Remembering Bob Mauss

Bob Mauss, long-time ATD Fourth World Ally and a man who lived a life of faith and service to poor and marginalized people, was quietly born into eternal life on June 29, 2023 with his wife, Dierdre Steib-Mauss (Dee), ATD Fourth World Volunteer Corps member, at his side. He was always with Dee, supporting her, but also had his own commitment to working towards eradicating poverty and supporting the rights of people experiencing poverty. Bob was very interested in and dedicated to the teachings of ATD Fourth World Founder Father Joseph Wresinki, taking part in the Joseph Wresinski Forum and the Joseph Wresinski Reflection group for decades.

I am impressed by the writings of Father Wresinski and the goals and framework he set down in forming the ATD Fourth World Movement. His approach of living and working among the poor has much to say to the eradication of poverty. - Bob Mauss

Bob also served on the ATD Fourth World Board of Directors for over a dozen years, the last in the office of Secretary. Since he became an ATD Fourth World Ally in 1994, he participated in many national and international gatherings, projects and events including the international project Extreme Poverty, Violence And Peace, the 2015 Discernment Group to choose the International Leadership team, as well as annual meetings and planning seminars. 

Locally, in New Orleans Bob always helped prepare the annual commemorations for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. He and Dee hosted the ATD Supporter group at their home. Bob also participated in the preparation of the publication of the book Not Meant to Live Like This as well as the seminars that followed. 

Bob’s faith and what he had learned with Father Joseph were the roots which kept him deeply committed alongside Dee to be present to the lives of people in their community and around the world living with the injustices of poverty.  - Corrinna Bain, ATD Fourth World Volunteer Corps member

Bob's life work acknowledged the harsh consequences of poverty and inequality in peoples' lives and he devoted his life to helping people build or strengthen their connection in the community to bring a sense of belonging.  

In 1966, Bob joined the Society of the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD), a Catholic community of brothers and priests where he served as a Catholic Brother for 25 years. He worked ten years in Timor, Indonesia as an agricultural mentor at a technical school. He came to New Orleans in 1988 and met Dee who introduced him to ATD Fourth World. He was dispensed from his vows to his religious community in 1995 and married Dee in 1996. Together they continued their ministry involvement at Saint Augustine Catholic Church where they both sang in the Soulful Voices Choir and where Bob was an active member of the Knights of Peter Claver. He worked with Catholic Charities in New Orleans in programs for the homeless and food distribution until his retirement in 2015. 

Part of what Bob brought to all of this work and all of these gatherings was his precious ability to listen to, respect, be fully present with, and enjoy the people around him while giving priority in his life and faith to those with the hardest lives. 

Bob is survived by Dee, his wife of 27 years, nine brothers and sisters, twenty-one nieces and nephews, and many grand-nieces and nephews. He is deeply missed by this large family as well as by all of us in his ATD Fourth World family.