James-Michael von Stroebel

On May 2, 2023 Fra’ James-Michael von Stroebel passed from this temporal existence. Fra’ James-Michael was born Dec. 14, 1927 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Devoted nuns assured solid Catholic formation The Jesuit Order provided his Catholic education from Marquette High School through Marquette University, St Stanislaus Seminary, Georgetown University (Washington DC) School of Foreign Service, Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City) and Georgetown Graduate School.

In 1950 at the invitation of Baroness Elisabeth von und zu Guttenberg he travelled to Europe to serve as a volunteer with one of her Caritas charities in Munich, Germany. Just prior to his arrival in Europe, North Korea invaded South Korea. James-Michael enlisted in the American Army. He served in First Infantry Division in Germany later in Orleans, France. In two years of service he progressed rapidly through six ranks from Recruit to Tech Sergeant.

His civilian employment started in 1957 with the Latin American Division, Department of Commerce. From 1973 until his retirement in 1984 he served in the American Embassies in Mexico City (Mexico), Teheran (Iran), and Bonn (Germany) and in the American Consulates General in Zagreb (Yugoslavia) and Montreal (Canada).

From 1985 until 1994 Fra’ James-Michael served as volunteer in several capacities including Assistant Administer with, and on the Board of, the Whitman-Walker AIDS Clinic in Washington, DC. He started and directed the first AIDS walk in Washington.In 1992 he was invested in Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, ancient (founded about 1070 AD) lay religious order. In 1999 he pronounced his perpetual vows in the Order. His title Fra’ is an abbreviation of the Latin word frater which means ‘brother’.

In 1993 Fra’ James-Michael accompanied a shipment of Medicines into war-torn Croatia. From 1993 until halted in 2020 by Covid he participated in every annul grand pilgrimage of the Order to take the sick to Lourdes, France. He also participated in the Order’s pilgrimages to Guadalupe, Jerusalem, Malta, Rhodes, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. He served on the Order’s Commission for 2000 Holy Year Pilgrimage to Rome.

Fra’ James-Michael for a number of years lived several months each year in the Magistral Palace in Rome, the Order’s headquarters. It was a wonderful blessing because it was the residence of the Grand Master, Servant of God Fra’ Andrew Bertie, with whom he became a good friend and who guided his formation.

From 2008 until 2020 he served as National President of Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Fraternity. He was Knight Grand Cross Jure Sanguinis of the Sacred Constantinian Order of St George, Officer of the Savoy Order of Sts Maurice and Lazarus, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St Michael of the Wing.

Ah, the appellation ‘Papal Assassin’! For a number of years a radical anti-Catholic website published a list of names of people it accused of being Papal Assassins. The list included Fra’ James-Michael. But he was in good company – the list also included John Foster Dulles and Sir Winston Churchill.

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on May, 19, 2023 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 4001 Yuma Street, NW, Washington. His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Principal Celebrant. In the presence of His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ John Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. Fra Nicola Tegoni, Regent of the Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes, Fra Thomas Mulligan, President of the Federal Asscociation of the Order of Malta.

Survivors include cousins in Wisconsin and dear friends Ed Stanley and David Vetal of Pasadena, MD and Hugh Dempsey, GCMOb, Washington, DC