Transcript Slide 1

St. Francis of Assisi,
OFM
St. Gerard Magella,
CSsR
St. Martin de
Porres, OP
St. Benedict the
African, OFM
Servant of God
Anthony
Kowalczyk, OMI
Blessed André
Bissette, CSC
From THE CATHOLIC
ENCYCLOPEDIA:
Religious occupied solely with
manual labor and with the secular
affairs of a monastery or friary.
They have been known, in
various places and at various
times, as fratres conversi, laici
barbati, illiterati, or idiotæ, and,
though members of their
respective orders, are entirely
distinct from the choir monks or
brothers, who are devoted mainly
to the opus Dei and to study.
Lay brothers are now to be found
in most of the religious orders.
They are mostly pious and
laborious persons, usually drawn
from the working classes of the
community . . .
. . .while unable to attain to
the degree of learning
requisite for Holy orders,
are yet drawn to the
religious life and able to
contribute by their toil to
the prosperity of the house
or order of their vocation.
Not seldom they are skilled in
artistic handicrafts, sometimes
they are efficient
administrators of temporal
possessions, always they are
able to perform domestic
services or to follow
agricultural pursuits.
C. 1 We are a clerical
Congregation of pontifical right.
We come together in apostolic
communities of priests and
Brothers, united to God by the
vows of religion.
C 7. As priests and Brothers,
we have complementary
responsibilities in evangelizing.
Rule 7c: Oblate Brothers share in
the common priesthood of Christ.
They are called to cooperate in
their own way in reconciling all
things in him. Through their
religious consecration, they offer
a particular witness to a life
inspired by the Gospel.
Brothers participate in the
missionary work of building up
the Church everywhere,
especially in those areas
where the Word is first being
proclaimed.
Missioned by the Church, their
technical, professional or
pastoral service, as well as the
witness of their life, constitute
their ministry of
evangelization.
C. 67. During the years after
the novitiate, the Brother
grows in appreciation of his
special vocation. With this in
mind, professional training
prepares him for his specific
role.
His doctrinal and pastoral
education is adapted to his
work and ministry. Thus, in
his own community as well as
outside it, the Brother can
give witness of solid faith and
of service that is competent
and selfless.
Since the Founder wanted
the Oblates to replace and
imitate the older Orders, he
seemed to assume that
there would be Brothers in
the community. They are
mentioned in the 1818 Rule.
Article 1: “The Society accepts
receiving within its ranks men
of good will, men lacking in the
education necessary for
becoming missionaries and
accepting the fact that they will
never acquire it . . .
. . .but who still wish to work
effectively for their own
salvation under the direction of
the holy Rules of the Institute
while working at the tasks set
aside in religious orders for
those known as lay brothers.”
“In our Society, lay brothers
must not be regarded as house
servants. They are members of
the Institute given the
responsibility of manual work
in the houses just like the other
members are charged with
more noble tasks for the
common benefit of the Society
and the Church.”
Added to the 1853 Rule: “The
society agrees to receive men
who wish to work at tasks
reserved in religious orders
to those whom we call lay
brothers and to the teaching
of poor children when it will
be judged appropriate.”
The first Brother novice
came in 1820. He did not
persevere. The first
Brother to make vows was
Jean Bernard Ferrand … in
1828…10 years after the
Rule was written.
In the Founder’s day, when
social class distinctions were
observed, the Brothers were
equal members of the Oblates
but not treated equally.
-Fewer prayers were said for them
when they died.
-They did not receive the full text of
the Rule.
-They did not eat at the “Fathers’
Table” in the refectory.
-They did not recreate with the
Fathers.
-They had no consultative vote.
By 1841, the Brothers were so
much a part of the Oblates
that the Founder sent them to
every house in France and
with every missionary
contingent.
At the time of the Founder’s
death in 1861, of the 414
Oblates worldwide, 87 were
Brothers (a total of 20%).
Recruitment with varied
success in different parts of
the world.
Strongest in Canada and
Germany.
Little was written on a
Congregation-wide level, about
the formation of Brothers after
novitiate.
In the 1950’s, there was some
effort to give special
professional training to
Brothers, especially in Eastern
Canada, Germany and Italy.
Even what they were called
differed over the years:
“Lay Brothers”
“Oblate Brothers”
“Coadjutor Brothers”
While some Brothers did
external ministry (usually
teaching) most were in
charge of the domestic and
material needs of the
community and the
missions.
COOKS
BUILDING PROFESSIONS
GROUNDS-KEEPERS
PRINTERS
MAINTENANCE DUTIES
RECEPTIONISTS
TAILORS
Many Brothers were
outstanding in the living of
their religious life. There
are memories of many
who were truly holy.
VATICAN II
A TURNING
POINT IN THE
UNDERSTANDING
OF THE LAY
VOCATION
The understanding of
“MISSION”
All of the faithful, in virtue of
their baptism and their
confirmation, are part of the
mission of the Church.
