[C^ns+ia.10 $ro-HfCrs,Xr| Chn'SfiOLn 8 r i f f C r s „ , . /\rKy>e.r iQLn P r o v i n c e . r oi lA-fVftv^-h'on .... 1 "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers a r e f e w " - L u k e io , 2 . N I H I L OBSTAT Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.Ü. Censor Librorum IMPRIMATUR •i< Francis J. Spellman, D.D. Archbishop, New York May 31, 1945. Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland AMERICAN PROVINCE Booklet of Information for Candidates SANTA MARIA-ON-HUDSON W E S T P A R K N . Y . To the Reader: Nearly two thousand years ago Christ sent His disciples as laborers into the harvest. They were to teach His lessons to the world. Today Christ seeks modern disciples, self-sacrificing young men of America, to win souls in the rich harvest which is every- where. This booklet tells the story of a group of these modern disciples and brothers of Christ. It has been given to you because you have heard the call of the Master or because someone has seen in you the spirit and character which are necessary for a co-worker, a brother of Christ. ' "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are jew. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest." Luke 10, 2. Deasfdled B o r n in C a l l a n , C o . K i l k e n n y , 1 7 6 2 Opened First School, 1 8 0 2 Received P a p a l Approbation, 1 8 2 0 Superior G e n e r a l , 1 8 2 2 — 1 8 3 8 D i e d at M o u n t Sion, W a t e r f o r d , Ireland, 1844 V E N E R A B L E E D M U N D I G N A T I U S R I C E Founder of the Brothers of the Christian School of Ireland Superior General of the Chris- tian Brothers of Ireland, has directed the work of the Con- gregation since 1930. He is one of the foremost educators in Ireland and, in recognition of his outstanding achieve- ments, the National Univer- sity of Ireland conferred on him the degiee of Doctor of Letters. THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS OF IRELAND The Christian Brothers of Ireland were founded in Waterford, Ireland, in 1802 by the Venerable Edmund Ignatius Rice. Having been a successful business man, he decided, at the age of forty, to devote himself to God's service. On the advice of friends he pre- sented himself to the Bishop of Waterford and expressed his desire to aid the children of Ireland who had been deprived of the privilege of all education, both religious and secular, by the infamous Penal Laws. The Bishop heartily approved his plan and, aided by generous young men whom his example inspired, the Founder established the first school of the Congregation. In 1820 the Congregation received the approval of the Holy Father, Pope Pius VII. In the same year the Founder was elected Superior General and in that office directed the Congregation until 1838. He died in the first school he had founded, Mount Sion, on August 28, 1844. American Province Established 1906 The Brothers' first school in the New World was founded in 1876 at St. John's, Newfoundland. In 1906, at the request of the reverend Msgr. James Power, the Congregation opened its first school—All Saints—in New York City. Ten years later the American Province was established. Congregation Spread Over World The entire Congregation is directed from Saint Mary's, Marino, *! Dublin. Here it is that the Superior General and the members of his Council live and have the offices necessary for their work. This governing body of the Congregation is constantly informed of the progress of the Brothers' work through periodic visits to the various houses or through communications from the Superiors of each Province. The Provinces are made up of establishments in Ireland, England, Gibraltar, Italy, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Newfoundland and the United States. St. Mary's, Marino, Dublin. Novitiate for the Irish Province and residence of the General Council. What Is a Brother? A n Irish Christian Brother is not a priest or a student for the priesthood. He is a man who con- siders the work of Christian Educa- tion so important that he devotes all his talents and energies to this vocation. The Catholic home and school are the centers where knowledge of the faith is acquired and the habit of practicing it developed. T o aid in the planting of the seed of the faith in the souls of children and to tend it so that it may bear fruit is the hidden but essential work to which a Brother devotes his life. R E V . BR. J . A . K E L L Y Provincial of the American Province Willing to Serve God The Brothers conduct grammar schools, high schools and col- leges. But not all the Brothers are teachers; there are also Co-adjutor Brothers who do the manual, mechanical and clerical work necessary for the maintenance of the schools and houses of training—a work which is surely as pleasing to God as the work in the classroom. Thus, the Congregation has a place for young men who are willing to devote themselves to God's service but who do not wish to teach. "Whosoever receives this little child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me." Luke 9, 48. "They that instruct many to -justice, shall shine as stars for all eternity." Daniel 12, 3. A Brother s Life Is a Happy One The