Father Brougher 'thankful' in every circumstance

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

Father Doug Brougher continued to serve well past “retirement age” as the Catholic chaplain at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, and he regularly discussed his vocational options with two of his best friends, Msgr. Doug Doussan and Matt Rousso.

The three men would meet monthly for lunch and fellowship as members of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of Priests (Rousso served for many years as a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans), and their informal gatherings combined fun and fellowship with one important question: How had each of them experienced God acting in their lives since the last time they met?

Invariably, Rousso said in his words of remembrance at Father Brougher’s Oct. 20 Funeral Mass at the Basilica of St. Stephen, whenever Father Brougher brought up some of the physical challenges or difficulties he was facing, he would always give voice to a spiritual postscript.

“The first thing he would say is, ‘It’s been a hard week; I had this or that … but I am thankful to God,’” Rousso said. “He would quote one of the famous mystics who used to say, ‘If you forget everything else, if you forget every other prayer, remember to say thank you, because that’s the only prayer that God is really interested in. Every fraternity meeting would end with, ‘... but I am thankful.’”

Father Brougher died Oct. 15 at age of 86. He was found in his bedroom at the St. Stephen rectory, seemingly resting in his lounge chair and dressed in his chaplain’s coat. He served for nearly 40 years as the Touro chaplain.

“Every time he came to a fraternity meeting he would say, ‘Maybe I should retire,’ but then he’d say, ‘I don’t know what I would do. I love going to the hospital. I love going to visit people and I love talking to them and I love praying with them. That’s what I do.’”

In his remarks after Communion, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said when he was a young seminarian, he gained wisdom and insight from Father Brougher’s kind-hearted nature and compassion for others.

“He has been an inspiration to me,” Archbishop Aymond said. “We have the expression that people want to die with their boots on, and I guess we can say that a priest wants to die with his collar on. And, that, he did. When was found on Sunday morning, he was dressed, ready to go to the hospital. There was only once when I hinted at the word ‘retire,’ and he said, ‘When I am ready, I will let you know.’ And, Doug, you never let me know.”

Msgr. Doussan said he and Father Brougher had been friends for more than 70 years. In addition to sharing their first name, Msgr. Dussan said he and Father Brougher had in common  their “love for Christ and his church” and “a passion for the renewal of the church and world according to the teaching  of the Second Vatican Council” and for Pope Francis’ challenging vision of synodality for the church.

Msgr. Doussan said Father Brougher’s hospital ministry fulfilled him as a priest.

“Doug’s outstanding qualities were his extraordinary kindness, compassion and devotion to the people he served,” he said. 

Those qualities were embraced by Tessie Trosclair, an extraordinary minister of holy Communion who had been at Touro 12 years before Father Doug became chaplain.

“When she experienced the way Father Doug ministered to the sick with such compassion and sensitivity, and witnessed how he prayed with them – not just with words from a book but with such sincerity from his heart – and treated everyone of whatever race, religion or age or economic status with the same loving care, she knew that Touro Hospital and the Catholic sick coming to Touro had received a great gift,” Msgr. Doussan said. “This is Father Doug, and this is what he has always been in his life and ministry as an ordained priest.”

Msgr. Doussan said Father Brougher served under six “very different” archbishops: Archbishop Joseph Rummel, Archbishop John Cody, Archbishop Philip Hannan, Archbishop Francis Schulte, Archbishop Alfred Hughes and Archbishop Aymond. 

“That’s an accomplishment in itself, don’t you think?” he joked.

  Archbishop Rummel sent the bright seminarian to the Pontifical North American College in Rome to do his theological studies at Gregorianum University, where he received a licentiate in Sacred Theology. He was ordained in Rome on Dec. 19, 1962, shortly after the opening of the Second Vatican Council. 

“Being at the Vatican for the first year of the Council was an incredible experience for him,” Msgr. Doussan said, adding that Father Brougher joked that he was never officially consulted on any of the issues being discussed by the bishops.

“I’m sure he felt that his very presence there in some way helped the Council become a huge success,” Msgr. Doussan said with a laugh.

Father Brougher was born on June 1, 1937, in New Orleans to Theophilus Clark Brougher and Mary Elizabeth O'Reilly. He is survived by his sister, Marie Patricia Joseph (James). He was preceded in death by Msgr. Alvin O'Reilly, his uncle and mentor. 

He attended St. Rita School in New Orleans. His secondary and college education were at St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict. He served as assistant pastor at St. Raphael the Archangel Church in New Orleans, St. Mary Magdalen Church in Metairie and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church in New Orleans. 

He served as pastor at St. Joseph Church in Gretna, Sacred Heart Church in Norco, and co-pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Marrero. He spent time in residence at St. Joseph Seminary College, served as rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in New Orleans, and chaplain to the Ursuline Sisters.

 He was buried in a cypress casket made by the Benedictine monks of St. Joseph Abbey and interred at St. Joseph Abbey Cemetery.

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