History of the RBC and NARB (National Association of religious brothers)
The Religious Bothers Conference (RBC) is a service organization welcoming Brothers from the Monastic, Contemplative and Apostolic traditions. The mission of our organization is to promote the call to Religious Brotherhood as a viable option for men in service to the Church and Society. Likewise, we work to encourage all Brothers to live the Gospel Message in a prophetic way while respecting the charism and tradition of their particular Institute. As our focus of late has become that of promoting the identity and the vocation of Brothers, our collaborative efforts work towards fostering Religious Life.
The root of RBC dates back to the mid 1950’s. THE MISSION SECRETARIAT, an organization encouraged by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith was established in 1954. The Mission Secretariat was a gathering of the Mission Sending Societies of the United States from both the men and women’s congregations. At that time, Bishop Fulton Sheen was the Director of the National Society for the Propagation of the Faith and Director for the Mission Secretariat. Father Frederick McGuire CM, served as the Executive Director, and
Brother Hillary Mettes, ST was his assistant. Both men worked together in facilitating the Brothers becoming part of the Mission Secretariat.
The work of this organization was conducted in the style of group conferences with one such designated group being “Educators and Non-Teaching Brothers.” By 1955 a significant number of Brothers began attending indicating the general interest in the place of the Brother in the United States Church. In fact, this was the first national gathering of Religious Brothers in the U.S. In 1956
Brother Damian Carroll, CP was invited to Co-chair the Brothers Conference and by 1957 the Brothers were in the position of running these meetings by themselves.
In 1959 Pope John XXIII surprised the Church with his announcement to convene the Second Vatican Council. This Council convened in October of 1962. During the 1965 Annual Meeting of the Mission Secretariat, the Brothers made the decision that it was time to move out on their own. There was a general feeling that the Mission Secretariat had fulfilled its purpose.
In the summer of 1966 the Brothers made the decision to establish the RELIGIOUS BROTHERS INSTITUTE. The Brothers Newsletter became its official publication. For the next six years these Annual Institutes were held at various parts of the country. The first Institute was held at the Salvatorian Retreat Center in Blackwood, NJ; other sites included Stonehill College, North Easton, MA; Wheeling College in West Virginia; two institutes were held at St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, IN and the final one was held at LaMoyne College in
Syracuse, NY.
During those years it was often suggested that we have a more formal organization and during the 1971 Brothers’ Institute a steering committee, chaired by Brother Sean McLaughlin, SDS was formed. As a result of the deliberations of this committee Sean presented a formal proposal to establish the National Assembly of Religious Brothers (NARB). This proposal was voted on and it passed unanimously. It is important to note here that during the previous seven years, the annual meetings of the Brothers at the Mission Secretariat and
with the Brothers’ Institute were organized by Brother Damian Carroll, CP. For that reason, Damian is recognized as the lead force in founding and establishing NARB as an organization.
The first NARB Convention began on April 4, 1972. This Convention was a Constitutional Convention and it was held at Columbiere College in Clarkston, Michigan. The presence and strong support of John Cardinal Deardon and the President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Father Paul Boyle, CP; the President of the National Assembly of Religious Women, Sister Ethna Kennedy;
the President of the National Conference of Priest’s Councils, Father Frank Bonnike was encouraging. The Keynote address was given by Brother Robert Francoeur, FIC then President of Walsh College, Canton, Ohio.
On the closing day of this first NARB Convention the Officers of this new organization were elected: Brothers Bonaventure Scully, CFX, President, Raymond Saville, SA, Vice President, Damian Carroll, CP, and Treasurer-Secretary. Following this election the members of the new Board were also elected. Those elected were Brothers Guy Roddy, FIC, Gerald Selenke, SCJ, Patrick Sheehy, SJ, Robert McCann, FSC, Sean McLaughlin, SDS, Richard Smith, CSC, Charles St. James, FIC and Gerard Meegan, SDB.
Over the next twenty-five plus years, NARB continued to grow and experience success as a grass roots organization. During that time NARB sponsored numerous and successful activities. In 1997-1998 the Board began to look at the organization and the direction that it may need to move towards. They consulted with Provincial Leadership, Members and various other colleagues in Ministry.
What was made clear to the Board at that time was that an organization “for and about” Brotherhood was necessary however, the direction needed to reflect the reality facing the Church and the Brothers. In essence the Board was reminded of
a challenge that had been presented by Sister Clare Fitzgerald. In an earlier challenge, Sister Clare stated, that “the sin that we religious can commit today is to try to perform the tasks of another time.” The Board then worked to clear the way for a new organization to take shape. It was a different time and a different Church, with different needs.
The NARB Board started conversations in 1999 concerning the future of the organization. At a special meeting held at the Edmondnite Retreat House on Enders Island, this concern took on greater importance. It was at this meeting, that the Board made the decision to move forward with the new significance for the association.
