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US Bishops Hear Report on State of Vocations to Religious Life
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R
rep140
Guest
This is a real crisis. It is understandable why the number of brothers and sisters has fallen since there are many more opportunities for the laity to serve. In my parish there are many more of the laity involved than 40 years ago. In my diocese at least a dozen priests died in the past year while we ordained one priest. Forget about anything else, if we don’t have priests what do we do?
J
JReducation
Guest
While we do need more priests, especially with the larger populations of today’s world, the Vatican has challenged bishops around the world to consider and work with the depleted number of religious brothers and sisters. That was the thrust of this presentation that Brother made. I don’t know how reliable the statistics are, but if it’s true that the family, clergy and parishioners are that disinterested in promoting vocations to the brotherhood and sisterhood, there is a real problem at those levels.
I realize that brothers are a difficult concept for most people to understand, especially the laity. Because most people think of men becoming priests, not brothers. And most people think that a brother is someone who is studying to be a priest, which is not true. In some communities brothers are allowed to ordained priests, but they will always be brothers. However, the vocation to the religious life for women should be more comprehensible for the average parent or parish priest. I am amazed when such a small number of women say that they received little support from the parish priest, family and parishioners. I don’t get that at all.
We do need more brothers too. For centuries brothers have played an indispensible role in the Church. From the early days of the Church there were brothers. The first religious communities were founded by brothers. They were predominantly contemplative communities out in the desert. They consecrated their lives to living the Evangelical Counsels, to a life of prayer, penance, community, and living as the Apostles lived while Christ was among them.
Gradually they grew into monastic communities. The first big movement came with St. Benedict in the West and St. Basil in the East, when the brothers organized themselves better under the rule of St. Benedict or St. Basil. Later came Augustine. Even though he was not a brother, he wrote a rule for brothers. The Augustinian monasteries were founded. These brothers and the Benedictines were not only the keepers of culture, but they were the praying task force of the Church. Their lives were dedicated to the Liturgy of the Hours and other forms of prayer and penance. Without them, we would not have this other form of liturgical life. Without their inspiration, other forms of religious life may not have happened. Most forms of religious life took their example from these brothers.
Then in the Middle Ages came Francis of Assisi with his brothers. Francis was the first to bring the brothers into a life that combined the prayerful and penitential customs of monastic life with the apostolate, especially among the poor and those who were ignorant of the faith. Francis’ largest target was the Catholic laity. While the early Franciscan brothers did go to foreign missions and there were some priests who joined them and became brothers, most did not. Most stayed in Europe and reformed the European Church, reformed education, reformed healthcare, preached: missions, retreats, holy days and led the laity in other works of mercy.
After the Protestant Reformation John De la Salle founded the first apostolic congregation of brothers whom he called the Brothers of Christian Schools. Today we call them the De la Salle Christian Brothers. Many other founders followed the example and model of John Baptist De la Salle and founded congregations of brothers for very specific apostolates, especially education and healthcare.
Now, we have a rebirth in the interest in brothers. There are currently five new congregations of brothers in the USA and older orders, such as Franciscans and Benedictines are going back to the old days, recruiting more men to be religioius, rather than priests. The hope is to recover the original spirit of St. Benedict and St. Francis and return it to the Church. But these efforts need the support of parish priests, family and parishioners.
From where I sit, I believe that those who do not support the rebirth of brothers fail to do so because they don’t know the history of the brothers in the Church, not because they don’t care. It’s not easy to support something that you do not understand. I know that in the geographical area where I am stationed the bishop has been supportive of the formation of the Franciscan Brothers of Life. We are fortunate to have a bishop who knows about the history of religious life, especially the history of brothers. He also supported the foundation of a wonderful congregation of sisters that began with four and now numbers well over 100 and has extended beyond his diocese. Looking at this experience, my feeling is that what is missing is information and education. People don’t know and they can’t support what they don’t understand.
I hope that I’m right. I would prefer not to think that parents, family, parishioners and priests are disinterested in more religious brothers and sisters.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
I realize that brothers are a difficult concept for most people to understand, especially the laity. Because most people think of men becoming priests, not brothers. And most people think that a brother is someone who is studying to be a priest, which is not true. In some communities brothers are allowed to ordained priests, but they will always be brothers. However, the vocation to the religious life for women should be more comprehensible for the average parent or parish priest. I am amazed when such a small number of women say that they received little support from the parish priest, family and parishioners. I don’t get that at all.
We do need more brothers too. For centuries brothers have played an indispensible role in the Church. From the early days of the Church there were brothers. The first religious communities were founded by brothers. They were predominantly contemplative communities out in the desert. They consecrated their lives to living the Evangelical Counsels, to a life of prayer, penance, community, and living as the Apostles lived while Christ was among them.
Gradually they grew into monastic communities. The first big movement came with St. Benedict in the West and St. Basil in the East, when the brothers organized themselves better under the rule of St. Benedict or St. Basil. Later came Augustine. Even though he was not a brother, he wrote a rule for brothers. The Augustinian monasteries were founded. These brothers and the Benedictines were not only the keepers of culture, but they were the praying task force of the Church. Their lives were dedicated to the Liturgy of the Hours and other forms of prayer and penance. Without them, we would not have this other form of liturgical life. Without their inspiration, other forms of religious life may not have happened. Most forms of religious life took their example from these brothers.
Then in the Middle Ages came Francis of Assisi with his brothers. Francis was the first to bring the brothers into a life that combined the prayerful and penitential customs of monastic life with the apostolate, especially among the poor and those who were ignorant of the faith. Francis’ largest target was the Catholic laity. While the early Franciscan brothers did go to foreign missions and there were some priests who joined them and became brothers, most did not. Most stayed in Europe and reformed the European Church, reformed education, reformed healthcare, preached: missions, retreats, holy days and led the laity in other works of mercy.
After the Protestant Reformation John De la Salle founded the first apostolic congregation of brothers whom he called the Brothers of Christian Schools. Today we call them the De la Salle Christian Brothers. Many other founders followed the example and model of John Baptist De la Salle and founded congregations of brothers for very specific apostolates, especially education and healthcare.
Now, we have a rebirth in the interest in brothers. There are currently five new congregations of brothers in the USA and older orders, such as Franciscans and Benedictines are going back to the old days, recruiting more men to be religioius, rather than priests. The hope is to recover the original spirit of St. Benedict and St. Francis and return it to the Church. But these efforts need the support of parish priests, family and parishioners.
From where I sit, I believe that those who do not support the rebirth of brothers fail to do so because they don’t know the history of the brothers in the Church, not because they don’t care. It’s not easy to support something that you do not understand. I know that in the geographical area where I am stationed the bishop has been supportive of the formation of the Franciscan Brothers of Life. We are fortunate to have a bishop who knows about the history of religious life, especially the history of brothers. He also supported the foundation of a wonderful congregation of sisters that began with four and now numbers well over 100 and has extended beyond his diocese. Looking at this experience, my feeling is that what is missing is information and education. People don’t know and they can’t support what they don’t understand.
I hope that I’m right. I would prefer not to think that parents, family, parishioners and priests are disinterested in more religious brothers and sisters.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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