vocation of the Teaching Brother while sanctifying himself and the pupils is at the same time one of the happiest and most interesting of vocations. Religious teachers never seem to grow old, and w h y ? Just because they spend their lives with young people, thinking with them, planning for them, playing with them, and sharing their sorrows as well as their joys and triumphs. Yes, they love their pupils with a pure and genuine love, and as we all in a sense become like the things we love, the religious teacher remains ever youthful in heart as his pupils themselves. Reward Here and Hereafter The human heart craves for that love born of human friendship. But who, may I ask, has so many friends as the faithful teacher who has impressed himself on the character of many young men whose hearts ever echo the same refrain, " A l l my success in life I place at the feet of my old teacher." Happy the teacher and happy the pupil whose friendship formed in the classroom outlives the trials and storms of the years. And what a reward awaits the good and faithful religious in Heaven! A group of novices with the Master of Novices and his assistant. THE TRAINING OF A BROTHER Some eighty miles from New York and on the west bank of the Hudson River are the three establishments engaged in the education of the future Christian Brothers. Here the young men are trained in the religious life and receive the intellectual and physical education necessary for the successful accomplishment of their future work. Juniorate St. Joseph's Juniorate is the first stage in the training of the prospective Brother. This is a high school fully accredited by the Regents of the State of New York. Here the young men complete their secondary school education if they have not already done so. Candidates are accepted after they have completed at least their first year of high school. At this period they are called juniors. The Juniorate Day Time passes quickly and pleasantly in the Juniorate because of the well-ordered routine. The day begins with morning prayers, Mass and Holy Communion. A short meditation is made after Mass; then comes breakfast during which a selection from a spiritual book is usually read aloud. After breakfast the juniors wash the dishes, make their beds and do a little house-cleaning before classes. Dinner, which is served at mid-day, is followed by a recreation period and after- noon classes. After school there is a period for games or, occasionally, out-door work. The evening meal is preceded by spiritual read- ing and a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. After supper comes a recreation period, study and night prayers fol- lowed by a well-earned rest. ->7"."77" , r • n • • • • • • • • I \> ' I a s p . I • I Ü 8 1 St. Joseph's Juniorate West Park, N. Y. SANTA MARIA NOVITIATE At the completion of the Juniorate—i.e., after high school gradua- tion—the student, if he is considered suitable, is admitted to the Novitiate. Before entering the Novitiate the young candidate receives the Habit of Religion. He is now a novice, or beginner, in the Con- gregation and is ready to spend a year of preparation in which he will learn the Rules of the Congregation and will prepare to make his vows. His one task is to perfect himself in the Religious Life. The Novice-Master aids him by pointing out his faults and showing him how to acquire the virtues necessary for a religious teacher. Poverty, Chastity, Obedience On the first Christmas day after the completion of his Novitiate the young Brother takes the vows of Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, Perseverance, and Gratuitous Instruction of Youth. These vows are at first taken for a period of one year. Each Brother must take these Annual Vows for at least six years. At the conclusion of this period, if he has reached the age of twenty-five, he is permitted to make Perpetual Vows. He is then a life-member of the Christian Brothers of Ireland. Santa Maria Novitiate, West Park, N. Y. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity." .. .and with virtue, knowledge." "Idleness hath taught much evil." "And you, giving all diligence, join with your faith, virtue, ST. GABRIEL'S SCHOLASTICATE In the Scholasticate the teaching Brother devotes himself to college studies and immediate preparation for the work of teaching; the Co-ad jutor Brothers are trained in the particular work which will be most useful to the Congregation. St. Gabriel's is affiliated with Fordham University, and the young Brothers complete the major portion of their university studies and receive Teachers' Certifi- cates before they are sent to work in the schools. Particular care is given to the religious training of the Brothers, and they receive special courses in both the content and method of teaching religion; for the Christian Brother is essentially a religious teacher. Further Education While the Brothers are teaching they continue their formal education by taking afternoon and summer courses until they attain their master's degrees. They are encouraged also to study for the doctorate. St. Gabriel's Scholasticate, West Park, N. Y . Academic Procession at Iona College Have I a