In 2000 The Religious Brothers Conference (RBC) came into being not to perform the tasks of the 50’s, the 60’s, the 70’s etc. The challenge for RBC is to look ahead and work towards addressing the new realities facing Brothers and the Call to Religious Life, particularly the call to Brotherhood. A primary focus of RBC is to present our vocation as a viable option in service to the
Church. Regardless of the charism of the Institute that we are members of, our vocation is not by default, but is a response to God’s call, God’s invitation for us to be Brother.
Over the past few years RBC has had to work through a transition period in order for this new organization to develop. Symbolic of this transition was moving our Offices to the Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago. During this time a new Constitution and By-Laws were drawn up. These were approved by the membership and formally adopted in 2004 at our Annual Convention in Atlanta.
In keeping with this a new Vision and Mission Statement was adopted.
RBC Vision Statement
The Religious Brothers Conference is the organization that gives visibility to the special charism of the vocation of Brothers and invites all Brothers and others in the Church Community to proclaim the role and ministry of Religious
Brotherhood in today’s world.
RBC Mission Statement
The Religious Brothers Conference (RBC) is a service organization in the Catholic Church. The Mission of the RBC is to promote an awareness of and the calling of Brothers in the Church and society. We encourage all Brothers to live the Gospel Message in a prophetic way, respecting the charism and tradition of their particular institute.
The Religious Brothers Conference continues to be a “grass roots” organization. We have renewed our commitment to hosting the Annual Convention and these Conventions have taken on more of an opportunity for ongoing education and/or on going formation. Continuing Education Units are provided through CTU for interested participants at our Conventions. Presently, we are negotiating
with CTU to be able to offer Academic Credit as well. RBC has sponsored a “Study on Brothers in the US.” This study was conducted by CARA and is in the process of being written up. The final results will be presented at our 2007 Convention in St. Louis this July 27 – 30. We have received a Grant, as seed money, to establish the Damian Carroll, CP Fund. This Fund will continue to be developed
and the proceeds will be used by RBC to produce quality educational and promotional material on the vocation of Brothers.
An image often used is that we stand on the shoulders of those who went before us. We are grateful to Brothers like Damian Carroll, Bob McCann, Adrian Gauidan, William Brown, Bonaventure Scully, Sean McLaughlin and so many others who helped to envision and create an organization that Proclaims Brotherhood.
This article was summarized by Brother Stephen Synan, FMS.
The material for this article was obtained from the following sources: The RBC Archives, The letters and writings of Brother Damian Carroll, CP and William Brown, the first Executive Secretary of NARB, Conversations with Brothers Robert McCann, FSC and Bonaventure Scully, CFX relating to RBC’s Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Convention, Conversations with Former and Present
RBC Board Members.
The root of RBC dates back to the mid 1950’s. THE MISSION SECRETARIAT, an organization encouraged by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith was established in 1954. The Mission Secretariat was a gathering of the Mission Sending Societies of the United States from both the men and women’s congregations. At that time, Bishop Fulton Sheen was the Director of the National Society for the Propagation of the Faith and Director for the Mission Secretariat. Father Frederick McGuire CM, served as the Executive Director, and
Brother Hillary Mettes, ST was his assistant. Both men worked together in facilitating the Brothers becoming part of the Mission Secretariat.
The work of this organization was conducted in the style of group conferences with one such designated group being “Educators and Non-Teaching Brothers.” By 1955 a significant number of Brothers began attending indicating the general interest in the place of the Brother in the United States Church. In fact, this was the first national gathering of Religious Brothers in the U.S. In 1956
Brother Damian Carroll, CP was invited to Co-chair the Brothers Conference and by 1957 the Brothers were in the position of running these meetings by themselves.
In 1959 Pope John XXIII surprised the Church with his announcement to convene the Second Vatican Council. This Council convened in October of 1962. During the 1965 Annual Meeting of the Mission Secretariat, the Brothers made the decision that it was time to move out on their own. There was a general feeling that the Mission Secretariat had fulfilled its purpose.
In the summer of 1966 the Brothers made the decision to establish the RELIGIOUS BROTHERS INSTITUTE. The Brothers Newsletter became its official publication. For the next six years these Annual Institutes were held at various parts of the country. The first Institute was held at the Salvatorian Retreat Center in Blackwood, NJ; other sites included Stonehill College, North Easton, MA; Wheeling College in West Virginia; two institutes were held at St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, IN and the final one was held at LaMoyne College in
Syracuse, NY.
During those years it was often suggested that we have a more formal organization and during the 1971 Brothers’ Institute a steering committee, chaired by Brother Sean McLaughlin, SDS was formed. As a result of the deliberations of this committee Sean presented a formal proposal to establish the National Assembly of Religious Brothers (NARB). This proposal was voted on and it passed unanimously. It is important to note here that during the previous seven years, the annual meetings of the Brothers at the Mission Secretariat and
with the Brothers’ Institute were organized by Brother Damian Carroll, CP. For that reason, Damian is recognized as the lead force in founding and establishing NARB as an organization.
