Professor Edward Tywoniak Named Affiliate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools

Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, PhD, Superior General of the Christian Brothers Institute in Rome, approved the affiliation of retired Communication Professor Edward Tywoniak ’75, EdD (now AFSC) to the worldwide Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Tywoniak, who recently retired following a 40-year career at Saint Mary’s, has been one of the champions of the Brothers’ educational mission throughout his career and in his many positions of faculty leadership. 

“I’ve said for years that I have been formed professionally and personally by the guiding hands of the Christian Brothers—not just here at Saint Mary’s College, but by all the Brothers I have been fortunate to meet around the world,” Tywoniak said. “This incredible honor of affiliation is extremely profound for me because it not only formally acknowledges my decades-long work in support of the Brothers’ educational mission, but also celebrates the deep friendship I have enjoyed with the Brothers over the years, especially the members of the Alemany Community—truly my second home! I am very humbled by this honor, and continue to marvel at how truly fortunate I have been to call Saint Mary’s ‘home’ for so many years and the Brothers my confrères!”

“Ed is widely known to the Brothers, nationally and internationally,” said Brother Donald Johanson, Brother Visitor, District of San Francisco New Orleans. A faithful member of District Mission Assemblies, Tywoniak has received several campus awards recognizing “the Lasallian tenor of his own teaching and mentoring of students,” Brother Donald said. 

Brother Donald commented that during Tywoniak’s sabbatical in 2015, he devoted his time and scholarship to an aboriginal school conducted by the Brothers in Balgo, Western Australia. “The study that emerged was something that he was able to share with the College as well as the Casa Generalizia in Rome,” Brother Donald said. 

Vice President of Mission Frances Sweeney ’86, MA ’08, PhD, echoes Brother Donald’s sentiments. “This is a wonderful and well-deserved acknowledgment of Ed’s many, many achievements and his philosophy toward vocation at Saint Mary’s,” Sweeney said. “And in reality, it is a formal acknowledgment of the fact that Ed has lived his life as a Lasallian, with a big heart, deep faith, and active commitment to transformative education. 

“Some say he’s been a ‘Brother’ since his undergraduate days here,” Sweeney continued. “He certainly embodies the Lasallian ethos in his professional and personal life, as a scholar, a teacher, and a colleague, touching the hearts of all he meets. 

“He lives Lasallian, simply put,” Sweeney concluded. 

The College will hold an affiliation celebration for Tywoniak in the fall. Many congratulations to one of Saint Mary’s most beloved professors.