Vocation? A vocation to the religious life does not mean that the Lord must say audibly to the young man: "Come, follow Me." If you have a vocation you may expect to have doubts and difficulties. The devil will oppose your good intentions. There is only one way to over- come these doubts and difficulties and that is to have recourse to prayer and place your trust in God. Talk it over with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and with Our Lady. Seek the advice of your confessor or some trustworthy counsellor. Then, when you have made up your mind put your resolve into action at once. The following qualifications, if studied with care, may enable you to determine whether or not you have a vocation to the Christian Brothers of Ireland: 1. A desire to work for God in the religious life; i.e., to seek the salvation of your own soul and the souls of others. 2. A sufficient ability to pursue successfully your chosen work. 3. Good health and freedom from physical deformities. 4. A liking for the work of your chosen profession. A Challenge for America's Catholic Youth There are 18,000 Catholic churches in the United States, but there are only 8,000 Catholic schools. Ten thousand groups of our children, therefore, cannot attend such schools. While we may boast of the 2,000,000 children in our schools, there are another 2,000,000 whose education lies outside them. The children of high school age form an important percentage, for it is estimated that only 20 per cent of them can attend Catholic high schools. A mo- ment's thought will make it clear that if these 2,000,000 religiously neglected children are to receive such training, there are not enough religious in the United States to tackle the problem. More and more vocations is the answer. Mr*! "Come, follow me" m So many others I might as\, Yet, I am calling thee; And wilt thou hesitate, my child To come and follow me? Scholastics set out for an- other day of study which will bring them nearer to their soal—the classroom. St John's St Sona ventures College Mi. St. Francis , < St. Patrick's School 3L Holy Cross School y Mt. Cashrt School f* Victoria lijjg I "S/. Louis Cottele Vancouver Hg ' Vancouver College. Card. Far/*/ Military Academy Kent J j j j j g Ì òriscoe School Centro! U.S. Seattle, Ct'Dea U.S. Juniorate / Novitiate. Scholasticale Chicacjo St. Leo H-S. A M E R I C A N PROVINCE 23 Schools, 8750 Pupils, 350 Brothers. The map shows the schools of the American Province. There is a great demand for more schools taught by the Brothers. Here's where you are needed. Do you wish to fill this need and help to lead souls to Christ? New Fochelle, Jona (o/lcye. Jona School •^•'A'I'I ttessed Sacromtnt h 'New York All Malloiys School Power U.S. lilce U.S. Holy Family MS. Sacred Heart tts. St Cecilia CT.S. Novices pray to the Lord of the harvest for an increase in the number of Brothers. The Dignity of the Christian Teacher The life work of the Christian Brother is the education of the young. His prayers, his studies, his thoughts, his desires, and his efforts are centered in the success of this work. T o his mind the work of education is a labor of love as well as one of great merit. It furnishes him with an opportunity of contributing to the salvation of souls for whom Christ died, and it entitles him to the everlasting reward promised to those who instruct others unto justice. Pope Pius X I , in his Encyclical on "Christian Education of Youth,"writes: "With good reason therefore did St. John Chrysostom say, 'What greater work is there than training the mind and form- ing the habits of the young?' " Bishop Byrne has said: " T h e office of teaching has an advantage in some respects over that of the priesthood. The teachers are con- stantly with their pupils, shaping their souls, coloring them, inform- ing them, making them instinct with life and motives, and giving them high ideals and worthy aspirations." 'And where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also." "He hath clothed me with Mary Is the Queen of Vocations Do you remember that time you flunked a subject in first year P Practically everyone has fallep prey to those troublesome irregular verbs or to that ever mystifying " X . " You had unpleasant visions of how Dad would react; after all, he didn't know how complicated a thing education was. Remember how you solved that one ? I do. Mothers always do understand, don't they? Sure, she signed that report card, and sent you off the next day feeling as though you'd be another Einstein or at least an accomplished linguist in no time—mothers are like that. Perhaps even now you are in a somewhat similar dilemma. You feel attracted to the religious life, and yet, like a little child crossing the street for the first time by himself, you hesitate and begin to worry. Take some good advice and banish those doubts. Put Your Trust in Mary In place of them substitute a little solid devotion to Mary, a mother who really understands. And when I speak of solid devotion, I don't mean elaborately composed prayers, statue hugging or any- thing of that sort, but rather a little heart to heart talk now and then with Mary, just as you would with your own mother. Confide these worries to her and just watch them disappear. Put your trust in her, tell her your trou- bles, then Mary, Queen of Vocations and Star of the Sea, will guide you into her own safe and sheltered port—Religion. This young man has accepted the call of the Master. Now he kneels each night before the shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Juniorate Chapel to beg his Mother to keep him faithful to the trust her Son has placed in him. A Brother can do great good for his students in his contact with them in activities out- side the class room. Physical Training Facilities at West Park provide ample opportunity for the phys- ical training of the young Brothers. If any man, more than another, needs a sound mind in a healthy body it is the teacher, who has not only to educate his pupils in the classroom but to live with them through their games and recreations and awaken in them that manly rivalry which is essential to well-developed character. Outdoor recreations such as swimming, baseball, football, ice-skating, hockey, handball, and hikes are popular in all three houses of training. A well-equipped gymnasium provides basketball courts. Training in music, both vocal and instrumental, as well as courses in the other arts, develop in the young Brothers a love for and an appreciation of the fine traditions of Christian culture. Recreation On feast days and during the holidays the schedule of the young man at West Park is varied to give him more time for recreation. On these happy days the afternoon is devoted to baseball, swimming, skating, ice-hockey, or football, depending on the season of the year. On many of these days of extra recreation excursions are made to nearby points of interest where picnics are enjoyed to the fullest. Daily Life of the Teaching Brother A young man becomes a Christian Brother with a two-fold end in view: the sanctification of his own soul and the saving of the souls of others in co-operation with Christ and His divine grace. His every day and each moment of the day is regulated for the accom- plishment of these aims. In the early morning an hour of prayer and meditation, attendance at Mass and the reception of the Holy Eucharist advance his personal holiness and prepare him for the sublime but arduous work of the classroom. The evening is spent in prayer, study and recreation—when soul, mind and body are made fit for the labors of the following day. Many Opportunities for Good The major portion of the day is given to the education and train- ing of the boys in the Brothers' care. The Christian Brother con- siders teaching, and association with his boys a holy privilege and an opportunity for doing invaluable good. He is with the boys, not only in the classroom, but also in their numerous activities: sodalities and other religious organizations, class clubs and hobby groups, debating, publications, dramatics, athletics, band, glee club, etc. Whether at work or at play with his boys, he finds countless opportunities for moulding character and instilling Christian ideas and ideals. All your tal- ents can be put to use. Here a gifted Brother teaches Excerpts From a Letter of His Holiness Pope Pius XI To Rev. Brother P. J. Hennessy, Superior General B E L O V E D S O N , H E A L T H A N D A P O S T O L I C B E N E D I C T I O N Your Institute which was founded in Ireland in 1802 by Edmund Ignatius Rice and canonically confirmed eighteen years later by Our Predecessor Pius VII of immortal memory, by the bounty of God, from small beginnings, has spread so widely in the course of time, that today it has many foundations in almost every part of the world; and their number would assuredly be largely increased if the supply of subjects were adequate to meet the requests and the needs of Bishops everywhere for the opening of new houses. But, beloved son, it is not to be wondered that your wor\ is so highly esteemed by all, when, on the one hand, are considered the praiseworthy and skilful methods whereby you imbue the young with learning and love of religion, and, on the other hand, how you train them to be good citizens and honorable men. . . . We desire, therefore, that as many aspirants as possible may floc\ to your Congregation, and that they, inspired by the Spirit of God, may labour wholeheartedly in your noble wor\. Thus through increase in the number of Christian Teachers the hope of Christianity for the future may increase, to the immense advantage of Church and State. Meanwhile, as a presage of heavenly gifts and a token of Our Paternal goodwill, We most lovingly impart to you, beloved son, and to the entire Congregation, the Apostolic Benediction. Given at Rome at St. Peter's, the twenty-third day of May, 1923, in the second year of Our Pontificate. PIUS PP XI Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, commemorating the centenary of the death of Edmund Ignatius Rice. "Lift high the Cross, unfurl the Flag, may they forever stand, United in our hearts and hopes, God and Our native land." F r o m "The Cross and the Flag" b y Cardinal O'Connell For Further Information Write to: R E V . BROTHER PROVINCIAL Santa Maria-on-Hudson West Park, N. Y.