National Catholic Register, Michael O’Neill: He had literally worn his heart out.
On Feb. 28, 1972, Brother William Gagnon collapsed and died. His fellow Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God buried him in the garden of their convent and hospital near Saigon, and immediately, people started visiting his grave — the Vietnamese novices he had guided into a stable community, children caught in the crossfire of a post-colonial power struggle, the refugees he had nursed back to health from malnutrition, and the soldiers whose wounds he had cured. In the community of the Hospitallers, those who had known him retold anecdotes of his courage, constant service, and leadership in turmoil. Brother William’s good works outlived him, just as he knew they would. Story is here.
