FAQs

• Q: How Is A Brother Different From A Priest?

  A: Brothers chose to answer the call to live together communally and work with God’s people through various ministries. Brothers are not ordained and do not say Mass, nor do they administer the Sacraments any more than any baptized lay person would. Living as a Christian Brother is a life-long vocation.

• Q: What Are the Three Vows and Why Do You Take Them?

  A: Brothers publicly profess vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Chastity encourages us to work within the community and share our capacity for love in a much broader arena. Poverty allows for a simple lifestyle, as well as the ability to stand in solidarity with the people we work among. Obedience frees us to respond to and move with the Spirit.

• Q: How Long Does it Take to Become a Brother?

  A: Becoming a Brother is a life-long process. Typically, it takes about five years before a man takes his first vows.

• Q: If I Become a Christian Brother, How Might I Serve God?

  A: The primary ministry of the Brothers is the evangelization of youth within the mission of the Church. This can take many forms, including teaching, youth ministry, adult education and other ministries that bring us in contact with Christ’s presence in the world. We do this in association with those who share the spirit of Blessed Edmund Rice.

• Q: As a Brother, Where Would I Serve?

  A: There is a strong emphasis on the internationality of our Congregation, as our Brothers serve throughout the world in various regions assisting in the efforts of spreading the Gospel. A Brother’s particular ministry in the world will be determined through a process of discernment involving his leadership team.

• Q: Why Do the Christian Brothers Live in Community?

  A: Living in community is a principal source of our companionship and a privileged context for our personal growth. Our personalities develop as each of us accepts responsibility to make a unique contribution to the life and mission of the community. It is from community that we carry our gifts to others. We in turn are enriched as the lives of others touch our own. It is our principal means of evangelization.

• Q: What Role Does Community Prayer Play?

  A: In our mission of evangelization, revealing, and discovering anew our God, we need the constant support of community prayer. Living in true Brotherhood, such prayer is central to our life and mission, allowing the Word of God to shed light on our local situation and on the world beyond.

• Q: Are There Requirements for Being a Christian Brother?

  A: The Christian Brothers require that a man be a high school graduate before being able to enter into the Contact Program of Brothers’ Initial Formation.

• Q: What do Brothers do for fun?

  A: A Brother can do anything he wants for recreation, as long as it is consistent with the Christian life. Many Brothers play golf, basketball, tennis and engage in other sports. Others enjoy movies, plays and reading. Some like to go to baseball games, the opera, swimming or fishing, or travel.