Religious Men
“We are born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more.”
– St. Joseph Cafasso (Don Bosco’s confessor)
Meet some of the religious priests and brothers who live and work in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Here, they speak about their order, congregation or community, the charisms and traditions they follow, and offer some great advice for current discerners.
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Sacred Heart Fathers & Brothers
Brother Andrew Ferris speaks about the charisms of his congregation, what they do and how he discerned his call to religious life.
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Vocation Promoter
Br. Andrew Ferris SCJ, Holy Name Parish, 9 Cross Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham, B43 6LN.
T: 0121 357 1351 E: br.andrewscj@holy name.org.uk
Missionaries of Faith
Four priests of Indian heritage who serve in parishes of our diocese speak about the different types of work they do in Birmingham, from evangelisation to working as parish priests.
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Click the image to read the article from our diocesan magazine, The Sower.
Vocationist Fathers
Two communities of of the Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationists) can be found in our diocese - in Walsall and east Birmingham. They have care of several parishes and one is on the staff at Oscott College, where some of their priesthood students also study.
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Find out more about them from The Sower.
Hospitaller Order of St. John of God
The St. John of God brothers (OH) established Good Shepherd Ministry in Wolverhampton. They are serving in their community to tackle homelessness by providing food on a daily basis. The Ministry also acts as a drop in centre for those who are disadvantaged or lonely offering support and company.
Find out more about them from their website: https://www.gsmwolverhampton.org.uk.
Jesuits
Fr. Kensi Joseph SJ speaks about the many aspects of his congregation - the Society of Jesus, commonly know as the Jesuits, whose noviciate is based in our diocese.
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Contact
Jesuit Community c/o St. Mary's College, Oscott
Redemptorists
Coming soon... Newly-ordained Fr. Royston Price CSsR speaks about how he was called to join the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
Oratorians
The Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri is a society of apostolic life, consisting of secular priests and brothers who live in a community without vows, instead being bound by charity. Each house is independent, and the Archdiocese of Birmingham has two Oratories: Birmingham (founded by St. John Henry Newman CO) and Oxford.
Resources​​
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The book A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life is a comprehensive guide for men by Fr. Benedict Croell OP and Fr. Andrew Hofer OP that helps to discern vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Buy here.
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The book Discerning Vocations to the Apostolic Life, the Contemplative Life, and the Eremitic Life by Marie Theresa Coombs, Sr. Francis Kelly Nemeck OMI. The authors speak about the core features to the apostolic Life, the contemplative life, and the eremitic life and presents signs and patterns that point to each vocational lifestyle. Buy here.
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The book How We Love: A Formation for the Celibate Life by Br. John Mark Falkenhain OSB, a Benedictine monk and clinical psychologist. He provides a well-researched and thorough guide for celibacy formation. Buy here.​
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Useful Links
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Compass
Have you ever wondered if you are called to become a friar, monk, or a religious brother? Compass helps you to find if God is calling you to be one of them.
http://www.compass-points.org.uk
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The Living Joyfully Group
A group of religious who are interested in spreading a culture of vocation all over the UK. They are a network and share resources, information and good news about vocation.
Get in touch!
Br. James Hayes