The Joy of Brotherhood

The story of Blessed Edmund Rice has inspired generations of people across the world. Among the values that we cherish from his tradition are his generosity, his courage, his humanity, his love of God’s word in Scripture, his devotion to the Mother of God, his practical reaching out to the poor and oppressed, and his absolute trust in God’s providence.

The Joy of Brotherhood.
For us Christian Brothers community living is a central part of our identity. We live together the vowed life of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience in a way that is life-giving for us. We pray together to Jesus our Brother, and we share our cares and joys. As members of a community we carry our gifts to others. We are enriched as the lives of others touch our own.

We experience the love of God in our lives.
We meet God in our community prayer, and in our personal prayer and reflection. We experience the love and care of God in the ordinary and extraordinary events of our lives. Like Edmund we trust ourselves to his providence.

We want to share our search for God and our experience.
The search for God is an important element in the lives of many young people. Christian Brothers are travelling on this journey, and we want to accompany others on their search for a spiritual life.

We have a strong commitment to justice.
Human rights advocacy is a new ministry of the Christian Brothers and reflects a new understanding of global mission. Right across the world young people and children are the victims of injustice and poverty. Many are abused. All are in need of compassion, services and a safe place where they can speak of and about their situation. When Edmund Rice looked out the window in Waterford he saw the children on the street; today he would see the children of the world.

Eco-justice is a new area if concern for us as we try to bring an awareness of our responsibilities as stewards of the world around us.

We are on the side of the poor and disadvantaged.
Since the time of Blessed Edmund the Brothers have directed their personnel and resources to educating the poor, and our school immersion projects have opened the eyes and hearts of Irish students and teachers to the realities of poverty in Africa and India. Our justice offices throughout the world stand up for the rights of the oppressed.

We empower people through education.
Education was the means Edmund Rice used to transform the children of his day. Since then it has been the method of “helping people to help themselves.”

The Brothers have been involved in all levels of education for over two hundred years, and in thirty-five countries. Recently the foundation of “Life-centres” in urban areas has shown the recognition that normal school structures do not always work.

Edmund Rice Network Europe

Brothers for the 21st Century

Brothers for the 21st Century

When Edmund Rice contemplated the Waterford of 1802 and saw the plight of the poor, his response was daring, bold and imaginative. He established an education system for poor boys where none existed. It was a creative response to a crying need. Over the past two centuries, generations of brothers and their co-workers have build upon Edmund's dream.

Nevertheless, there has been a growing awareness that while we have been good at replicating Edmund's response, we have lost something of his boldness and daring. In the world of young people, new needs have emerged to which the congregation has been slow to respond. Galvanised by recent Congregation Chapters, brothers have been encouraged to rediscover a splash of Edmund's boldness and daring.

In Africa where the congregation has been growing steadily, the most obvious crying need is the scourge of HIV/Aids. The brothers have committed themselves to address this appalling tragedy through a variety of initiatives.

In South America, the crying need is the countless numbers of homeless children. Many of these unfortunates end up in squalid jails with no provision for their welfare. The brothers have responded by involvement in juvenile prison ministry, and by initiating projects for the education and care of street children.

In India, the brothers have traditionally worked in prestigious private schools. In more recent years, the brothers have changed the focus of their ministry, and all of their recent openings have been for the benefit of the Dalits, the untouchables, in the tribal villages.

Working with the poor, it soon becomes apparent that unjust structures ensure that the poor remain poor. Brothers have learned that advocacy on behalf of those who have no voice is an important dimension of their ministry. Recently, the Christian and the Presentation Brothers have established an NGO called Edmund Rice International. Associated with ERI is a community of four brothers who live in Geneva, and work in advocacy at the United Nations.

Brothers have heard the crying need of the earth itself, and appreciate the importance of advocacy on behalf of the whole earth community. A number of Eco-justice centres have been opened to raise awareness in the human community of the consequences of our profligacy and wasteful use of resources.

Br. Mark McDonnell