Excerpted from: The Last Benedictine, by David Dell

The Last Benedictine

July 21, 2009

Brother Elred Joseph Wetli came to this small mountain community with five other Benedictine monks in 1961 and started the first library in town and an agricultural junior high school called San Benito.

Brother Elred, or simply "El Brother" as he is known locally, has taught countless local children the English Language. He felt that knowledge of English would give the children greater opportunities in life. For dozens of local children this was true. Local mayors, ship's officers, university professors and teachers now owe their livelihood to this humble Benedictine monk.

Elred had served as a signal sergeant in the US army in World War Two's Pacific campaign, with tours of duty in the Palau and Solomon Islands and finally in Japan.

After World War Two in 1950 he enrolled in the Benedictines Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado. In 1961, with five fellow brothers he arrived in Volcan, Panama and started the San Benito Agricultural School. Eventually all the monks were recalled to the US by Elred refused, stating that this is where he wanted to remain and where he would serve until he died.

In 1990 Brother Elred was honored by a local Bishop with the Order of Saint Gregory. The medal was actually conferred on Elred by Pope John Paul the second.

Brother Elred passed way on Sunday, July 20th. He was 97 years old.