Why a new religious community?

On the 14th of September 1980, five single men and a Catholic priest knelt before the altar of a convent chapel in New Jersey. In the presence of witnesses, these men vowed their lives to form a new community of Brothers for the sake of a life and of a mission primarily to the university world.

To give all the details of that action would fill to overflowing the limits of this piece. Rather, I’d like to explore the question a bit of “Why?” Why would these young men pursue consecration as Brothers? Why was their focus on a “life” as much as on a “mission”? And why the mission to the university as a specifically Catholic Brotherhood?

Quite simply, the Lord wanted it, and made His intention known to me in a way I could never fully grasp, but had to recognize and obey – or not. The many details surrounding that decision are available elsewhere, and were it not for the lack of space, it would certainly merit retelling many times over. But, in the end, it was quite simple: I had but to obey – or not.

Along the way we were favored with many resources both personal and ecclesiastical, but it still had to be undertaken – or not. The basic elements for a new foundation are unequivocal: an inspiration, a willingness on the part of others to follow that inspiration, and the discernment of Mother Church particularized in a Bishop who would undertake to care for us and our development. We were blessed with all these elements.
 
For the mission, lay Brothers have a singular ability to penetrate the often closed, alien and secularized world of the university, and their ability to do this in an ongoing persistent way was fueled by a community life that is close-lived as a family in the order of grace. And besides, as we now know 40 years later, this is what the Lord had always intended from the beginning. He now sustains us day by day not only with His love and compassion for us as sinful men, but with that intention.
 
The Brothers are by now vastly experienced in our “trade,” so to speak, but it is Mother Church who must decide how well we advance her life and mission. It is to advance and to support her that we have chosen to commit ourselves – our lives and all our resources. Our desire to build up the kingdom of God on earth is advanced by our contributions to her life and mission. We do not separate Gospel from Church! It is our dearest hope to be successful in that decision.
 
What else can we do, dear reader, than to be immensely grateful for the past 40 years, with its ups and downs, its achievements and disappointments? We beg the Holy Spirit to correct and purify, but also to further reveal other steps in that fidelity which lie before us. As this process moves ahead, we count, dear friends, most heavily on your sustaining love, prayers and gifts as we partner together toward that future, which the Father of Lights has prepared for us.