 near the pleasant town of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. The town of Clonmel is situated in a valley, on the banks of the River Suir, surrounded by mountains and hills. It was built up in medieval times as a walled town and many remnants of the past can still be found there. 

Brother Hugh entered the Senior Novitiate of the Brothers at Castletown in 1930 which was followed by three years of scholastic training in Co Waterford. He had volunteered for work in the Far East and set sail for Singapore, arriving there in 1934. 

He was first assigned to teach at St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore, and afterwards to several of our Lasallian schools in what was then called Malaya, now called Malaysia. His main subjects were Languages, English Literature and Mathematics. He had a particular passion for English Literature and wrote poetry. The only sample to hand is a piece he wrote for the 1952-1953 school magazine of La Salle College entitled “My Dreams”. One verse goes as follows:

And then my soul had yearnings
For things both old and true,
And all my dreams were centered
On Beauty ever new.

His other main love was for music and singing and he could play the accordion and mandolin with ease. He and his good friend, Brother Patricius O’Donovan, would strum and sing-along, as part of their recreation.

What appeared to be one of Brother Hugh's most remarkable qualities was his capacity for work. He was a man of tremendous energy, and he expended it lavishly both in the classroom and on private tuition. He seemed to be happy only when working. He didn't believe in periods of rest or relaxation or in aimless sauntering around. He had always some specific task on hand. If it wasn't extra tuition for some of his backward pupils, it was study in preparation for his own examinations. By his devotion to work, especial¬ly the work of teaching and study, he was a model to all. 

During the Second World War, Brother Hugh was attached to St. Francis’ Institution, Malacca. When the Japanese arrived he was afraid he would be transported to a camp in Japan. To avoid this less than pleasant prospect, Hugh decided to “woo” the Japanese, to convince them that he and his country were not anti-Japanese and that Ireland was still at war with Britain. This strategy worked and Hugh was allowed to remain in the Brothers’ Community.

As soon as the war ended, however, Brother Hugh felt his presence in the Community could be troublesome and embarrassing, that some might even regard him as a ‘traitor’ for co-operating with the Japanese.  On the spur of the moment he made up his mind to leave Malacca. He managed to get a bus or rail ticket to Singapore and arrived there almost penniless. He slept in an open car park not far from St. Joseph’s Institution and probably looked for leftover food from the nearby Cathay Hotel. This state of affairs could not go on. One day he spotted a platoon of British soldiers and asked to speak to their commanding officer who turned out to be from Dublin, Ireland. The officer enrolled Hugh as an army reservist and had him fitted out. He was put in charge of collecting trucks and other vehicles used by the Japanese. The vehicles were now lying around, mostly in poor shape. However Brother Hugh managed to make a few dollars selling off some of the better preserved ‘wrecks’.

One day he happened to call into the “Portuguese” Church and spoke to the parish priest. When the priest discovered that Hugh was, or at least had been, a De La Salle Brother, he was delighted to offer him the job of Headmaster of the school attached to the Church and also found him rented quarters.

In the meantime two old friends, Brothers Patricius O’Donovan and Herman Fenton came to know of Brother Hugh’s situation and would visit him regularly, keeping him up to date about what was happening among the Brothers.

When it was learned that Brother Assistant, Lawrence O’Toole, was on his way to visit the Brothers in Singapore, Brothers Patricius and Herman were determined to let him know of Hugh’s whereabouts. A meeting was arranged. Nobody was really sure if Brother Hugh was still a Brother or not but the upshot of the meeting was that he was given a flight ticket to Hong Kong and told to report there to Brother John Lynam, Director of St. Joseph’s College. Brother Hugh followed instructions and arrived in Hong Kong in October 1946. All was well again. He was back where he belonged. After teaching for only a few months the Brothers decided to send him to Cambridge for further studies. 

Two years later he returned to Hong Kong and joined La Salle College in February 1948. Brother Hugh did not take long to get back to class teaching. By all accounts he was a workaholic, taking and giving extra courses and lessons. As a teacher Brother Hugh was known to be somewhat stern. He inspired in his pupils a healthy degree of awe and respect. Shirkers soon discovered that their best chance of survival was to settle down to painstaking effort. But con¬sidering that senior pupils in general who are preparing for a serious examination appreciate push and earnestness in their teacher, Brother Hugh was actually popular with most of his pupils, and the more serious-minded of them considered it a privilege to be under his instruc¬tion. His ascendancy over them was further strengthened by the scrupulous care with which he avoided everything savouring of partiality or preferences based on purely natural considera¬tions. If it could be said that he gave more attention to some pupils than to others, it was to the less naturally gifted ones, provided they showed the necessary degree of goodwill and co-operation. 
His special aptitude for languages enabled him to render appreciable service to many a student by means of extra coaching. One of his students at the time had this to say about Brother Hugh: “He was a firm, generous, kind, no- monkey-business teacher. He gave me special tuition in Latin as a second language for my Matriculation.”

