You are probably here because you are discerning religious brotherhood or maybe just curious about what with this vocation. Whatever your reason, we got you covered! In this blog post, we will discuss in detail one of the most frequently asked questions on brotherhood, can a catholic brother celebrate Mass?
Vocation
Before we deep dive into our topic, let’s first have a recap on what is a vocation and its types.
Vocation in the context of religion is how God is calling you to serve Him. It is your state of life. Your deeper purpose.
In the Catholic Church, there are four (4) types of vocation as follows.
- Religious Life
- Priesthood
- Married Life
- Single Life
A religious brother belongs to the first vocation, religious life.
Religious Brother
Now that we already had a refresher, let’s tackle what a religious brother is and his role in the Catholic Church.
A Religious Brother is a member of a Religious Order within the Catholic Church. He is called to consecrated life living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
He chooses to belong to an order, headed by the superior, that matches his chosen spirituality, He lives a community prayer life and performs tasks in a ministry.
Sacrament of Holy Orders
The main difference between a religious brother and a priest is the ordination. Although they can both be part of a religious institute, taking the same vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, following the same rules, the priest receives the Sacrament of Holy Orders to administer the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Thus, he can celebrate Mass and hear confessions.
Role of a Catholic Brother
Although not ordained, religious brothers play an important role both in his congregation and the Church. Brothers are called to serve in other ways. He participates in various ministries. A brother can take various roles in the Education Institution the order owns. He can be an educator, librarian, or administrator. They can also be part of the Family Life ministry as a counsel. There are also brothers who continue to study to be able to fill a position in a particular ministry. Some take finance courses to handle the Congregation’s resources. Others take a psychology course to be part of ministries that involve behavioral health.
Holy Mass
So to finally answer the topic.
Can a Catholic Brother Celebrate Mass?
No. A Catholic Religious Brother cannot celebrate Mass. Unlike priests who are ordained and receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, religious Brother cannot administer the Church’s Sacraments. He though is called to minister in other ways.
Discerning becoming a Religious Brother
If you are one of the faithful who is discerning this vocation, here’s a complete guide on how to become a Religious Brother. It includes the whole process of discernment, introducing you to this way of life, explaining their role, and listing down the qualifications. It will also provide you with some of the resources you need before, during, and after the discernment process.
Conclusion
We, Catholics, have different vocations to live by. Each one of us is unique and different. That said, we are all called to be holy. In our baptism, we made promises that we should keep.
Although Religious Brothers are not sacramental ministers like priests, they occupy a very special role in the Church. We can count on them in various ministries they are in. They inspire people to be the face of God in this world. Helping build His kingdom where holiness reigns.
May we all pray for all religious brothers and ask God that the vocation would grow.
Loving Mother, pray for us.
