Religious Brothers
A Brother is man who:
- experiences his baptismal call to discipleship as a call to be lived out in a particular religious community through the profession of religious vows and in the light of its special spirit or charism
- may be a member of a religious community that also includes religious priests, such as the Franciscan and Dominican orders or the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) or may be in a community which is made up entirely of brothers (Click here to see communities of Brothers)
- desires to love God with his whole being using all of his gifts for the love and service of God’s people
- Is prayerful, always desiring to grow in and to deepen his relationship with God
- Lives with a heart open to God’s love, promises and will for him expressed through mutual discernment within his community
- Is a man of the Church committed to faithful service in God’s world in love, respect and justice
- Is committed to sharing openly and generously in the life and mission of his community
- may serve, if a member of an apostolic community, in one or more of a variety of ministries such as education, work for social justice, ecology for the care of God’s Earth, professional ethics, science or law, or in social work, pastoral care, work with those who are poor or marginalized, parish, youth, elder care ministry, health care, retreat ministry and spiritual direction,
- may be asked to commit as a missionary working with people of diverse cultures and faith traditions for the common good
- may be called to the primarily contemplative life of prayer for the world (Click here to see some examples of contemplative communities of men)
- Is open to the call of his religious community to serve wherever there is the greatest need to be met by the special charism of his community
Read Brother Denis Claivaz’s What is a religious brother?
Read Brother Daniel’s story as well as the call to holiness in a Franciscan community of brothers.
“Clouds of Witnesses” — Click here to read about Canada’s own special Brother