Br. Josef Peter Anderlohr

Br. Josef Peter Anderlohr, OFM, 83, died March 24 at Hospice of Cincinnati Inpatient Care Center in Blue Ash, Ohio.

Born on Nov. 11, 1939, in Mishawaka, Ind. Br. Josef was one of two children of German immigrants Josef Sr. and Pauline (Blum) Anderlohr. He attended St. Joseph Elementary School in Mishawaka, where he established connections with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration and the Franciscan friars who served as their chaplains. He attended Culver High School in Culver, Ind., and graduated from St. Joseph High School in South Bend. Br. Josef attended Ancilla Domini College in Donaldson, Ind., and the American Floral Arts School. From 1964 to 1974, he was the owner of Anderlohr Culver Greenhouse.

Br. Josef connected with the friars at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, and, in 1982, entered the candidacy program at Duns Scotus College in Southfield, Mich., to discern a vocation as a Franciscan friar. He was received into the novitiate in 1984.

After professing his first vows in 1985, Br. Josef moved to St. Mary Magdalen Friary in Chicago and began studies in theology and liturgical design at Catholic Theological Union. He also studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He professed first vows on Aug. 11, 1989, and moved to St. Francis Seraph Friary in Cincinnati while he did a Clinical Pastoral Education term at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Covington, Kentucky. This prepared him for three years as a chaplain at the hospital and work as a liturgical design consultant in the Cincinnati area. His ministry included the redesign of St. Francis Seraph Church. In 1994, Br. Josef was named as pastoral associate of St. Francis Seraph Parish. In 1999, he was assigned as guardian of St. Francis Seraph Friary.

Long interested in a life of more focused prayer and reflection, Br. Josef was a founding member of Our Lady of the Angels Interprovincial House of Prayer on the grounds of the Trappist Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri. He treasured his time with the other brothers in the community, however returned to Cincinnati in 2012 due to health issues and was ultimately assigned to St. John the Baptist Friary for nursing care.

Br. Josef was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Loretta Anderlohr Baille. He is survived by his nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. In addition, he is survived by friar classmate Fr. Louis Bartko, OFM. Friars, family and friends will receive Br. Josef’s body at St. Clement Church in Cincinnati on March 30 at 6 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial follows at 7 p.m. Interment will take place at the friars’ plot at St. Mary Cemetery on Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. Memorials may be made in care of FriarWorks, 1615 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Personal expressions of sympathy may be sent to Br. Josef’s nephew: Joseph Baille, 2001 19^th Street NW #5, Washington, D.C. 20009.