De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. One of my heroes, Bro. Gregory Casey ficp, a fellow De La Mennais Brother, worked tirelessly for 20+ years in #Lourdes to organise liturgies for English-language groups. He had a little office to the left of the Basilica where all received the same warm welcome: from youngsters to bishops. This photo is of the 2 of us in 1986 while I was there with the #HCPT. Four years later, he came to my Noviciate in Ciboure (nr. St. Jean-de-Luz, 2 hrs. drive from Lourdes) for the opening Mass of my Noviciate year. Our Novice Master then took our group for frequent weekends to Lourdes (about 8 all told) over the rest of the Noviciate year, knowing that I had someone there from my home country who could act as a mentor for me. “Grogs” would get me singing in the underground Basilica choir for the International Masses, saying the Rosary at the microphone for the outdoor processions, etc... There are things he told me that have stuck with me e

Today is Vocation Sunday. May we each hear the voice of God in our hearts, calling us to follow him in a way that is unique to each individual: our personal path to “life in all its fullness”. And may the Lord grant to religious orders and dioceses fresh vocations to the religious life and the priesthood, so that we might continue to make Jesus Christ "better known and loved" (Jean-Marie De La Mennais).

During the month of March I attended our General Chapter in Rome (nearly four weeks long) and it was a wonderfully positive, fraternal, hope-filled experience. Like with many congregations, our worldwide profile is shifting towards a "southern hemisphere" emphasis, but that does not mean there isn't life left in the north. Quite the opposite, in fact. "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it!!" We are responding to Pope Francis' call to "go to the peripheries" seeking ways to serve the poorest, most disadvantaged, most vulnerable young people, looking to respond to the needs of today's youth in the way that our Founders did 200 years ago (yes, we've got anniversary celebrations coming up). Recently-founded missions in war-torn South Sudan (a community + school - Ugandan Brothers), Mexico (Canadian Brothers, a French Brother for 6 months every year and a lay woman living in community together and serving the poor together), a new educ

We have a NEW SUPERIOR GENERAL!! Bro. Hervé Zamor from Haiti (aged 51, since 2010 the Haitian Provincial). Our first ever southern hemisphere Superior General. There’s a real sense of excitement among us about how this could indeed be the start of a “new page” in the story of our congregation. With the Spanish having given him a “La Mennais - We’ll Never Walk Alone” scarf to wear for the photo shoot and it being both Paddy’s Day + our Liverpool community being today’s prayer intention in our Congregation Calendar, I think I might be singing “You’ll (or rather We’ll) Never Walk Alone” either at lunch or this evening :-) An Irish Picpus/Sacred Heart Father celebrated Mass for us this morning (his 2nd of the Chapter). Fr. David Reid, their Postulator General, a real character (a Dubliner who’s been in exile in the US most of his religious life). I think he’ll be with us for lunch. The craic’ll be mighty!!! ***** UPDATE: Indeed I did sing “You’ll/We’ll Never Walk Alone”. M

Here's an interesting timeline about the history of religious life. It can be downloaded from the site as a .pdf. Post by VISION Vocation Guide .

Here is some information about antiphons that are sung at this time of year in the Divine Office prayers of religious communities (inc. my own) and monasteries around the world Thanks to friend Richard Emblem for the hat tip. (This sketch of the Seven Antiphons courtesy of Fr. Maurice Gilbert and Sandro Magister of Chiesa.Com) Read more here . The "O" Antiphons They're sung one per day, at the Magnificat during vespers from 17 December until the day before Christmas Eve , all of them beginning with an invocation to Jesus, although he is never called by name. The antiphons are very old, going back to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, around the year 600. They are in Latin, and are inspired by the texts of the Old Testament proclaiming the Messiah. At the beginning of each antiphon, in order, Jesus is invoked as Wisdom, Lord, Root, Key, Star, King, Emmanuel. Read starting from the last, the Latin initials of these words form an acrostic: "Ero cras," meaning: &

We are now just over a week into our Session. From right to left, Bro. Ewald (Haiti), Bro. Guy (Canada), Bro. Emmanuel (Togo) + Bro. Alain (France). Bro. Arturo (Argentina) Our activities have included: - talks given by Bro Merino (Spain - Assistant Superior General), Bro. Jean Pétillon (France - former Assistant, co-responsible for Ongoing Formation) and Bro. Guillermo Davilla (Uruguay - co-responsible for Ongoing Formation). - small group discussion/sharing - personal study Topics for these 3 activities include: our religious consecration, our congregation's charism and identity, Mary as a model for religious life, the spirituality (+ writings) of our Founder, Fr. Jean-Marie De La Mennais, our 3 religious vows (poverty, chastity and obedience), Vita Consecrata (Pope John-Paul II), a return to our sources of inspiration (Bible, Rule of Life, Vatican II, the Fathers of the Church, culture)... In a future article I will summarise some of the important points for me pers

Following on from what I wrote in the previous article about the need for daily re-conversion/consecration, about the sense of wonder and openness to new experiences, I found this quote in a document sent to those Brothers (including myself) who are preparing to take part in a 5-week renewal course in our Mother House in Brittany, starting on July 15th. It's a quote from Vita Consecrata and couldn't be more appropriate: “... the formation process is not limited to the initial phase. Due to human limitations, the consecrated person can never claim to have completely brought to life the "new creature" who, in every circumstance of life, reflects the very mind of Christ. Initial formation, then, should be closely connected with continuing formation, thereby creating a readiness on everyone's part to let themselves be formed every day of their lives . ” (VC 69ª)

I've been ordering equipment for our school's Music Dept., seeing as I am going to be Head of Music here next year. One such item is an Apple Mac music sequencing software package that upgrades the functionality of the Mac's built in GarageBand software. Such software nowadays allows you to create on your computer layered compositions using the sounds of hundreds of classic and modern synthesisers with their own seemingly limitless possibilities of creating different sounds, hundreds of electric guitar and guitar amp sounds, as well as all the standard orchestral instruments, all in immaculate quality. Faced with such a multitude of digital and analogue sound possibilities, the problem is not one of lack of choice, rather the opposite. Where do you start??? Such abundance of choice seems to be a feature of modern living. , e.g. tv channels - with limited numbers of channels back in the '80s/'90s more people watched the same things and certain shows had a real &q

Last Fri. (June 18th) I travelled up to Leeds for a day's meetings, sharing + fraternity with 12 Brothers from other congregations in Britain + Ireland on the topic of "Sharing Our Prophetic Vision". I am on the 3 Brother working party (a De La Salle Brother, a John Of God Brother and me) that organised the day and in the afternoon I gave a presentation (+ led a discussion) on "Internet + Evangelisation". This day followed on conveniently from a more high-profile conference in London 2 days earlier for those involved in vocations ministry from both female and male religious congregations and institutes, entitled "Surveying The Catholic Future". I always find it inspiring and encouraging to meet with Brothers from other congregations (+ of course my own too) who still have that fire for God in their belly, who haven't given up hope in terms of our collective future and who, no matter what their age, lay down their lives for God and his people ea

... but I DO like trusting in God that he will give me all I need to be able to cope with that stress. At times it's a close run thing, but being where he wants me to be, I know he will give me all I need. Stress... hmmm... a couple of my friends laugh when I mention this topic. The word "stress" is neither in their vocabulary, nor in their experience of life. Whereas I happen to be one of life's natural worriers. Put it down to my "artistic temperament"! My Novice Master, Frère Michel, said as much to me at the end of my Noviciate (first year of training to be a Brother) in 1991. He said that my personality/psychological make up would be a double-edged sword for me as the years go by: on the one hand a creative sensibility, sensitivity and vulnerability that would allow me to express my deepest feelings through music and would lead me into many strong and lasting friendships... and on the other hand an emotional fragility and a tendency to get very easily h

A couple of months ago, I was invited to a weekend meeting in Bilbao for "younger" Brothers from Spain, France and England. The aims = - to get to know each other better with a view to increased international collaboration in organising/participating in youth events with pupils from our respective schools - to start planning/sharing ideas about future youth events in 2010 + 2011, 2010 being the 150th anniversary of the death of our co-Founder, Father Jean-Marie De La Mennais and 2011 being the year of the next World Youth Day to be held this time in Madrid. It was great to get to know my Spanish brethren in particular. I already knew the French ones involved very well. Our Spanish Province is very dynamic and full of life, like the Spanish Brothers themselves, as we had seen at the youth gathering we'd held in Liverpool for groups from Spain + France just before last Christmas. The future events which we discussed included: - March 27th-29th, 2010 = a youth gathering/trai

In 2005 the 3-part BBC 2 tv documentary series "The Monastery" followed 5 contemporary men who volunteered to live 40 days at the Benedictine monastery of Worth Abbey. A friend of mine managed to do a decent transfer from vhs to dvd for me. After getting permission from the Abbott of Worth Abbey, Abbott Christopher Jamison, I made it known to friends that I could give them copies. I also advertised the fact on this very blog . It turned out that the BBC weren't interested in releasing it commercially. The only payment that I have ever asked for from those requesting copies is prayers for my family. The 5 volunteers... ... with the monastic community at Worth Abbey. I used part of the series in school. It's a wonderful resource to have: insights into religious life - its difficulties, its riches, insights into Christianity in general, a very positive image of the Church and of the Benedictines involved - the Abbot, Novice Master, etc... some of whom give individual g

Some random thoughts jotted down during the retreat: There are moments, generally those quiet, late-night ones, or the stunned-by-the-beauty-of-creation ones, when I feel a kind of vertigo at the fact that I am there at all in that place and at that moment. This happened to me twice in particular during the retreat. Both times the feeling came over me like a wave crashing on the shore. What convoluted chain of events, what minor miracles have led me to be right here, right now? So many of these have depended on the intervention of other people... other minds, other hearts guided by God's hand to help me get here... but also moments of defeat and darkness, yet through which grace was born. A chain reaction of divine circumstance mixed with human weakness, making of each day a crazy, wonderful gamble... Destiny? Free will? Chance? Who knows exactly the balance that these achieve. All I can do is put my total trust in him who has got me this far despite me. I stand and look to the s