Category Archives: Men’s communities

Men's communities, Saints

St. Juan Macias OP – A Lay Brother of the Order of Preachers…but Did He Preach?

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Who was Saint Juan Macias OP?

St. Juan Macias lived from 1585 to 1645 and is often associated with two other more well-known Dominican saints. He lived at the same time as St. Martin de Porres and only 5 years after the death of St. Rose of Lima.  Originally from Spain, he later traveled to the New World, and at the age of 37, he entered the Dominican convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Lima Peru as a lay brother. Lay brother is the term traditionally given by the Church to male religious in consecrated life. Since the 1950s, the Dominican Order now calls its non-ordained, or lay brothers, cooperator brothers. Based on canonization documents and Pope Paul VI’s homily celebrating his canonization, Juan was well known for two things.  First, he was a man of prayer, a deep contemplative. He loved the Rosary, which he began to pray as a child in Spain and prayed consistently throughout his observant and penitential life as a Dominican. His deep prayer and ascetical life freed many souls from purgatory. Secondly, he was known for being poor, living out his vow of poverty as a consecrated religious and by his generosity to the poor, often serving 200 people a day while ministering as a porter for his Dominican community. St. Juan Macias was beatified with St. Martin de Porres in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.

Asking, “did he preach?” Why is this such a crucial question?

Father Gerard Timoner III OP, the current Master General of the Order of Preachers, emphasizes that preaching is both the identity for Dominicans and their mission; it is simultaneously who they are and what they do. Cooperator brothers, as non-ordained members of the Order of Preachers, are not sanctioned by ordination to preach from the liturgical pulpit during the sacred confines of the Catholic Mass. Determining how lay members of the Order, like St. Juan Macias, fulfill the preaching mission of the Order and how they live out the very essence of being a preacher, is a crucial distinction. It speaks to the very heart of what it means to be a Dominican, a preacher. Juan Macias, as a declared Dominican saint, is assumed to have lived out the fullness of his Order’s charism of preaching. Understanding how a non-ordained brother, who did not preach from the pulpit within the sacred confines of the Mass, can become a saint in the Order of Preachers, challenges the Church to re-imagine what it means by the term preaching. Is preaching a term to refer to only a few minutes of a homily given by the ordained minister during the mass? It must be more than this. Is preaching the external reach of living our lives as Christians, as a witness? It must be more narrow and specific than this.

How do the Dominicans Understand Preaching?

The Order of Preachers “was established, from the beginning, for preaching and the salvation of souls.” St. Dominic wanted his friars to be educated preachers so they might effectively refute the errors of heresy prevalent in his time. Dominicans embrace a life of study at the service of what is called the “Holy Preaching.” The Holy Preaching is not a discrete experience confined to a few minutes from the pulpit; rather for Dominicans, it is an expression of life shared in community. As a community, Dominicans seek to make a comprehensive and dynamic response to God’s presence in their lives and the world, going forth to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed. By their religious profession, Dominicans become “fully committed to preaching the Word of God in its totality” so that they live “an apostolic life in the full sense of the word, from which preaching and teaching ought to issue from an abundance of contemplation.” For Dominicans, all of what they do—their living of the vows, their observances of religious life, their study, their life of prayer and contemplation, their life in common, prepare them for the Holy Preaching and produce fruit in the Holy Preaching.

Juan was a member of the Order of Preachers, but as a lay brother, was he a preacher?

Juan preached. He preached using words and deeds. He did not preach homilies, he did not write famous spiritual books, and he did not teach in a formal academic setting. Juan, per his role as a porter, bridged the gap between the cloistered religious community and the external world. A porter serves as a doorkeeper to a religious convent or monastery and is often the first point of contact for those seeking assistance. The porter regulated the flow of traffic between the interior life of the religious convent and the external public who regularly came to the convent needing help with a wide variety of needs. These needs spanned the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Specific to his function of preaching, Juan prayed with those who came to the door of the convent before serving them. When the Dominican convent ran out of supplies to give to the poor, he asked generous neighbors to share what they had with those in need. He offered spiritual advice to those seeking spiritual consolation. He taught the faith to those seeking answers. He did all of these long before the terms fundraiser, community organizer, spiritual director, catechist, and social worker, were invented to describe those types of ministry.

