The Christian Brothers

Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762-1844) founded the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, in order to provide quality, Catholic education to the materially poor. He heard God’s call in the poor, uneducated, marginalized young boys of Ireland. Edmund Rice began to establish Catholic schools, although such schools were illegal at that time. He took in the boys everyone else had given up on. It did not take long for him to realize that he must attend to all the needs of the boys — food, clothing, and housing.

 

By the end of the nineteenth century the Congregation had grown steadily in membership and Brothers had moved to many different countries around the world. The first Brothers came to Newfoundland in 1876 and to the United States in 1906. During the twentieth century the Brothers expanded throughout Canada and the United States and opened schools and ministries in many cities and towns. The Brothers also expanded into many countries overseas with vastly different cultural traditions and diverse pastoral needs.

 

All of these movements have been an attempt to respond to the urgings of the Spirit. The vision of Edmund was to see God in the marginalized and the poor and to try and enable those without a voice to be heard. The challenge for the future is to have our hearts transformed through a shared reflection on these experiences in the light of the Gospel.

Brothers profess vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. As Brothers, they commit their life to that of ministry and prayer. The links below provide more information on the Congregation of Christian Brothers.

 

For information about the Congregation of Christian Brothers and a vocation as a Christian Brother, visit www.iona.edu/about/cfc/brotherhood.htm or www.cfcvocations.org. Note: TC does not control the content accessed by these links.

 

Essential Elements of a Christian Brother Education

• A Christian Brother Education proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.
• The Gospel message of Jesus permeates the curriculum, the activities, and all other aspects of a Christian Brother Education.

• A Christian Brother Education gives priority to religious formation through formal religious instruction and through opportunities for faith development and service by means of liturgies, retreats, vocation awareness, daily prayer, and other programs.
• A Christian Brother Education joins in the sacramental life of the Church, witnesses faith life through the prominent use of signs and symbols, fosters devotion to Mary, and is in union with the Church through commitment to service and formation of community.
• Catholic identity permeates all endeavors of Christian Brother Education: all classes and activities, procedures and policies, services and programs.
• All staff involved in Christian Brother Education give daily witness to their integral role in the community’s faith formation.

• The policies, the structures, and the climate of a Christian Brother Education witness and promote concern for the disadvantaged.
• A Christian Brother Education includes advocacy and education for peace and justice, care for the earth, and global awareness. It prepares students to work toward the creation of a just society.
• A Christian Brother Education actively encourages ministries that work with and for the poor and marginalized.
• Education and support for mission areas at home and abroad characterize Christian Brother Education.
• A Christian Brother Education establishes tuition and scholarship policies that open its education to the poor.

• Christian Brother Education witnesses and celebrates Gospel values.
• A Christian Brother Education provides a disciplined, safe atmosphere in which students are free to grow and take responsibility for their own learning and for the life of the community.
• Caring, compassionate relationships characterize a Christian Brother Educational community.

• A Christian Brother Education values the diversity of the human family and seeks to reflect local diversity in its student population and professional staff.
• Strong programs of personal, professional, and pastoral care are integral to a Christian Brother Education.
• A Christian Brother Education embraces human fragility and welcomes God’s healing.
• Christian Brother Education values co-curricular activities, special events, and other programs that are important to students’ complete education.
• A Christian Brother Education strives to provide just remuneration for its staff.

• Christian Brother Education empowers all members of the community to share responsibility in the shaping of its mission.
• A Christian Brother Education collaborates with parents, the primary educations.
• A Christian Brother Education fosters collaboration with other Christian Brother ministries on local, regional, and international levels to address common concerns and to celebrate a common heritage.
• A Christian Brother Education encourages a deeper understanding and living of the charism of Blessed Edmund.
• A Christian Brother Education promotes active participation in governance by boards and Diocesan Officials.

• Strong academic curriculum, high expectations, and a quest for excellence characterize a Christian Brother Education.
• A Christian Brother Education develops a curriculum that promotes the harmonious growth of the whole person, fosters the development of higher-order thinking, and prepares its students for life-long learning.