the Christian Brothers

history and background

• during John Baptist de La Salle’s time serving as a Canon at the Cathedral of Reims, he started a school for the poor and this set him on a new life path

• his first step on this new path to teaching was attending a retreat and some basic teacher training specifically oriented towards philanthropic and Christian educational work

primary mission/charism

• at their origin, the Christian Brothers wanted to make Christian education more accessible for impoverished people, specifically women

• the purpose of the Christian Brothers now is to guide the youth and persuade people into Christianity and create a good education for Christians, disregarding their socioeconomic status

significant contributions

• Christian Brothers’ schools joined together to serve and empower God’s people through education

• they have five regions, with over 35 districts, 1000 schools and educational facilities

• they also have children and family services in 80 countries with nearly 1 million students around the world

the Order of Saint Benedict

history and background

• “The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious order, because each monastery is autonomous.”

  • further reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Benedictines

• what this quote says about the history of the Order of St. Benedict is that they don’t follow one religious order, they follow many; it also says that there is a lot of freedom within the Order of St. Benedict.

• Benedict of Nursia is the founder of the Order of St. Benedict.

• constitute: be part of a whole

• monastery: buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows

• autonomous: having the freedom to govern oneself

primary mission/charism

• the Benedictines’ values are the love of Christ and neighbor, prayer, stability, conversation, obedience, discipline, humility, stewardship, hospitality, community, justice, and peace

significant contributions

• they contribute to colleges, schools and other educational organizations

• they also do missionary work around the world

the Sisters of Saint Joseph

history and background

• the Sisters of St. Joseph Community started in 1866 by a man named Jean-Paul Medaille; Jean-Paul Medaille was born and raised in Carcassonne, France

primary mission/charism

• their goal is to be in unity with God and every living being regardless of their appearances; they aim to observe and practice basic respect for everyone, and to try to strengthen everyone's connection with God

significant contributions

• they can be educators, lawyers, doctors, nurses, family therapists, social workers, patient advocates, spiritual directors, parish ministers, theologians, psychologists, physical therapists, administrators, artists, authors, musicians, poets, etc.

the Jesuits

history and background

• aka the Society of Jesus

• Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit branch of Catholicism

• the Jesuits are an apostolic community; their main goal is love of Christ, which they believe is brought to life through realizing the vision of their founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. they aim to help others and find God in all things

• Pope Paul III approved of the application of the Jesuits to the Catholic Church in 1540

primary mission/charism

• the primary mission of the Jesuits is to “seek the greater glory of God and the good of humanity”; in other words, Jesuits strive to better the world around them and establish a deeper connection to God.  they do this mainly by founding schools and other organizations around the world to pass on the Jesuit teachings and legacy

significant contributions

• the pope is a Jesuit, which connects the BSM community to the Jesuit faith

• the Jesuits founded the Roman College (later called the Gregorian University) and the Germanicum, a school for German priests