How was St Juan Macias’ preaching particularly Dominican?

Dominican preaching can be characterized by its source, its method, and its relationship to the vow of poverty. The source for Dominican preaching is contemplation and Juan’s preaching drew from this source. His preaching resulted from an overflow of his robust prayer life. Juan, based on numerous examples from his canonization documents, was a man of prayer who led a deeply contemplative life. His preaching to the many who knocked on the convent door each day was drawn from his deep love of the rosary and remarkable penitential life. This was the source of grace that made his preaching effective and sustaining.

St. Juan Macias’ method of preaching was particularly Dominican. Dominicans preach on the move in a wide variety of settings to diverse audiences. It is a way of preaching that is flexible, adaptable, and versatile. Juan preached to a wide variety of visitors who came to the monastery. His preaching began with listening, with encountering people right where they are. It was not a pre-determined exhortation; it was not top-down. Juan preached in a milieu where a diverse range of people came to the convent with a variety of needs. Juan, as a lay brother, preached to the community daily with his versatile preaching.

Juan’s preaching was enhanced by his poverty. From the founding of the Order by St Dominic, Dominicans have forged strong links between poverty and preaching. Dominicans have embraced the vow of, the practice of, and the spirit of poverty. For Dominicans, living out poverty enlivens the preaching. Dominicans have embraced poverty in order to free themselves for the mission and to authenticate what is said in their preaching. Dominicans seek to combine the spiritual movement of abandonment with a unity between the preacher and his ministry to the poor. In order to save souls and evangelize people in light of the Gospel, Dominicans must practice what they preach. And, by their movement of poverty, their life of simplicity and mission inspired others to live the Gospel message and reach out to those in need. A lay brother, by his very vocation, is poor and is one with the poor. Brothers, as non-ordained members of the Church, relinquish all trappings and privileges of the clerical life to remain simply a brother. St Juan Macias’ practice of poverty and his vocation as a lay brother helped him to preach to the poor and outcast who knocked on the door of the convent.

As a Saint of the Order of Preachers, Juan Macias was a holy preacher. He lived out the fullness of his Order’s charism, preaching to those who came to the convent seeking various physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs regardless of his nonclerical status. He was a man of prayer who lived a rigorous and penitential life as a Dominican lay brother. Juan was deeply contemplative and was extremely observant of his religious rule. He lived out his mission as a preacher by encountering hundreds of people every day while fulfilling his duties as the porter for the convent, feeding, instructing, evangelizing, and healing. He is a saint who speaks to the heart of the Dominican preaching life.

St Juan Macias, intercede for us. Help our Church to re-discover the vocation of the religious brother.

By: Br. John Steilberg, OP
Province of St Albert the Great
(Central USA)
September 2021

Brother John serves currently as the Executive Director of Operations at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Catholic graduate school of theology in the Dominican tradition, located in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Men's communities, Reflection

Building Bridges Without a Blueprint with Br. Dominic Michael, fbp

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Initially, I started walking to keep my fitness up. While exercising, I would pray, but eventually I began to have unique encounters. The neighborhood is very diverse, and many of these neighbors have expressed negative feelings towards the Catholic Church. You never know how you’re going to react to situations that eventually have become a ministry, being a brother to all.

Here are three experiences in line with our charisms as Franciscan Brothers of Peace:

1. Cultivate Prayer Among the People

The first story is about meeting a young man. We basically started talking right away, and he asked some basic questions about what our brothers were about. He asked about the habit and what we do day to day. I explained the first thing is we have prayer four times a day and that our prayer is from the Old Testament Psalms and New Testament Scripture, The Liturgy of the Hours. He replied, “Well, I’m Jewish, but I used to love to pray with the psalms. It has been such a long time since then. I really feel I should get back to it. You kind of gave me an idea.” I asked him if he had a copy of the psalms and he told me he didn’t, so I ran home and found the copy that I had and brought it back to him. He was very happy with that.

