August 30, 2007 marks a huge milestone in the life of Saint Patrick High School President Brother Konrad Diebold; it marks the 50th anniversary of the day that he became a Christian Brother.  The Brothers of the Christian Schools recently celebrated Brother Konrad’s anniversary with a mass at Lewis University.

Brother Konrad has served at Saint Patrick for the last 24 years, including 20 years as the school’s President.  Brother Konrad’s vision and leadership have been instrumental, enabling Saint Patrick to grow and thrive in a time when most all-male catholic schools in Chicago have been forced to either close their doors or admit girls and go co-educational, due to a dwindling number of students.

Brother Konrad is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota and at the age of 20 joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1957.  He received his B.A. and M.Ed from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.  Since that time he has taken graduate courses at Loyola, Northwestern, and DePaul Universities, studied at the Universite de Montreal, at L’Alliance Française in Paris, and at the Lasallian Institute Center in Rome.

He began teaching at Saint Patrick in 1961, and in 1966 was transferred to St. Paul High School on the south side of Chicago.  Brother Konrad taught and was principal at St. Paul from 1966 through 1974. After one year as a high school Curriculum Consultant with the Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education, he was called to province leadership for the Christian Brothers, where he served as Auxiliary Provincial from 1975 through 1982. During that time his main responsibilities were as Director of Finance and Director of Education for all the Province entities.

After a study and sabbatical year in Europe (mostly in Paris and Rome), Brother Konrad returned to Saint Patrick High School as principal in 1983.  Brother Konrad was named the first President of Saint Patrick in 1987, when the school went to a President/Principal model.  20 years later, he continues in that position.  He has served on numerous local and national boards, councils, and associations, almost all of which are educationally related and mission driven.