The first NARB Convention began on April 4, 1972. This Convention was a Constitutional Convention and it was held at Columbiere College in Clarkston, Michigan. The presence and strong support of John Cardinal Deardon and the President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Father Paul Boyle, CP; the President of the National Assembly of Religious Women, Sister Ethna Kennedy;
the President of the National Conference of Priest’s Councils, Father Frank Bonnike was encouraging. The Keynote address was given by Brother Robert Francoeur, FIC then President of Walsh College, Canton, Ohio.
On the closing day of this first NARB Convention the Officers of this new organization were elected: Brothers Bonaventure Scully, CFX, President, Raymond Saville, SA, Vice President, Damian Carroll, CP, and Treasurer-Secretary. Following this election the members of the new Board were also elected. Those elected were Brothers Guy Roddy, FIC, Gerald Selenke, SCJ, Patrick Sheehy, SJ, Robert McCann, FSC, Sean McLaughlin, SDS, Richard Smith, CSC, Charles St. James, FIC and Gerard Meegan, SDB.
Over the next twenty-five plus years, NARB continued to grow and experience success as a grass roots organization. During that time NARB sponsored numerous and successful activities. In 1997-1998 the Board began to look at the organization and the direction that it may need to move towards. They consulted with Provincial Leadership, Members and various other colleagues in Ministry.
What was made clear to the Board at that time was that an organization “for and about” Brotherhood was necessary however, the direction needed to reflect the reality facing the Church and the Brothers. In essence the Board was reminded of
a challenge that had been presented by Sister Clare Fitzgerald. In an earlier challenge, Sister Clare stated, that “the sin that we religious can commit today is to try to perform the tasks of another time.” The Board then worked to clear the way for a new organization to take shape. It was a different time and a different Church, with different needs.
The NARB Board started conversations in 1999 concerning the future of the organization. At a special meeting held at the Edmondnite Retreat House on Enders Island, this concern took on greater importance. It was at this meeting, that the Board made the decision to move forward with the new significance for the association.
In 2000 The Religious Brothers Conference (RBC) came into being not to perform the tasks of the 50’s, the 60’s, the 70’s etc. The challenge for RBC is to look ahead and work towards addressing the new realities facing Brothers and the Call to Religious Life, particularly the call to Brotherhood. A primary focus of RBC is to present our vocation as a viable option in service to the
Church. Regardless of the charism of the Institute that we are members of, our vocation is not by default, but is a response to God’s call, God’s invitation for us to be Brother.
Over the past few years RBC has had to work through a transition period in order for this new organization to develop. Symbolic of this transition was moving our Offices to the Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago. During this time a new Constitution and By-Laws were drawn up. These were approved by the membership and formally adopted in 2004 at our Annual Convention in Atlanta.
In keeping with this a new Vision and Mission Statement was adopted.
RBC Vision Statement
The Religious Brothers Conference is the organization that gives visibility to the special charism of the vocation of Brothers and invites all Brothers and others in the Church Community to proclaim the role and ministry of Religious
Brotherhood in today’s world.
RBC Mission Statement
The Religious Brothers Conference (RBC) is a service organization in the Catholic Church. The Mission of the RBC is to promote an awareness of and the calling of Brothers in the Church and society. We encourage all Brothers to live the Gospel Message in a prophetic way, respecting the charism and tradition of their particular institute.
The Religious Brothers Conference continues to be a “grass roots” organization. We have renewed our commitment to hosting the Annual Convention and these Conventions have taken on more of an opportunity for ongoing education and/or on going formation. Continuing Education Units are provided through CTU for interested participants at our Conventions. Presently, we are negotiating
with CTU to be able to offer Academic Credit as well. RBC has sponsored a “Study on Brothers in the US.” This study was conducted by CARA and is in the process of being written up. The final results will be presented at our 2007 Convention in St. Louis this July 27 – 30. We have received a Grant, as seed money, to establish the Damian Carroll, CP Fund. This Fund will continue to be developed
and the proceeds will be used by RBC to produce quality educational and promotional material on the vocation of Brothers.
An image often used is that we stand on the shoulders of those who went before us. We are grateful to Brothers like Damian Carroll, Bob McCann, Adrian Gauidan, William Brown, Bonaventure Scully, Sean McLaughlin and so many others who helped to envision and create an organization that Proclaims Brotherhood.
This article was summarized by Brother Stephen Synan, FMS.
The material for this article was obtained from the following sources: The RBC Archives, The letters and writings of Brother Damian Carroll, CP and William Brown, the first Executive Secretary of NARB, Conversations with Brothers Robert McCann, FSC and Bonaventure Scully, CFX relating to RBC’s Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Convention, Conversations with Former and Present
RBC Board Members.