Another encounter that I had was with a woman and her husband. The woman had no religious background, and her husband grew up as a Roman Catholic. One time, he noticed the Franciscan Crown Rosary hanging from the left side of my habit. He told me that it reminded him of his childhood and that his mom was very religious. After dinner, the family always prayed the Rosary, and he said that from the time he was a kid until the time he went to college, that was a custom in his family. He had been away from the Church and any kind of prayer so he said something like, “Oh, maybe I kinda miss it.” I responded, “Well, would you like a rosary?” “Yeah, but I’m gonna need to know how to say it.” “Don’t worry—Brother D has your back,” I assured him.

2. Be Ambassadors and Missionaries of Christ’s Peace and Mercy

I’ve found a good way to break the ice with people. A lot of our neighbors have dogs. Either I run into them while I’m doing my walking or if I’m sitting in front of our friary. The best way to make encounters with their owners is to fuss over the dogs (and I really do love dogs!). I give them doggy treats and come to find too that a lot of the owners I encounter have no religion.They don’t know anything about the Catholic Church but the thing that I find funny is that they say, “Oh we know who Saint Francis is,” and they share a little bit about what they know. Most of the time it’s that he’s a patron saint of animals and that their relatives have a birdbath with Saint Francis on it. So now, besides doggy treats, I give out Saint Francis medals for the dogs’ collars—something that has been taken very well. After all, what is dog spelled backwards? God is definitely working through that relationship with the simple act of admiring their dog.

3. Be a Prophetic Witness Whether it is Popular or Not

The best story I can think of is of an older couple, the wife being very sick with Parkinson’s disease. It took a long time for them to start talking with me. When we did start talking, the questions they asked were, “What are you all about? What do you do?” I told them about our Food Shelf Ministry that we’ve been doing for several years out of the friary, helping out mothers with diapers and various other distributions; Pro-Life advocacy while working with immigrants, and the list goes on and on. The first thing he said to me was, “I never realized all that was going on.” So, a few months go by and not too long ago he saw me and he said, “Wait. I have something to give you.”This is not a well-to-do couple. Their home is very simple and needs a lot of work. The man came out, and his wife came to the stairs and said, “We want to give you this.” It was a check for $200. He said, “We want this to go towards helping people.” The seeds have been planted, and now the growth is taking place.

There are countless stories, especially about people bringing fresh vegetables and/or canned goods with the pandemic going on. I have found that people are so generous. It’s all about knowing what we actually are doing. Listening to people sharing their problems is also one of the most fruitful adventures of my walking. I recite several rosaries, and when I pray those rosaries, I pray for the neighborhood; I pray for the people I will encounter, I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through me should a discussion get heated or if somebody brings something up with a question, so that I may be able to answer them appropriately.

I also carry a little pocket catechism, holy water, and my constant sacramental that I’ve been using for years. I call it my calling card—which is either a crucifix, or a rosary, or whatever I happen to have in my pocket. Each encounter is a reminder that God may use me and each of us as a moment by moment instrument of God’s loving peace and reconciliation.

Brother Dominic Michael is with the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  This article originally appeared in their newsletter – Volume 34, 3rd Edition

Blessed Virgin Mary, General interest, Men's communities

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Comes to the People of Japan

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Recently, on a recent IRL Facebook Live interview, Br. Didacus Gottsacker, fbp, of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, mentioned an apostolate that he is involved in—the Maria Kannon Mission of Japan.  Brother speaks Japanese and also studied there before becoming a Franciscan friar. (You can read vocation story and love for the Japanese people here)

Following the zealous example of St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Francis Xavier, who brought the Catholic Faith to Japan, the Maria Kannon Mission seeks to evangelize the Japanese people by first introducing them to Our Lady, the first missionary of Christ and the Mediatrix of All Graces through her Miraculous Medal, to win souls for Jesus Christ.

