The Christian Brothers has made the Emmaus Retreat House in Swords, Co. Dublin available for the State to use during the coronavirus.
“The State can use it in this time when we are dealing with a virus in whatever form they wish,” Bro. Dominic Sassi CFC told The Irish Catholic.
Bro. Dominic also said he is fearful that the vocation of brothers in the Church is disappearing because it is a ministry that is little understood – even within the Church.
“There hasn’t been a new member in the Christian Brothers in this country for about 30 years,” he said.
“And that is partly because services – such as education – that we are involved in have been more or less taken over by the State. The brothers are no longer visible in schools and therefore people perhaps don’t see the need of them [vocations].”
Vocation
The vocation of the brotherhood is “not well understood”, according to Bro. Dominic, and believes that it is up to the brothers to ensure the congregation does not disappear.
“We are very aware of the decline in vocations and we are determined to be more open to the idea of new members.”
Bro. Dominic, a leader in pastoral care, feels the brothers are “needed in today’s world” and said they are looking at ways of keeping “themselves known”.
“Even now, during this crisis and when it is over, we really need to keep the vocation of the brother in the public eye,” he said.
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