Br. Terence McLaughlin

Br. Terence McLaughlin is, by any measure, a man of extraordinary perseverance and grace. The oldest living Brother in the Midwest District, he turned 100 years old in December 2022 — and he has been a Christian Brother for 83 of those years. When asked why he became a Brother, he speaks plainly: "There was a void in my life." What filled it was the humanity of the Brothers' lifestyle — their friendliness, their dignity, their dedication to teaching. That was more than eight decades ago, and the pull of that original calling has never released him.

Over the span of a century, certain Brothers left lasting impressions. In his younger years, Brothers Leopold Dodd and Philip Matthew were particularly influential figures. As the decades turned, Brothers Joel Damien and Alphonsus Pluth stepped into that role of inspiration. From each of them, Br. Terence absorbed something that went far beyond classroom skills or administrative acumen — wisdom about how to live.

When it comes to the next generation, Br. Terence offers a poignant observation rooted in the experience of a man who has watched the world change profoundly. "The Electronic Age," he says, "has wiped out the personal from people's lives, especially young people." His wish for them is to experience something of the simpler lifestyle of their parents and grandparents. Not as a rejection of progress, but as a corrective — because in every advancement, something is lost, and a humbler, more grounded existence can offer a perspective that technology cannot.

Retirement, for Br. Terence, is not a surrender. He remains actively engaged, working to bring local Lasallian affiliates into closer contact with the two Christian Brothers communities near Memphis. His conviction is firm: "The only real way to enjoy retirement is to add a responsibility — volunteer or otherwise — to the life." At 100, he still drives for other Brothers in his community and leads prayer services weekly.

As for the KabarA Challenge, Br. Terence sees it as something close to a lifeline — not just financially, but spiritually. It gives retirees, he says, the opportunity to remain active in the mission through projects and volunteering, rather than simply marking time. In his own word: a "Godsend."