On a pilgrimage to Japan, the initiators of Maria Kannon began handing out Miraculous Medals to the Japanese people, whom, they realized, were eager to accept them. When they got home, they had the medals struck in Japanese and created printed materials to go along with them, so that the recipients would know the graces they could receive when the prayers were recited in faith.

The name Maria Kannon is derived from the time of the Great Persecution of Christians in Japan. Christians created statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary with child, disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy).  Many statues had a Christian icon hidden inside the body or camouflaged in the artwork.

The fields are ripe for the harvest in Japan. Here is what it says on the Maria Kannon website:

Just as with the United States and the rest of the world, the Japanese people suffer from a great spiritual poverty, the greatest of all forms of poverty. While the Word of God suffers in developed countries in the West, it has virtually been stamped out in Japan, despite being a land that was once fertile and receptive to becoming overwhelmingly Catholic. With the decline of religions like Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan, people are searching for answers to the meaning of their lives…

Interestingly, one of the Miraculous Medal miraculous stories on the website involved Servant of God, Father John A. Hardon, SJ, founder of the IRL. At the time of the story, he had no particular devotion to the Medal when called to the bedside of a boy in a coma, incurred from a sledding accident. Father placed the Medal around the boy’s neck and initiated him into the Confraternity of the Miraculous Medal. All concerned were amazed and joy-filled to see the boy open his eyes and ask for ice cream!

“At times I have failed to place an image of Our Savior’s Mother beside His cross. At such times, I have always found the people rebellious to the Gospel.”                                       — St. Francis Xavier

The website has a beautiful description of the origins of the Miraculous Medal, including the most famous conversion story— that of Rev. Alphonse Ratisbonne,  a nominal Jew who scoffed at religion and subsequently became a Catholic priest.

If you would like to support Our Lady’s mission to Japan, please visit the Maria Kannon website.

Men's communities, News

Transalpine Redemptorists to Build Monastery in Montana

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On October 7, 2020, the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (or F.SS.R. : Filii Sanctissimi Redemptoris) was granted a canonical invitation to establish a monastery in the diocese of Great Falls – Billings, Montana. Most Rev. Michael Warfel and Fr. Michael Mary signed the papers bringing this flowering of religious life from Scotland to America.

Two months later, the community, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists, purchased 200 acres in Forsyth, Montana, with the intention of building a future monastery there for their American foundation. The house will begin with four members of the order. The name they have given to the property is Montana Rosa Mystica. The Gospel on the day of the purchase read: Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione (And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste). “

On June 18, 2008, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (Transalpine Redemptorists) were received back into full communion with the See of Peter.   The F.SS.R. was founded in 1988 and erected as a Clerical Institute of Diocesan Right in 2012 in the diocese of Aberdeen in Scotland, UK, after the 2007 Motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI.  The Order has two other monasteries: one on the island of Papa Stronsay in Scotland and the other in the diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Papa Stronsay is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, and the name derives from Papey minni ( little Priests’ Island from the Old Norse).  After a 700 year absence, priests came back to Papa Stronsay and now they have a little island in rural Montana.

See the The Harvest, the diocesan newspaper for more information

Men's communities, Vocations

Time to Be Saints: Knights of the Holy Eucharist Call Young Men to Be Bold

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Time to Be Saints: Knights of the Holy Eucharist Call Young Men to Be Bold

—By David Kilby

“It’s times like these when God is going to call great saints to come forth, and beyond any doubt, you were called to be one,” says Brother Angelo in the new vocations video for the Knights of the Holy Eucharist.

