Redemptorist Brother De Sales Zimpfer dies

A May 6 funeral Mass was offered for Redemptorist Brother De Sales Zimpfer at Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown. Brother De Sales died May 1 at the St. John Neumann Residence of Stella Maris in Timonium, three days ahead of his 87th birthday.

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Brother De Sales enrolled as a candidate brother from 1952 to 1953 in Ephrata, Pa, at St. Gerard’s Hall, where the brothers’ novitiate was for many years. He professed temporary vows Oct. 16, 1954 in Ephrata and made final vows Oct. 16, 1958.

In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Brother De Sales served at St. Mary’s, Ilchester, from 1954 to 1958; Our Lady of Fatima, Baltimore, from 1958 to 1968 and again from 1970 to 2015. He was also briefly assigned to Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. In his later years, he lived at the St. John Neumann Residence at Stella Maris. Elsewhere, he served in Pennsylvania and New York.

“Brother D,” as parishioners affectionately called him, worked as a tailor, office brother, porter and cook. The parish hall at Our Lady of Fatima is named for Brother De Sales, who was the sacristan at Our Lady of Fatima, helping to care for and clean the church.

Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden presented Brother De Sales with the Archdiocesan Medal of Honor in 2009 in appreciation for Brother De Sales ministry at Our Lady of Fatima, noting that he helped raise $1 million for the parish school through running a weekly parish Bingo for decades.

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