MARIST BROTHERS
We Marist brothers are religious consecrated to God, and we follow Jesus in the way that Mary did. We live in community and dedicate ourselves in a special way to the education of children and young people, with a preference for those who are the most neglected.
OUR IDENTITY AS BROTHERS TODAY
On the feast of the Presentation of the Mary 2014, Pope Francis described the three primary aims of the year of consecrated life as:
1. To look to the past with Gratitude.
2. To live the present with Passion.
3. To embrace the future with Hope.
In similar ways, this Secretariat echoes these aims. As brothers today, we are grateful for our fraternal growth of the past 199 years of the institute, when more recently,The Secretariat of Brothers Today takes up the areas that in recent years were the responsibilities of the Commission for Religious Life and the Vocations Bureau.
The 2009 XXI General Chapter summoned us “To go in haste to new lands with Mary…” “…living a new consecrated life”, which promotes “…a new way of being brother” and “…with a significant presence amongst poor children”. It is in this context that the Secretariat, Brothers Today was born.
We are living the present with passionrequiring us to be mindful of our sacred duty to care for our Marist vocation through regular nourishment from continual formation throughout our consecrated lives. We invest our spirit and energy in learning new ways of being Marists, brothers and lay. This expression ranges from the International Colloquium about Initial Formation to Third Age programs; from Post Perpetual ‘Gier’ to the Mid-Life ‘Pathways’ programs. At the same time, we are attentive to our Marist spiritual patrimony.
As brothers today, we are responding to the call of the XXI General Chapter to a new communion with laity and the formation of international communities in new lands, this secretariat embraces the future with hope and dare to imagine boldly along with the other secretariats of Mission, Laity, FMSI and CMI that we are already witnessing the divine promise unfolding as we approach our Bicentenary…
Behold, I am making all things new!” (Rev 21:5)
BROTHER TRAINING
STEPS OF INITIAL TRAINING
Aspirancy is a six-month to two year experience but may vary according to individual circumstances. This initial step takes place in response to a request by an individual who has already been in contact with a member of the Marist Vocations Team and “aspires” to explore seriously the question of becoming a Marist Brother. This request is processed through the Director of Vocations. A formal interview is arranged to ascertain the suitability and readiness of the person for the Aspirancy stage.
“I’d like to experience more about the Brothers’ way of life.”
An Aspirant participate in a program including:
- Regular accompaniment with a Brother
- Development and integration of personal and faith life
- Involvement in service experiences
- assessment of readiness for Postulancy
The Novitiate is an 18-24 month program or “apprenticeship” where the young man formally enters into the Institute of the Marist Brothers and learns to begin living as a Brother. Currently, in some parts of the Marist world, the young man may move to another country and/or culture to take part in an inter-province, inter-national formation.
“I want to test my vocation and see if I am called to be a Marist Brother.”
The aim of this time is to help the Novice:
- Deepen his relationship with God and the Marist Brothers through prayer, meditation and study of Marist life and consecration
- Discover the stable, inner core of his identity as a person and Marist Brother, while remaining open, flexible and creative in the ways he will be called to live this out
- Appreciate the full meaning of Brotherhood, assisting him to live this in community and in ministry with those to whom he is missioned as a Brother
The Novitiate is completed with the Profession of First Vows.
CONTINUOUS FORMATION
Mensaje del H. Ernesto a las comunidades del MCFM de México
H. Ernesto Sánchez a los maristas de México Occidental
204 años de los Maristas de Champagnat – H. Ernesto Sánchez
Christmas Message of Br. Ernesto Sánchez, Superior General
Circular of the Superior General – 8 September 2020
Brother Ernesto Sánchez welcome the integration of Melanesia into the Province of Australia
How we are organised?
“It takes two people to make one brother.” Israel Zangwill
This simple quote reflects the nature and organization of the Secretariat of Brothers Today. It also echoes Pope Francis’ invitation to consecrated men and women to be experts in communion, firstly “…within the respective communities of each Institute”. The existence and function of Brothers Today is primarily founded in the communion with the General Council, the International Commission of Brothers Today and with the other Secretariats.
The General Counselors Br Eugène Kabanguka and Br Ernesto Sánchez, continue to guide and refine the works of Brothers Today according to the principles of the XXI General Chapter.
The International Commission of Brothers Today, with representation from each region, as well as from the various levels of vocation and formation ministries, gathers annually. These meetings provide the needed wisdom of the lived realities of vocation, formation and community life throughout the world.
Just as a person cannot be a brother by himself, a secretariat cannot be effective by operating alone. The reality of our lives is one of fraternal communion with each other. Being brothers today requires a strong relationship with our mission, which is connected to the “peripheries” through the ministries of FMSI and CMI. All our works are carried out in communion with the laity.
Brothers Today collaborates with the language based formation teams at El Escorial and Manziana as well as with the sub commissions in the Marist provinces and districts.
In the Year of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis calls for a growth in communion between members of different Institutes. In recent years, Brothers Today has been sharing time, resources and our common fraternal reality with other congregations of brothers.
One project was a gathering of over 130 brothers from 21 congregations in October this year.
As a secretariat within a living congregation, we are an organic being, continuing to evolve and grow. We are nurtured by the Holy Spirit along with blessings of the experience of being all brothers today.
ALL BROTHERS
The group ALL BROTHERS started in Rome in September 2012 in a joint formation program with eight teaching congregation of brothers. These included: Irish Christian Brothers, De La Salle Brothers, Brothers of St Gabriel, The Menasianos Brothers, Marist Brothers, Brothers of Misericordiae, Sacred Heart Brothers and the Holy Family Brothers. This gathering was held at the General House of the De La Salle.
Since this initial gathering, there have been a series of meetings with representatives from these congregations in Rome to continue the dialogue in promoting the identity of the religious brother in the Church today.
In October 2015, the religious brothers working in Rome gathered to celebrate the Year of Conscecrated Life at the General House of the De La Salle brothers. 133 brothers from 21 congregations met to share their stories, prayed as a community of consecrated men and enjoyed a meal together realising a new inter-congregational way that we are all brothers.
The prayer for this celebration is available here
Articles about this meeting from the websites of Comboniani (Italian)
Vidimus Dominum (Italian)
Religión Digital (Spanish)
In 2016, the Tutti Fratelli group prepared resources in five different languages, for communities of brothers to reflect more deeply on the Vatican document on the Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church. A special dedicated website for this group was created to share the riches of the work of this inter- congregational effort. Access the webpage here.