"We" includes more than just the Brothers. There are also "associates" who are like "third order" members of the congregation. They are connected to us by their prayers and by their participation in our ministries. "We" also includes volunteers who live and work with us for various periods of time.

Every summer some college students, a seminarian or two, and local residents join us to help run the day camp for local children. We have always been blessed also with  post-graduate students who come as volunteers for a year.

We try to do is minister to the poor of the local parish, most of whom, but certainly not all, are Hispanics. Teaching English and religion was our first focus, but it has led to serving other needs through Centro Juan Diego - housing, clothing, being ombudsmen to help navigate legal and cultural issues, translate documents -- all the things that make living and learning possible. We have food drives for the holidays,and  collect children's gifts for Christmas.

Our Ministries in Bonita Springs:

Pictured above is  Lucy Morton, an associate of the Brothers, and another volunteer Leticia Rubio working at Centro Juan Diego.

Centro Juan Diego
The Center is the office and food pantry used by the Brothers, their Associates and volunteers as outreach headquarters for the area's poor including migrants and immigrants. Centro Juan Diego is in the education building of St. Leo's Parish.
Services provided include food, clothing distribution, financial assistance, medical prescription payments, and referrals to local agencies better equipped to help with certain needs. There are also special drives to help the poor at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
All services are free and are sustained through the generosity of local and nationwide benefactors and volunteers.

Cafe of Life
We bring donated clothing and supplies to the poor who come to the Café of Life each day for a hot meal.

Associate Members:

The Edmund Rice Associates in Bonita Springs met on Feb. 5th to renew their commitments. In the back row are Jim Loughran, Jack Doyle, Evelyn Fedor, Bruce Fedor. In the front are Leticia Rubio, Lois Boomgaard and Lucy Morton.

During the course of the years the Brothers have been in Bonita, our Associate Members have taken on various roles in ministering here. Lucy Morton, a local “Mother Teresa,” helps out in the office,  runs the “pulgas” on  Fridays, knows who each person in the camps is and is the Brothers’ eyes and ears in the community. Bruce and Evelyn Fedor help out with the Thanksgiving Feed a Family Program. Bruce is also the Chair of the Iona Housing Corporation. Lois Boomgaard recently retired from running the ESL tutoring in the camps at night. Teresa Cisneros helps out with the “pulga” on Friday and runs one of the choirs at the Sunday night Spanish mass. Rigo Rodriguez has taken over the care of the lawns and properties here on Noble Lane.  The people of Saint Leo the Great Parish  give so much to allow the love of Christ to be present and appealing to the poor here through the works of Los Hermanos.

Summer Camp for Children

Kendra Jackson and Brittney Bolden from Notre Dame University helped to run Summer Camp 2007.

In cooperation with Catholic Charities Hispanic Social Services, the Brothers sponsor a summer day camp during June and July. The camp is directed by the Hispanic Services Office of Catholic Charities in Bonita and the volunteers from the Univeristy of Notre Dame and Christian Brother Volunteers as well as seminarians.                                  
The camp benefits children from the migrant camps and the neighborhood.     

These camp children are on a field trip to the Collier County museum, where they can learn and enjoy themselves at the same time.

English as a Second Language
The Brothers support a program to teach English to migrants and other Hispanics.
Tutors are always needed and welcome and you DO NOT have to speak Spanish to be a tutor. Classes are given at: Centro Juan Diego at St Leo's Church on Beaumont Road. Every Sunday 4-6 PM.

The Iona House Corporation
When Brother Richard DeMaria saw that many migrants were leaving agricultural jobs and going into construction and landscaping, he realized they would be able to move out of the camps and need housing. He established Iona House Corporation. Iona House started with houses owned by the diocese and grew as generous people allowed the use of houses and trailers they owned. Brother DeMaria, past Executive Vice-President of Iona College in New Rochelle, NY was able to raise money to buy houses and trailers. The diocese deeded their houses to the corporation.
The houses are rented for five years usually, at a low rent. During this time $150 of the rent is banked each month.  The accumulated money is given back to the renter, which becomes the downpayment on the mortgage for their own home. A number of families have acquired homes that way, and one family has paid off their mortgage and owns their home. The girls pictured above live in an Iona House Corporation home.