It must be emphasised that Brother Hugh's admirable zeal for examination success never seems to have diverted his mind from the primary duty of a Religious Teacher, namely, the forma¬tion of his pupils to piety and training them to be true Christians. His daily Reflections were solid and appropriate. And the same earnestness that characterised his lessons in Literature or History was carried over into his Religious Instruction periods. He eschewed mere gush and sentimentality and concentrated on what was concrete, practical, and vital.

Brother Hugh was blessed with a genial, buoyant, and expansive disposition. He was on that account an admirable community man. He was never dull, sour, or morose. He loved a good joke, but never the sort of joke that left a sting. At recreation he was the soul of the party. His hearty laughter had a contagion about it and must often have had the effect of clearing away the clouds in the minds of those who were inclined to worry or be sad. 

Then suddenly his name cropped up on a British army list and he was called up again to help counter the threat of Mao Tse Tung on mainland China. This time Hugh was made an auxiliary policeman, was rigged out and had to report to duty two or three evenings a week. He was attached to the Special Constabulary Division at Kowloon City. Soft-spoken and genial, he was popular with all the members of his unit.

Brother Herman remembers him arriving back from those tours of duty almost totally exhausted. At that time, the Brothers’ house was located at No 1 Perth Street because the British Army had requisitioned La Salle College, including the Brother’ quarters. The Perth Street residence was dubbed the ‘White House’ partly, at least, because the external walls were white.

A number of boarders were allowed to live in the Brothers’ house at that time. They looked forward to the presence of Brother Hugh because he would sometimes break into song. He would do this while lying in bed, a book in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The “Spinning Wheel” and a Welsh song were two of his favourites.

Brother Herman recalls a nice anecdote about a visiting French priest from Burma who happened to turn up one day. The Brothers welcomed him to lunch. Now the Director, Brother Patrick Toner, was a quiet man, not given to too much talk. Hugh, as was his wont, was talking volubly! The priest turned at one stage and asked Hugh if he were the Brother Superior. Quick as a flash, Hugh responded, “Actually I am not ‘the’ Superior but I am ‘a’ superior man!”

It seems that all this time Brother Hugh had a heart condition and had pills to take. Apparently he often forgot to take them and when he did remember he would take a handful and swallow the lot. He had also been suffering for some months of a duodenal ulcer.

Come Sunday morning of May 31st 1953. The custom was for Brothers to go to Mass at different churches. At lunch Brother Patrick, Director, enquired whether Hugh was around. Nobody had seen him that morning. The Director then asked Peter, the cook and cleaner, to have a look in Hugh’s room. Peter knocked, but the room door was locked and there was no answer. He looked in through the window and saw Hugh lying on the bed. He was already dead. It was diagnosed that he had died in the early hours of the morning. The cause of his death was diagnosed as coronary thrombosis.

It was Trinity Sunday and the senior boys of La Salle College were poring over their final preparation for the matriculation examination. They were, one by one, informed of the sudden and sad bereavement of Rev. Bro. Hugh, their teacher. With heavy hearts they rushed back to pay their last respects to their master, who was, to all those who had the good fortune to know him, a helpful mentor learned and witty, though at times strict and solemn. 
There was a spontaneous presence of the whole school at the funeral Mass in St Teresa’s Church. A majority of the students accompanied the cortege all the way to the cemetery, truly an expression of exceptional attachment to the deceased Brother.

We leave the final tribute to one of his students: “Dear and beloved Brother, we bid you good-bye, with a prayer on our lips, gratitude in our hearts and a firm conviction that yours will be the reward promised by God in Holy Writ: "They that teach many the way of virtue shall shine as the stars for all eternity." 

The LEAD Leadership Team visited the Sector of Thailand last 9-11 September 2025. During the visit, they were able to meet with the Brothers of Thailand, teachers from the four Lasallian schools in the Sector, and student leaders from La Salle College Bangkok.

Thailand is the fourth Sector that Brother Visitor and his Auxiliaries have visited this year. The other three were Myanmar in June, and the Philippines and Singapore in August. The visits focused on identifying present priorities and where the energy of Lasallians in the Sector can be best directed.

Photos were taken from the De La Salle Brothers-Thailand Facebook page.

Held at the Hee Lai Ton Restaurant in Section 13 in Petaling Jaya, was attended by ex-students, teachers and special guests include Brother Bush representing La Sale Provincialate, Mr Michael Simon, President of The Malaysian Federation of Lasallian Alumni Association (MFOLSA). Among the guests we also had the privilege of having Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan is often referred to as the Flying Doctor of Malaysia and an icon in the 1960s which was regarded the golden era of Malaysia athletics.

