Lasallian Spotlight

Periodically, we'll highlight Lasallians from the District of Eastern North America and the good works they do in the Lasallian spirit for educating youth.

August 2011: Brother Francis Eells, FSC

Mission Executive Council Member

Brother Francis (Fran) Eells, FSC, a native of Philadelphia, came in contact with the Christian Brothers while studying as an undergraduate at La Salle University. After a year of graduate study at Penn State, he entered the Brothers’ program of initial formation at Jeremy House. His commitment to the vow of obedience to “go wherever I may be sent and to do whatever I may be assigned” has led him to apostolic ministry at La Salle College High School and West Catholic High School, both in Philadelphia, Archbishop Carroll in Radnor, PA, and to his current assignment at San Miguel School in Washington, DC.

Brother Fran is a venerate and diligent servant of his students at San Miguel School in Washington, DC. Br. Fran was the founding principal of San Miguel in 2002, a role in which he continues to serve. Br. Fran seeks to help his young charges grow in grace and wisdom, offering them his ever-quick wit, a compassionate heart, and some occasional tough love. He also serves as the “Brother Director” of his local community of Christian Brothers. His generally affable and positive attitude are a great asset both to San Miguel School and to his local community of Brothers. Br. Fran additionally serves the District of Eastern North America as a board member of Calvert Hall College in Baltimore and as a member of the District’s Mission Executive Council.

One modest claim-to-fame of Br. Fran is that he has had the past two Presidents of the Catholic University of America as classroom teachers. Br. Patrick Ellis, President of CUA from 1992-1998, taught Br. Fran while he was a student at La Salle University, and Bishop David O’Connell CM, CUA President from 1998-2010, taught Br. Fran during high school. When the Catholic University of America was searching for a new president during 2009-10, Br. Fran might very well have served as the chief consultant to the search committee!