The Franciscan Brothers of the Knights of the Holy Eucharist were founded by Mother Angelica in 1998. They have built their order on four pillars: absolute love for our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, complete and devotional love for Mother Mary, undying fidelity to the Chair of St. Peter, and commitment to living in constant pursuit of the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Eucharistic-centered community helps establish Eucharistic adoration in parishes, gives talks to schools and churches, trains altar servers, manages eucharistic and Marian processions, and assists with youth retreats and summer camps, helping to provide a solid foundation for young people striving for purity and holiness.

The title “knights” corresponds to their code of chivalry that lays out their duties to countrymen, fellow Christians, women and God. In living out that modern-day chivalry, the order is forming its own culture that includes customs connected to the spirituality of St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, Eucharistic evangelization, and the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The friary they call home also fosters a sense of orderliness, personal responsibility, asceticism, hospitality, spiritual zeal, and wholesome fun.

During a time when the world looks to discourage holiness by any means, the lifestyle of the Brother Knights is counter-cultural. It is a robust commitment to sanctify the world by sanctifying themselves, as they constantly explore how they can grow in holiness. The Brothers must take one day for a personal retreat each month, and they are only allowed two weeks vacation each year, when they can visit relatives or make pilgrimages to holy sites. In all of his commitments and wherever he goes, a Knight of the Holy Eucharist is expected to live the apostolic life of a knight, keeping all the vows and customs of the community.

The Brothers form each other in virtue by living in community, enduring each other’s words and deeds even when they don’t want to. By encouraging each other to grow in holiness, they grow in holiness themselves. Their rigorous daily schedule helps provide the framework for a holy life.

The Brother Knights rise at 5:15 a.m. to prepare for Morning Prayer and Exposition at 6 a.m. They then have Mass at 8:15 a.m. followed by the Rosary. Afterwards they break for breakfast and prepare for their workday, which runs from 9:45 in the morning to 4 p.m. After work they have adoration, Evening Prayer with the community, and then dinner. Once they finish the dishes, they enjoy recreation time together until Night Prayer at 9:15 p.m. followed by lights out at 10 p.m.

The Brothers follow the rule of the Third Order Regular of Franciscans (TOR). The form of life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis is “to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity,” the Rule reads.

The Knights of the Holy Eucharist are a part of a wider community of 34 Franciscan Houses for men in the United States, including both provinces and independent communities.

The Brother Knights invite you to visit their fraternal family in Christ at their Franciscan friary in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their lives are a journey with Christ that’s all about growing in their relationship with God, and they would love to share that journey with you more.

They ask that you simply pray for your vocation if you don’t know it already, to be open to what the Holy Spirit has in store for your life, and if you can’t make it to Lincoln, take a much shorter visit to their website, knights.org.

Most importantly, pray for the brothers and all vocations, whether current or not yet discerned.

As Brother Angelo shares in the vocations video, “We are all called to be great saints. Don’t miss the opportunity.” —

Liturgical Year, Men's communities, News

Mercedarians Issue Purgatory Video Series

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Purgatory Video Series Is First of its Kind

A unique series of video prayers has been produced to help the faithful in praying for the holy souls in Purgatory.

The video series consists of 30 video prayers, one for each day of the month. The series was made in preparation for November, the month traditionally dedicated to pray for the souls in Purgatory. The YouTube series premieres November 1 and is the brainchild of Fr. Daniel Bowen of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

“Many Catholics have forgotten about the souls in Purgatory. But they still need our prayers,” Father Daniel said. “Videos have become so widespread today that we have to use this new medium to help others pray.”

“This series breaks new ground; it seems to be the first series of 30 days of video prayers for the holy souls in Purgatory,” said Father Daniel said.

Father Daniel, who narrates the 30 days of prayers, took each day’s reflection and prayers from an old prayer book issued by his order, “Daily Thoughts and Prayers for Our Beloved Dead.”

The video meditations begin with this:

“When we love, we remember; and this memory, the effect of love, is not a barren thought. It resolves itself into DEEDS for the loved one…. Most pitiful Jesus, let thy Precious Blood flow down into Purgatory and refresh and revive the captive souls suffering there.”