The evening commenced with the National Anthem followed by the School Rally. The Alumni President Professor Dr Selvaraj Oyyan Pillay welcome all guests and spoke about the Alumni’s activities at the schools over the last two year and highlighted on three big projects for the schools that need to be accomplished in the coming year. In recognising our fellow alumni members and teachers who have contributed immensely to the school, we recognised them with special award the “St Anthony’s Alumni Meritorious Award”.

This year, we were happy to honour two of our dedicated Alumni Council members who left us over the year with the “Alumni Posthumuos Award”. They were late Paramjothy who served the Alumni for than three decades and was the Organising Chairman for past dinners. He passed away while serving as the Treasurer of the Alumni Council. The other recipient is late Savarimuthu who was supportive in all the activities and helped out in finance the school in restoration works at the school. Mrs Paramjothy was invited and received the award and Mr Savarimuthu’s son received the award.

Outstanding sportsmen R Rama Krishnan, Raja Segeran and Shanker Ramu were given recognition and were presented with the awards. We are proud they have represented the country and have left a significant impact on us. Master Lawrence Geok and Mr Choo Jee Pow were presented with the award for their outstanding support and coaching.

There was a book launch “Leap of Faith” by Brother Datuk J.P. Monteiro. He served St Anthony’s School from 1966 to 1968, involving in sports and numerous extra-curricular activities uplifting the name of the school. He was generous to donate 50 books to the Alumni.

The entertainment was very well provided by a six member band team “Hipercops” who came all the way from Teluk Intan. Guests were thrilled with their performance.

To all the well wishes and sponsors, we are indebted for their contribution for the adverts in the souvenir program. The generosity has enabled us to continue our mission to continue supporting the three schools in Teluk Intan and Langkap. We are extremely thankful for their presence and support for the Alumni which made it an exceptional gathering.

Last 6 and 7 September 2025, Br. JJ Jimenez FSC (LEAD Visitor) visited Universitas Katolik De La Salle Manado (UKDLSM), Indonesia. This coincided with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between LEAD and the Diocese of Manado, formalizing the support for UKDLSM as a Lasallian institution in East Asia. Br. JJ also took the time during the visit to meet with members of the Signum Fidei in Manado, leading them in a reflection on the Our Lady of the Star.

Following the signing of the MOU, the District is closely working with Lasallians in UKDLSM to establish ways of collaboration and move the Lasallian mission in Manado forward.

Joining the Jubilee of Youth in Rome was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that still amazes me. When I reflect on it now, Pope Francis’ message for the Jubilee Year of 2025, “Spes non confundit” (“Hope does not disappoint”), really resonates with me. It makes me remember what Pope Leo said about hope being the desire and expectation of good things to come, and how much the people around us shape who we are. That idea stuck with me because hope, especially when mixed with faith, has been what keeps me steady through everything.

When I was first invited to join the International Gathering of Young Lasallians during the Jubilee, I won’t lie, I hesitated. The timing felt impossible, and I wasn’t sure if I was still the right person for the mission. Could I really take what I’d learn back home in the Philippines and make a difference? I was full of doubts and honestly felt overwhelmed. But after wrestling with those thoughts for hours, I said yes. A yes filled with hope, a hope to rekindle my passion for service, hope to inspire others, and hope to keep saying yes every time I feel God’s call.

What fueled my drive to overcome those doubts was my unwavering faith. I believe that during tough times, these challenges are just God’s training regimen, toughening me up for the bigger wins ahead. It’s just like preparing for a race; every grueling workout builds my strength and resilience, getting me primed for that finish line.

Arriving in Rome still feels like a dream. Even though the event is over, I’m amazed I got to be part of something so incredible. One of the most memorable parts was spending time at the Generalate and at the San Giuseppe School. We thought we’d just watch and learn, but God surprised us as we ended up volunteering. We were assigned to different stations, interacting and supporting young Lasallians from all over the world. That experience made me fall even more in love with the Lasallian mission. It showed me that sometimes, when you think you’re off track, you’re actually being guided to something better.

And this reminds me of what Pope Leo said during the vigil in Tor Vergata: that we, as young people, should “pray to remain friends with Jesus and be companions on the journey to whoever we meet.” It’s a reminder that hope isn’t just a warm feeling; it’s a choice to keep moving forward, to stay connected, and to be a light even when things get messy.

Looking back, this Jubilee wasn’t just about being in Rome or meeting amazing people; it was about living hope and faith out loud. Hope that never lets us down, faith that lifts us, and a mission that connects us all, no matter where we come from. As a young Lasallian from the Philippines, I’m coming home with a full heart, ready to say yes and be part of the mission again, because as Pope Francis has said, Hope won’t disappoint us, and with faith, neither will we.