Close to the Wind: Growing Up Catholic, Working Class, Migrant and a Religious in Australia 1955-2005 by John Braniff
Known in religion as Brother Valerian, John Braniff spent some thirty-four years of his life with the Marist Brothers, working largely in their schools around Australia. This frank memoir traces his story from his childhood in Kilmarnock, Scotland, through his primary schooling there, his family's migration to Australia, and his secondary education in Victoria's Gippsland region. The narrative continues with his training and career as a Marist Brother and concludes with his decision to leave religious life and marry. His account is both a personal history and a lively portrayal of Australian Catholic education and society over the last fifty years.
John Braniff left the Brothers at the end of 1995 but it was not till many years later, in 2009, that he finally released this memoir. And the subsequent 14 years of distillation meant that the final chapters, reviewing his life and the curren state of the Catholic Church and Catholic education in Australia, are written from a distance and with a truthful instrospection. Running to 271 pages, it is a detailed analysis of his life and the many moulding influences.
The book is a wonderful read for someone who was brought up Catholic in the 1950s / 1960s and was taught by the Marist Brothers at one of their Melbourne schools. But it was a much more significant read for me as I followed in his footsteps, albeit 7 years after him (he was born in 1943 and I was born in 1950), and joined the Marist Brothers in 1969 after my secondary school education had finished. Although I spent only 9 years as a Marist Brother (compared to his 34 years), we had the same sort of religious training and both cut our teeth in the Catholic Secondary School system. In fact, my first school appointment was to St Joseph's Marist Brothers College in East Brunswick in 1973. In 1974, Br Valerian took over as the school principal and I spent 3 years as one of his staff members and as a member of the same religious community there
My memories of his principalship are all positive. He was a wonderful leader, his vision for the school and the staff challenging us all in so many ways.
When I learnt that this book had been published, I purchased it and read it (probably around 2014). The re-read was just as good. His detailed memory is so much better than mine and brings back so many memories of my time with the Brothers.
It was sad to read of the many challenges he had in his various roles as principal, with the many conservative factions in the church community, making his life hell on more than one occasion. It is not surprising that he left, but rather it is surprising that he lasted so long before leaving. My stay was much shorter, but I do not regret my time in the Marist Community. In fact, I can honestly say that the many growth opportunities it presented have made the man I am today.