Readers can sign up for email reminders of the 30 Days of Prayer at https://forms.gle/hN9xQnBXMBqmCLvv5. The reminders begin November 1st.

A new promotional video explaining the need for prayers for the dead is at https://youtu.be/hKnOxcz90go

Friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy are present in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and New York. Their charism is Redemptive ministry—setting Christian captives free.  Visit the Mercedarians’ website at www.OrderofMercy.org for more information.

Contact: Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M., 727-348-4060 frdanielbowen@gmail.com
Vocation Director, Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy

Men's communities, News

Coronavirus Threat Recalls Historic Sacrifice of Eight Mercedarian Friars

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Mercedarian friars proved their mettle years ago by stepping up to the plate to help victims of disease in a city overcome by despair.

Eight friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy heroically gave aid to the people of plague-stricken Palermo in 1625-26, and as a result died of contracting the disease, said Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M. Fr. Daniel is based at a Cleveland, OH parish and is the Order’s vocation director in the United States.

“These men generously offered their own lives to the people of Palermo,” he said, adding, “This shows that Christians have dealt with such troubles as the coronavirus before, and this will not keep us back from loving the Lord and one another.”

“Prompted by the demands of their fourth vow, these religious men centuries ago put themselves at the material and spiritual service of the plague-stricken people.”

The fourth vow of the Order of Mercy involves offering up one’s own life to ransom those Christians who are held captive because of their faith in Christ. The Order was founded in 1218 in Spain to redeem Christians held captive by Muslims.

“Other religious who had been infected went back after they recovered,” he added, “to serve those plague-stricken people without worrying about the risks.” He said that there was a ninth person in the effort who also died, a Mercedarian tertiary.

There were  also three Mercedarian lay knights who voluntarily cared for victims of the plague during the 7th Crusade (13thC). Captured by Muslims and ordered to convert to Islam, they refused, were tortured and killed in Damietta, Egypt.

In response to the threat of the coronavirus, the Order’s Master General in Rome, Fr. Juan Carlos Saavedra Lucho, O. de M., wrote in a March 14 letter sympathizing with those suffering in a world that is “convulsed.” He asked that his friars around the world make a “Chain of Redemptive Love” dedicated to St. Joseph on March 19, his feast day.

This effort would be, he said, “…a sign of our concern for those most affected in the world. Together with all of you, I have the faith and hope that after testing, our faith increases and after the storm comes the calm; but we need to be signs of fraternal charity through the antidote of universal prayer in the Church. In this way, I invite you to make fraternal prayer among religious and the faithful in all Mercedarian communities be the footprints of our evangelizing mission.”

Thus, the Master General was asking his own Mercedarian friars to pray, and to pray together with their parishioners and those whom they serve in this effort.

His letter included a passage that could be used as a prayer:

“May this time of Lent en route towards Easter be a time of true fasting, conversion, and solidarity with what God wants from us. Let us follow the instructions provided by the various institutions concerned with the health of the world. Let us take care of our bodies with corporal hygiene and spiritual cleanliness. Let us help the new captives so that they can overcome the psychosis, the chaos, the anxiety and uncertainty of each day, showing that the Mercedarian is always at the side of the sick and needy.”

Friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy can be found in 22 countries, and mainly in the Americas, Italy and India. In the United States, they serve in parishes, hospitals and schools as well as marriage and prison ministry in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.

To learn more about the Mercedarian Friars USA, Contact Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M., at frdanielbowen@gmail.com, or Br. Dominic Whetzel, O. de M. at socialmediacoordinator.merced@gmail.com.

Or visit their website: OrderofMercy.org

Men's communities, News

Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn Welcomed as New Affiliate

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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.

