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THE FOUNDING OF THE BROTHERS OF CHARITY
The Brothers of Charity was founded in 1807 by Canon Triest
in Belgium. The work of the Brothers of Charity was initially the care of incurable elderly
men in small hospices in Gent, Belgium. In 1815 a new apostolate was undertaken, namely the care for the mentally ill
in the cellars of Gerard the Devil Castle in Gent. In 1839 the Brothers
of Charity opened school in Belgium with an institute for the deaf and blind and an orphanage. Today the Congregation
is present in 25 countries on 5 different continents. The countries, which we call regions, have their own government. The
co-ordination on a higher level is in the hands of four so-called provincial governments. These correspond with the continents
America (North and South), Europe, Africa and Asia.
The American Province contains the following regions: Canada, the United States of America, Peru and Brazil. The European province consists of the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, Ukraine and Ireland United Kingdom. The African province is made up of the following regions:
Ivory Coast, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, the Kivu, South Africa and Kenya. The Asian province unites India, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea.
Work between the Brothers
of Charity and DR Guislain during the years of 1826-1836 represents a pioneer effort in the development of mental health care.
Today in Belgium alone, the Brothers of Charity organize and maintain hospitals including the DR
Guislain Psychiatric Centre, sheltered living placements, and day centers for psychiatric patients and drug addicts. This
work has also spread to other province and districts. Today in many emerging/developing countries the Brothers of Charity
provide the only form of psychiatric care for patients with chronic mental disorders. They operate group homes, offer family
support, and provide psychosocial rehabilitation.
CALLED TO THE BROTHERHOOD
The church offers divergent forms of vocations to the religious or
consecrated life. Common to all of them is the special commitment to God by taking the vows of chastity, obedience and poverty.
The relationship with God is the source of such a vocation and the going out to all confreres or sisters in the community,
as well as to the winder circles of people whom they serve.
The early church knew men and women who withdrew to uninhabited regions
in order to live there as hermits. Communities were formed. St. Benedict and hid followers, in the 5th century, are well know
and laid the foundation of Western monastic life. His rule is still applied. In all century, there were people who felt called
to follow the Lord Jesus Christ radically and exclusively, stressing one or other aspect of the Gospel in their life. In the
Middle Ages we had the mendicant orders, after the French Revolution, many new Congregations caring for the poor and renewal
of Christian life were founded, men joined Congregations of priests who took pastoral care as their main object. Some of some
of their members remained Brothers who did general manual work. Congregations consisting exclusively of Brothers who choose
to retain their lay status were legion. They concentrated on all kinds of charitable works and poor relief.
The papal document Vita Consecrate describe the brothers vocation as
follows: These religious are called to be brothers of Christ, intimately united with Him, the First-born among many other
brothers; brothers among one another in mutual love and communal work in the same service for the well being of the Church;
brothers of their fellow humans by witnessing on Christs love for all people, especially for the least and the most needy;
brothers for the sake of greater fraternity in the Church (N° 60)
Congregation of the Brothers of Charity please, contact:
http://www.brothersofcharity.org
| Br. DR. Rene Stockman |
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| General Superior of the Brothers of Charity |
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Mission of the Brothers of Charity
As members and co-workers of the Brothers of Charity, we want to approach our fellow humans with
a believing and loving basic attitude. We find our inspiration in the Gospel values and act in imitation of Jesus, the Saviour.
Just as with Vincent de Paul, our model saint, and Peter Joseph Triest, our founder, love is the source of commitment.
Therefore, we form authentic living and working communities in which solidarity, serviceability,
dynamism and creativity are the supports, and in which quality of life increases due to expert guidance. In that way, we want
to set beacons of hope in society and to witness to Gods love.
We care for our fellow humans who need accompaniment in their human development, indiscriminately
of their origin, gender, and belief of financial means. In education, in caring for people with disabilities and in mental
healthcare, we strive for optimal training, education and accompaniment. The disadvantaged and less privileged, people with
endangered developmental possibilities or limited functional possibilities, and marginalized people or those in search of
sense in their life deserve our special attention. We are open to new needs as well. As a community, we try to find solutions
to these problems. We also care for one another for our life to be of high quality, meaningful, and salutary to many others.
Our commitment is based on unconditional respect for everybody. It is expressed in our service
and expert accompaniment. We approach our neighbor with whom we are on the way, caring and guiding, always in a holistic way,
and giving him room to make his own input. All this is done in a framework of a humane organization and an adequate surrounding
with the focus on easy accessibility. In our striving for greater human dignity for everybody, we take calculated risks and
develop a clear stand on social relationships. In sharing our visions and experience with others, we take the opportunity
of enhancing the culture of love on a global scale.
In this way, we want to improve the quality of life and contribute to a more humane society in
which there is room for the poor and the weak. By this unconditional commitment, we hope that all that we meet on our way
see a reflection of God in us and may experience the joy of the resurrection in their life.
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How do the Brothers of Charity live?
The Brothers of Charity form small communities there they feel at home.
There they meet to pray together, take their meals and relax. The community house is the springboard for their activities
and tasks within the pastoral project of the community and the Congregation.
A Brother of Charity is supposed to spend sufficient time on prayer.
Morning and evening prayer are said in community, and mass is attended as a group. Personal and community prayer form one.
In God we find inspiration and motivation; in the community we come to rest and to harmonious self-development.
Brothers live a simply life and build close bonds. Even in his old
age, a Brother is living in community and enjoys excellent care from his confreres and nurses.
A Brother is, first of all, a man driven by apostolic zeal; he is dedicated
to displaying the joy of the resurrection to the world in a visible and tangible way. He shows a special sensitivity to all
who are humble and poor, rejected by society. He wants to be a brother to all such people.
The Brother is bound by his religious vows. Through his vow of obedience,
he wants to lend an ear to the world and to be open to any question that comes his way.
Through his vow of poverty, he feels urged to live a sober life and
to make his gifts and talents available to those who are less privileged.
Through his vow of chastity, the Brother proves that God can fulfil
a mans life abundantly. Above all, Brothers are accessible people who want to imitate Jesus in his serviceability. (Brothers
of Charity Worldwide, p., 24)
How does one become a Brother of Charity?
A young man who wants to
become a Brother of Charity can contact the local regional superior or his representative, the vocation animator. The decision
to accept someone as a candidate rests with the regional having consulted his council.
During
this first period, the candidate
will get to know better the Congregation and complete his education. The duration of this period varies in function of the
needs of the person in question. Thereafter he enters the postulate, a period of at least 6 months during which the postulant and the Congregation get know each
other better. After this period, the postulant may be allowed to begin the noviciate.
The noviciate lasts two
years of which 18 months are spent at the international noviciate in Belgium. The medium is
English. The novice studies the religious life and our charism, as well as our apostolic.
The final six months of
the noviciate, the novice spends in one or other community of his own province or district in order to integrate with the
existing communities. The novice will prepare for his profession or the taking of religious vows.
The first vows are made for 3 years and can be renewed twice for
a period of 3 years. After six years of temporary vows the Brother may apply for perpetual profession. The temporary vows must not last longer than twice
3 years.
During the time of his
temporary vows the Brother can be asked to complete his professional formation in view of his apotolate. Tertiary studies
may be necessary or a more practical schooling. Religious formation must be balanced with the professional studies all the
time. A Brother of Charity is expected to professionally acquit himself of his duties as religious.
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