He provided laughter, shelter and a warm meal

By Sam Gil - Camillus House

MIAMI | Brother Bill Osmanski once told a story of a priest who brought a donation of clothing and food. "I envy you," the priest told him, "because you’re able to live the gospel every day in a hands-on way."

And every day Brother Bill, who passed away June 16 at the age of 80, did just that.

As head of the Direct Care Ministry program at Camillus House, Brother Bill spent his days providing Miami-Dade’s poorest and most vulnerable members with food, shelter, clothing and counseling. And, not least, hope.

When asked to describe the ministry, Brother Bill replied very simply: "I think Camillus is love."

"He was always ready with a hug, always full of hospitality, welcoming, understanding, and compassionate," according to his colleague Brother Raphael Mieszala.

Brother Bill will be honored in two events this week.

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 22),  a memorial service and viewing is set for 4-5 p.m. in the Bank of America Community Room at Camillus House, 1603 NW Seventh Ave., Miami.

At 11 a.m. Friday, June 23, former Archbishop John Favalora will be the main celebrant at a funeral Mass at Corpus Christi Church, 3220 NW Seventh Ave., Miami.

In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Brother Bill’s life of service may be made to Camillus House online at Camillus.org or at 1603 NW Seventh Ave., Miami, FL 33136.

His colleagues say Brother Bill was more jovial than pious – he had an easy-going, everyman style that put others at ease. He was known for his sense of humor, his infectious laugh, and his dedication to Christian hospitality and service.

"Because we brothers wear the collar, we’re approachable – people open up," he said. "When someone says, 'Brother, do you have a moment?,' I know what’s coming. I take them to a quiet place and just listen.

"But the first thing I want to do is take care of their urgent needs. Make them comfortable. See what we can do about a place to stay. Get them a warm meal. Put some clothes on their back." 

Camillus’s CEO, Hilda M. Fernandez, remembers the same single-minded service ethic.  She said his last day on campus was spent meeting with Day Center clients, including getting a bed for a chronically homeless man. He also made phone calls to find a wheelchair for another client.

He was also "sharing his signature big hugs with various employees," Fernandez added.

Sometimes Brother Bill literally brought the day's problems home, Brother Raphael recalled. "One time a young man from Colombia was stranded, but he wasn’t used to the idea of sleeping in a shelter and just burst out crying. So Brother Bill brought him back to the house and asked the brothers if he could stay."

He had 10 nephews and nieces and was a life-long Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fan. He was proud of his Polish heritage and knew how to speak Polish, according to a nephew, Dr. J. Osmanski. 

Another nephew, Matt Osmanski, remembers Brother Bill as the "fun uncle," who was "always ready to play with us kids." Brother Bill also loved to hunt and fish and enjoyed spending time out in the woods.

With his cousins, he built a cabin in the Pennsylvania woods, constructing it "on the cheap," Matt said. Among other cost-cutting measures, Brother Bill would remove and straighten nails from scrap lumber to use for the cabin.

Brother Bill liked to do things well, but with a personal twist. Matt recalled how his uncle, while managing an apartment complex in south New Jersey, carved out an area of swamp for a small zoo with ducks, goats and chickens.

Brother Bill took great pride in the complex, winning awards for the grounds. "He took an unsightly place and created something good from it," Matt said.

His landscaping talents and his willingness to draw up short-term leases attracted Phillies players including Tug McGraw and Jim Lonborg to the apartments. Having a few baseball stars around was good for bringing in other residents and the complex never wanted for tenants. 

The ability to see what others might consider waste or a lost cause, would serve him well later in life as he worked through ministries, including Camillus House, to transform broken lives.   

Brother Bill was born December 12, 1936 to the late Stanley and Elizabeth Osmanski in Shamokin, Pa., the middle of three sons. He attended St. Charles College in Baltimore and graduated from the Franklin School of Arts and Sciences in Philadelphia.

He felt the call to religious life early, joining the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd in the mid-1960s. In the early 1970s he left the order and spent most of the next two decades caring for his mother, then rejoined in 1993.    

Before coming to Camillus House in summer 2004, Brother Bill served for seven years as director of the Good Shepherd Center, a shelter and direct services agency for the homeless in Albuquerque. Prior to that, he directed the Good Shepherd Residential Facility in Philadelphia for persons with HIV/AIDS.

He was also Superior to the Brothers of the Good Shepherd in Miami since 2004. In 2015, he and the other remaining Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd became members of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God.

"He wanted to have an impact on the planet, to leave the world better than when he came," according to his nephew, Matt. "And he did that by taking care of the poor and the sick."

That's what Brother Bill did until the very end of his own earthly life, according to Brother Raphael. "He had come into the office that Friday morning and spent some time convincing a man at the shelter to take a shower. As always, Brother Bill was gentle but able to get things done."

Added Camillus CEO Fernandez: "He was a humble man of God, a friend and cherished co-worker. He will be greatly missed."