 

 

Men's communities, News

Servants of Christ Jesus Approved as an IRL Affiliate Community

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The Servants of Christ Jesus, founded in 2004 as a community of priests and brothers, are committed to advancing the New Evangelization through the praise, reverence and service of God. Consecrating themselves completely to Jesus Christ, in radical poverty, chastity and obedience, they live the Gospel through the evangelical poverty of St. Francis of Assisi and the apostolic formation of St. Ignatius Loyola.

They are trained in Ignatian spirituality, scripture, spiritual exercises, liturgy, evangelization and education to be preachers of the Word, teachers of the Catholic faith, and directors of souls. They seek particularly to announce Christ to souls who have yet to conform their lives to Him – youth, young adults, non-Catholics, and non-Christians. They do this by preaching, teaching, spiritual exercises, administration of the Sacraments, and assistance to the poor.

They were founded in the Diocese of Steubenville in 2004, transferred to the Archdiocese of Denver in 2006, recognized as a Private Association of the Faithful by Archbishop Charles Chaput in 2009 and a Clerical Association of the Faithful by Archbishop Samuel Aquila in 2013.  In the Archdiocese, they serve as chaplains in schools, including the University of Denver, and provide missionary training, family formation, parish missions and spiritual direction.

Their prayer life includes daily Mass and a Holy Hour, weekly Confession, the Divine Office prayed together and an annual 8-day retreat.  Pope Francis appointed Fr. John Ignatius and Fr. Paul Kostka as “Missionaries of Mercy” for the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  This mandate was extended indefinitely in 2017.

Servants of Christ Jesus
4022 S Olive Street
Denver, CO  80237
Phone (720)458-3038
www.SCJesus.org
servants@scJesus.org

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Men's communities

From Diocesan Priest to Carmelite Friar: A Guide on the journey

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Written by Fr. Michael-Joseph of St Thérèse, OCD from the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill in Wisconsin

In pursuing a vocation to religious life, often a young man responds to what he perceives as a divine call, enters initial formation and, if there is a vocation to the priesthood, proceeds with studies and priestly formation. If all goes accordingly, he will make solemn profession of vows and be ordained to the diaconate and then to the priesthood. For some religious, however, the path is different. They enter religious life after they have been ordained to the priesthood. While all face obstacles in doing God’s will, I believe a diocesan priest who desires to enter consecrated life will face them intensely. Because of the uniqueness of this journey, priests need encouraging witnesses to show them that they are not alone, and that God will make all things work out if the call is truly from Him.

In my case I found a saintly witness who helped me get past the various road blocks in following this vocation―Bl. Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus. He is the newest Discalced Carmelite Blessed, having been beatified in November of 2016. His compelling story is a great example for all people facing obstacles, but especially for priests who experience the call to embrace a completely new way of being for the Lord.

Bl. Marie-Eugene encouraged me initially through his writings on Carmelite spirituality. As I learned more about his life however, I discovered that he had greater obstacles to overcome in his resolve to enter Carmel than I could have imagined. I consider him a vocational hero in the face of these difficulties.

Henri Giralou (he took the name Marie-Eugene in Carmel) was born in 1894 in the Aveyron region of France. He discerned a call to the priesthood at a young age and entered the minor seminary, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. After distinguishing himself on the front he reentered the seminary in 1919.

As he was on his retreat to prepare to be ordained a subdeacon, he took along a little book about St. John of the Cross that he had been given by a Carmelite nun. During his reading, he had a eureka moment: “This is exactly it!” he thought. He knew he had found his heart’s deepest desire and received an indisputable “call” from the Lord to become a Discalced Carmelite. Though he had never met a Carmelite friar and did not know if there were any in France, he knew God made him to be a Carmelite.