A renewed understanding
of the PRIESTHOOD OF
THE FAITHFUL.
A renewed emphasis on
the dignity and equality
of all the baptized.
Various types of
ministry are necessary for the
implanting and growth of the
Christian community, and once
these forms of service have
been called forth from the body
of the faithful, by the divine
call, they are to be carefully
fostered and nurtured by all.
Ad Gentes #16:
Among these functions are
those of priests, deacons and
catechists, and also that of
Catholic Action.
Brothers and nuns, likewise,
play an indispensable role in
planting and strengthening the
kingdom of Christ in souls, and
in the work of further extending
it, both by their prayers and
active work.”
World-wide Cultural Changes
Increased level of education
of potential candidates.
Sociological changes within
many cultures. Less “class
consciousness.” More
emphasis on “human rights.”
THE GENERAL
CHAPTER OF 1966
Fathers and Brothers are cooperators with Christ. They
are no longer to be called
“co-adjutor Brothers” but
simply “Brothers” or “Oblate
Brothers.”
Brothers are fully integrated
into the apostolic
community.
THE GENERAL
CHAPTER OF 1972
Toned down the distinction
between Brothers and
Scholastics. There are no
longer two “classes” of
Oblates, clerical and nonclerical.
Brothers can take part in a
General Chapter (with a
passive vote). If not elected,
Superior General can invite
six.
Qualified Brothers may
be ordained deacons.
(Very few have opted for
this.)
Brothers can be assistants
to the superior, members of
a Provincial Council, and
even the General Council.
However, an indult from
Rome would be necessary
for a Brother to be named
superior.
The lived experience of the
Brothers is still evolving
throughout the Oblate
world. How they fit into
community life and into the
mission differs in the
various Oblate units.
The roles of a priest and a
Brother are not interchangeable.
Nevertheless, both priest and
Brother are called to be
embodiments of the same
Oblate charism.
Const. 7: “As priests and
Brothers, we have
complementary responsibilities
in evangelizing.”
Const. 38: “….priests and
Brothers are interdependent in
our lives and missionary
activity.”
The Brother has the special
vocation of giving witness to
the fact that all are called to a
common “brotherhood” in
Jesus Christ.
“In our world, which is
sometimes hostile to the Church
and careful to keep its distance
from the institutional Church and
from those who exercise
authority over it . . .
. . .Oblate Brothers will often
have a gospel influence which
the priest could not have.”
(Missionaries in Today’s World #50)
From Marcello Zago, OMI,
“The Priestly Character of
the Congregation”
“For us the priority of
proclamation is a
consequence that
flows from the
priestly character of
the Congregation
. . . according to
the manner and
example of the
Apostles whom the
original Rule
presents as our
first fathers.
Through the
activity of the Sprit
and its acceptance
in faith, the Word
constitutes
Christian
communities and
attains it fullness
in the celebration
of the Eucharist.”
Evangelization does not
reach its fullness until a
Christian community is
formed around the altar at the
liturgy of the Eucharist, “the
source and summit” of all
Christian life.
From Sacroscanctum Concilium
“Nevertheless the liturgy is the
summit toward which the
activity of the Church is
directed at the same time it is
the fountain (source) from
which all her power flows.
For the goal of apostolic works
is that all who are made
children of God by faith and
baptism should come together
to praise God in the midst of
His Church, to take part in her
sacrifice, and to eat the Lord's
supper.”
Evangelization is not
complete until the Priestly
People offers to the Father
the unique sacrifice of Jesus
Christ, in conjunction with
and through the ministry of
the ordained priest.
Unless our Oblate Brothers see
that they are part of the great
priestly service of Jesus Christ
(which coincides, after all, with
the mission of the Oblates),
they are bound to feel like
second-class citizens or they
will have the “pay, pray and
obey” attitude of so many lay
Catholics about their role in the
Church.
Unless Oblate priests
understand the vital importance
of the collaboration of their
Oblate Brothers and the lay
faithful in forming the Christian
community, ultimately around
the Eucharistic table . . .
. . . then they will either fall
into the disorder of
“clericalism” or they will
become discouraged and feel
alone in their ministry.
Pope John Paul II to the 1986
General Chapter:
“Be vigilant also to call
not only to Oblate
missionary life in priestly
ministry but equally to the
well prepared and very
precious service of Oblate
Brother.”
“Not to show an interest in such a
vocation (Brotherhood), not to foster
such a vocation, would bring upon the
Congregation an impoverishment and
would constitute a failure in fidelity to
correspond to our history as well as to
the grace of God.” (Fr. Fernand Jetté,
OMI)
A final note: NAMES CAN HURT
We are the “Missionary Oblates
of Mary Immaculate” or the
“Missionary Oblates” or the
“Oblate Fathers and Brothers.”
We are not simply the “Oblate
Fathers.”
Prepared by Fr. James Allen, OMI
October 2003
Partially based on “Brothers” by
Santiago Rebordinos, OMI, in Dictionary
of Oblate Values