Becoming A Brother

We are called in faith by a loving God to a deep relationship with Jesus and with our brothers in a religious community founded by Blessed Edmund Rice.
Constitution # 2

During the first phase of the Residency Program, you will live in the Brothers’ Initial Formation Community in Chicago, Illinois. During the second phase, you will live in one of the many Brothers’ mission communities in preparation for entrance into the Novitiate. Both phases take place under the supervision of the Initial Formation Director.

The objectives of the Residency Program include:

• Encouraging you to grow in self-knowledge and self-acceptance.
• Enhancing your prayer life through experiences of communal and personal prayer.
• Participating in the active apostolic activity of the Brothers.
• Developing community living skills.
• Sharing in the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice through service to the poor.

It is believed that by living in community with the Brothers, your experience of sharing in the community’s daily rhythm of prayer, work, meals and recreation will assist you in deepening your understanding of yourself and of religious life. Exploring the prayer and community life of the Brothers serves to further enrich your experience in the Initial Formation Program.

During Residency you will participate in an InterCommunity Candidacy Program sponsored by the Religious Formation Conference. The program allows for regular contact with residents from other religious orders, and provides opportunities for interaction with a group of peers who are also discerning their call to religious life.