Embracing a Common Future

Edmund Rice Christian Brothers

North America

Thursday, 09 August 2007

Foundational Assembly Statements On Spirituality and Renewal

We Christian Brothers in the spirit of Blessed Edmund open our whole heart to Christ present and appealing to us in the poor. In Gospel communities and in the mission of evangelization, we journey into the heart of being brother by sharing our joys and dreams, our fragility and loss. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are inspired to practice hospitality, mutual support and reconciliation. We grow into committed disciples of Christ through our personal prayer, retreats, spiritual reading and spiritual direction. With grateful hearts, we gather for community prayer using the Scriptures, the Liturgy of the Hours, shared prayer and other sources.

Inspired by the Constitutions, "The Four Directions" and "The Heart of Being Brother", the mission of the Christian Brothers of North America is to establish Gospel communities for the purpose of evangelization primarily through education in the spirit of Blessed Edmund Rice, responding particularly to the needs of the poor and the marginalized in our society and the world.

Realizing that all of us are called to a prophetic witness of the Gospels, the Brothers' mission in North America demands leadership that inspires and challenges us to new realities. Steeped in Sacred Scripture, our Constitutions, and other relevant Congregational documents, those in leadership are committed to collaboration, collegiality and subsidiarity with all those who share in the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice.

The new Leadership Team, in collaboration with the Brothers of North America, will conduct an apostolic and cultural audit of all ministry sites for the purpose of optimizing human and financial resources to better serve the poor and marginalized. Results and an action plan will be presented to the Brothers of North America when completed.

1. The Brothers in North America affirm that the relationship between themselves and others in the Edmund Rice Network will be characterized by mutuality and accompaniment.

2. The Brothers in North America will collaborate in developing common terminology and common programs of accompaniment for the various entities of the Edmund Rice Network.