At the most recent Board of Directors meeting, the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn were welcomed as the IRL’s newest Affiliate Community.  In talking to two religious in the New York area, I was amazed to discover that each one of them had been educated and formed by the Brothers.  What a beautiful legacy to leave to the Church!

Formally known as the Congregation of the Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, the community was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1858.  They have been actively involved in the education of young men and women, primarily on Long Island, New York, serving the Diocese of Brooklyn (and later also the Diocese of Rockville Centre) since that time.  They are the largest congregation of Religious Brothers founded in America.  Formerly a diocesan congregation, in 1989, they became an Institute of Pontifical Right.

They pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community at the Monastery, and each morning they attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They also pray the Franciscan Crown, glorifying God through the Blessed Virgin Mary, their patroness.

For those unfamiliar, the Franciscan Crown is a rosary consisting of seven decades commemorating the Seven Joys of Mary, namely: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Finding in the Temple, the Appearance of Jesus to Mary after the Resurrection, and finally, the Assumption and Coronation of Mary.

The Brothers serve as teachers, administrators, campus ministers, coaches, spiritual directors, lawyers, college professors, and retreat masters.  Their apostolates include St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, and St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.  They also staff residences for low-income elderly, substance abuse recovery centers, parishes, and soup kitchens.

Faithful to the Third Order Rule, they profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  With their motto as Deus Meus et Omnia (“My God and My All”) they strive to live the Gospel, in humility and in joy, affirming Christ’s Kingdom of Peace as did their Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi.