From the moment that the Oblates became a religious congregation in 1818, the membership was open to men who wished to be missionaries either as priests or as brothers. Initially there were very few who joined to be Brothers and put their particular talents at the service of the mission. In Rome, Eugene came across many Brothers of other congregations who impressed him.<\/p>\n
\nThe Brother who serves me would very much wish to follow me: he is still only a novice, twenty years of age and a shoemaker by trade. He is a charming young man who is capable of sewing a little and knows how to cook. It is repugnant to my sense of delicacy to consent to his wishes; but it is hard for us not to have any Brothers, while here they have a surplus of them. Amongst others, they have three Germans who are a treasure. One is a carpenter, the other a cook, the third a tailor<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Henri Tempier, 28 January 1826, EO VI n. 221<\/em><\/p>\n
Today:<\/p>\n
“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.<\/em>” \u00a0 \u00a0CC&RR, Rule 7 c<\/p>\n
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“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” \u00a0 \u00a0Mattie Stepanek<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From the moment that the Oblates became a religious congregation in 1818, the membership was open to men who wished to be missionaries either as priests or as brothers. Initially there were very few who joined to be Brothers and … Continue reading