Religious Brothers Day

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Religious Brothers Day

May 1

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The heart of the identity of the Religious Brother, namely fraternity, is a gift that is received (mystery), a gift that is shared (communion), and a gift that is given away (mission). Source: Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church Vatican Document approved by Pope Francis, October 4, 2015.

Religious Brothers Day recognizes the life and vocation of Religious Brothers. It was first celebrated on May 1, 2017, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. It was created by the U.S. Brothers Think Tank composed of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Religious Brothers Conference, Religious Formation Conference, NRVC, and Brothers representing various religious institutes. Religious Brothers Day is held annually on May 1 throughout the world.

NRVC Prayer for Religious Brothers Day

God of mercy and compassion, we lift our hearts in deep gratitude for the men who have answered your call to serve as Religious Brothers. Through your divine wisdom, you have chosen these extraordinary men to lead lives dedicated to prayer, fraternity, and selfless service. Bestow upon each Brother the grace to live out their vows with unwavering joy and fidelity, embodying humility and love in all their actions. Grant them the strength to be powerful heralds of the Good News, serving as radiant beacons of hope and compassion to all those they encounter and accompany.

Deepen our appreciation for their vocation, their congregational charisms, and their lifelong commitment to their profession of vows. We pray for their communities to be places of prayer, fraternity, and mutual support, so each Brother can encourage one another and grow in holiness. Strengthened by our baptismal call to holiness, inspire us to support their vocation and to invite men to consider religious life as a Brother. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Celebrate Religious Brothers Day

Choose a community from the list below to learn more about the vocation of Brother.
Write a note of gratitude for Brothers to post on your social media and/or mail to a Brother.
Ask to pray with the Brothers at one of their many ministries.
Watch several videos about Brothers and share them with friends.
Learn more about the contributions Brothers have made over the years.
Invite someone to consider learning more about Brothers and to consider discerning their vocation as a Brother.
Reach out to a vocation director who is a Brother and ask for some promotional materials to include in your own table of resources.

Quotes from the NRVC Focus groups of newer entrants
who entered religious life from 2003-2018

"The laughter, the prayer, age was never an issue for me. The one thing that was consistent was the relationships and the mentorships. And that real sense of just being Brother. Centered in Christ, first and foremost, and then with the community life, being able to take it to the apostolate and to give witness, as a community, was probably the best thing" (about being a Brother).

"To see these men, priests and brothers, working together on a project that seemed worth doing. They were very, very much individuals, unique, bringing very different things to the work, bringing different gifts to a work that seemed desperately in need of being well done."

"I did not know religious life where I was growing up because there was no religious around the area. It wasn't until later in life that I found out that there was religious, and there were also religious Brothers. That's really what attracted me to the community was more of the sense of family, the sense of prayer, and a sense of equality."

Additional Resources

The NRVC has published a series of Abundant Hope videos which includes Brothers. The following videos are publicly available to share for Religious Brothers Day and at other events to promote the vocation of Brother: