"This Vocation is Vital to the Church"

From L to R: Bro. Nich Perez, CSC, Bro. Jesus Alonso, CSC, Bro. John Paige, CSC, and the late Bro. Joseph Umile, CSC; Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, Indiana

By Beth Griffin
Catholic News Service

RYE, N.Y. (CNS) -- Religious brothers say they are an invisible group in the church, but that it's not such a bad thing because it allows them the freedom to be ordinary men performing an extraordinary ministry.

That's the view of brothers and other participants at a think tank convened last fall to examine their vocation.

"Our vocation is one of the church's best-kept secrets," Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, Executive Director the National Religious Vocation Conference, told Catholic News Service. "We are vowed religious who commit ourselves to a particular ministry, live in community and share prayers.

A Courageous Man of God!

Today is the 175th anniversary of the death of Fr. Jacques Dujarié, the founder of the original Brothers of St. Joseph who later became the first brothers within the Congregation of Holy Cross. Read below a reflection on his life written by Steven Scardina, a photographer, who visited the birthplace of this remarkable man. Fr. Dujarié, pray for us!