He first approached his seminary spiritual director, a gentle and holy man, in whom he trusted very much. The priest told Henri “absolutely not” and forbade him to speak any more about this folly of an idea. Henri found himself in a crisis for his interior light was so strong, but it was not being confirmed by God’s representative in his life. He was obedient, said not a word, and was left alone with the haunting thought of entering Carmel. It got to a point though that after he was ordained a subdeacon, he said to the Lord: “The spiritual director must bring this up before Easter of this year or I will know this is not really from you.” Lent comes, Holy Week comes, the Triduum comes, and still no word! Henri was on the edge of his pew on Good Friday wondering what would happen. Suddenly his spiritual director came into the chapel, sat beside him, and said out of the blue: “So what is it with this Carmel thing?” Henri explained his experience, now matured over several months. At the end of the meeting, the priest turned to him and said: “If you were not resolved to go to Carmel, I myself would force you to go!”

As the weeks passed, Henri was ordained a deacon and was set to be ordained a priest. He felt he must speak about this to the bishop. Henri was a gifted man with great strength of personality, intellect and heart. He was an incredible leader who distinguished himself in WWI and quickly became the lieutenant of his regiment. The bishop planned to have Henri lead a missionary band of priests to go throughout the diocese to bring back the many fallen away Catholics. Naturally, at the request of Henri to depart for Carmel, the bishop said, “Absolutely not, you will report to your new assignment after ordination and that is all.” Henri was saddened but confident that God would find a way. Several weeks later, the bishop asked the seminary spiritual director: “How is Henri doing?” To which he answered: “He submits to you.” The bishop then recounted that since his meeting with Henri, he had not gotten a good night’s sleep. He could not get Henri’s request off his mind and was convinced that God would not let him rest until he let him go. The bishop told the rector: “Tell Henri he may go!”

The next obstacle was the greatest and most heart wrenching―his mother, a widow who spent the last ten years working numerous jobs to pay for Henri’s seminary education. They were very close and shared a deep love for each other. Her one dream was to retire from her arduous daily labor and live with her son at his rectory as a housekeeper and companion. When Henri told her about his desire to enter Carmel, she was very upset. She believed that he was going to hide away in a cloister and would never see her again. Henri tried to explain that this was a misunderstanding of Carmelite life, but she would not listen to reason. She cursed his path to Carmel and even threatened to take her own life. Henri was completely broken by these encounters.

He did not know what to do. He was about to be ordained a priest and his mother said she would not have any part in his ordination or first mass. Henri knew his mother never went back on her word. He asked God for a miracle: if she came to the ordination this would be the last confirmation that this call to Carmel was from God. Ordination day arrived, and she was not in the pew. Then just as the Mass began, Henri spotted her in a corner. The miracle had happened!

Fr Marie-Eugene with Notre Dame de Vie co-foundress Marie Pila

After ordination, Father Henri spent some days in his hometown making visits and celebrating first Masses before leaving for Carmel. In this brief period, some priest friends accused him publicly of running away from his duties and hurting his family. Three weeks after receiving Holy Orders, Father Henri was received into the novitiate of the Discalced Carmelites, taking the name Fr. Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus. After much prayer and suffering over two years, his mother was reconciled to her son’s vocation, and they resumed their loving relationship. His life as a Carmelite bore abundant fruit as he took on various leadership roles, bringing    Carmelite spirituality to the Church in an unprecedented way and founding a thriving Secular Institute, Notre Dame de Vie (Our Lady of Life). Part of the Carmelite family, its members live ordinary lives, being fully consecrated to God, for the world, in three autonomous branches for laywomen, laymen and priests.

I believe any priest who feels called to religious life should turn to Bl. Marie-Eugene for prayers and guidance. May he obtain for us the light and strength we need to embark on this completely new path, no matter what the obstacles.

Icon written by a Carmelite nun in Harissa, Lebanon

For more information on his life:

I want to see God & volume II I am a Daughter of the Church Thomas More Publishing (November 1, 1998)

Where the Spirit Breathes (Alba House,1998)

Under the Torrent of His Love (Alba House,1995)

15 Days of prayer with Fr Marie-Eugene (Alba House, 2009)

Jesus Contemplation of the Paschal Mystery (Editions du Carmel;1986)