About Us
The Institute of the Presentation Brothers is a Catholic Congregation of Religious Brothers working in several countries around the world. United by our faith we dedicate ourselves to helping young people develop a personal relationship with Christ.
Our Story… Our Mission
We were founded in Ireland by Blessed Edmund Rice in 1802 – who wanted to offer a Catholic formation and education to the young people of the day. Today, formed in the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, we bring the message of Christ to a new generation of young people and are committed to our mission of forming Christ in them, and building Christian communities. We do this by working as teachers, chaplains, social workers, missionaries, and in diverse professions and ministries. We are partnered in this mission by the Presentation Family – men and women of all ages who share our charism.
Vows
A Presentation Brother takes three vows: poverty, chastity and obedience. These remind us of the priority of God and free us to serve other people. We live in groups called communities which helps us support one another in our mission. Our vocation is demanding but is deeply rewarding.
We focus on being authentic and attractive witnesses to the Gospel and inspired by Pope Francis, we seek to be ‘bold and creative.’
Our Community
The Presentation Brothers is an international and multicultural Community in service of the Church’s mission. You’ll find us active in Ireland, Ghana, Nigeria and the West Indies.
Brothers For a Greater Brotherhood in the Church
Presentation Brothers follow Christ as religious brothers, and our mission is evangelisation – bringing the message of Christ to young people.
Forming Christ in the Young
Pope John Paul II said, “Every generation is like a new continent to be won for Christ!” As Presentation Brothers, youth ministry is at the heart of our vocation. We work as youth leaders, teachers, chaplains and in many diverse roles to help young people form a personal relationship with Christ.
Serving Those in Need
Perhaps the most effective witness we give to our faith is ‘Love of neighbour.’ In the spirit of our founder, Blessed Edmund Rice, we work to empower people on the margins of society, including refugees and asylum seekers.
Care of the Earth
Presentation Brothers Chapter Vision Statement.
The action we take on behalf of the environment is underpinned by a developing understanding of the indwelling presence of God in all creation, as well as the role of humankind in that creation. In the spirit of Laudato Si, the encyclical letter of Pope Francis, we strive to discover new ways in which we can protect Earth as our common home – joining our efforts with members of the Presentation Family and other groups.
Life in Community
(Acts 2: 42; 44-45)
A group of Brothers praying and working together in mission is known as a Community. Community living has its origins in the earliest Christian communities who lived together and shared everything.
Community life is one of our greatest supports and it is where we experience encouragement and love. With our religious commitment in common, we try our best to serve the Lord.
Community life is challenging too, but there is great richness in a group of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds sharing life side-by-side and witnessing to the gospel.
Pope Francis, ‘Fratelli Tutti’
Our Thirst for Justice
Constitution 6
Our commitment to justice arises from our belief in the dignity of each human person and that no person should go hungry or without education.
As Brothers we work in some very disadvantaged parts of the world where we help to alleviate poverty. We know, however, that there are systems in place which keep people poor and fail to respect their human dignity. Through our work we are committed to challenging these systems.
Much of the world’s poverty is caused by systemic injustice. As part of our work for justice we engage in advocacy work with policy makers on behalf of those who are made poor. We collaborate and support Edmund Rice International Office, a non-governmental organisation based in the U.N. in Geneva. This organisation does valuable work advocating on behalf of young people who are marginalised through poverty.
Psalm 4
Our Devotion to the Eucharist
As Presentation Brothers the Eucharist is at the heart of our lives and we commit ourselves to ‘living Eucharistically,’ meaning ‘living for others.’
Every Brother attends daily Mass, and many spend time each day in Eucharistic adoration. There is also a chapel or oratory with the Blessed Sacrament in each community house of the Congregation.
The Eucharist nourishes us as we try to live our lives as faithful Christians.
We believe the challenge of the Eucharist is not to confine it to a daily ritual.
As Pope Benedict XVI said:
Deus Caritas Est, 14
Our Devotion to Mary
As she was at the heart of our founder’s spirituality, we have a special devotion to Mary, Mother of God. We try to imitate Mary’s “Yes” at the moment of the Annunciation. Her ‘Fiat,’ “Thy will be done,” serves as a guide for how we live our lives as Presentation Brothers.
There are two Marian devotions that are particularly strong in our congregation…
Presentation of Mary in the Temple
Our name, Presentation Brothers, comes from an event in the childhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is not mentioned in the New Testament but there is an account in the apocryphal Gospel of St James. According to that text, Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, brought their child to the Temple in Jerusalem and, as an act of Thanksgiving, presented or consecrated her to God.
This moment has been captured in art through the centuries and is known as the Presentation of Mary in the Temple. Each year on 21st November, we celebrate the feast of the Presentation – known by many as ‘Presentation Day’.
Our Lady of Good Counsel
We have a long-standing devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel (Mater boni consilii). This is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary which takes its name from a fresco located in the thirteenth century Augustinian Church at Genazzano, near Rome. Our Lady of Good Counsel feast day is observed each year on 26th April.
Within our communities, we say this prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel:
Our Devotion to St. Joseph
The Brothers have a strong devotion to St Joseph, reflected in the name of our Generalate (headquarters) in Cork: Mount St Joseph.
Our novitiate in our West Africa Province is also dedicated to St Joseph and carries the same name.
Our Vocation
‘Here I am Lord. I have come to do your will.’
Psalm 40
In every age the Lord has called men and women to follow Him in a radical way – and people have opened their hearts and responded with generosity, joy and enthusiasm.
Today more than ever, the world needs ‘heralds of the gospel’: men and women who are in love with Christ and dedicated to the mission of the Church.
We follow Christ as religious Brothers, and our mission is evangelisation – bringing the message of Christ to young people. If you think the Lord is calling you to us, reach out and talks with us.
Becoming a Brother
The journey to becoming a Presentation Brother requires time and discernment. The first step normally being an informal chat with the Vocations Director. This is a good opportunity to ask questions and to learn more about our Presentation way of life. We then begin the following process:
Accompaniment
A series of regular meetings with the Vocations Director takes place over several months. During this time, each person is guided through a process of discernment, allowing them to reach a prayerful decision about their next steps.
Postulancy (up to 1 year)
This year is spent living in a Brother’s Community and it is an opportunity to gain a deep understanding of our prayer life, work and mission.
Novitiate (2 years)
Novitiate is a decisive turning point towards the Lord in a person’s life. It is a period of spiritual preparation and involves prayer, reflection and study.
Temporary Profession
At the end of novitiate, the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are taken, initially for a period of one year at a time. At this point each young Brother is assigned a ministry or encouraged to undertake further studies, in both theology and secular professions.
Final Profession
After careful discernment, the Brother now makes his vows for life and takes on the mission of ‘forming Christ in the Young’.
Contact our Vocations Director
Ireland
Br. Martin Kenneally
Tel: 087 226 0531
Email: martinkenneally@presentationbrothers.org
Br. Simon Fernandes
Tel: 089 231 4609
Email: simonfpm@presentationbrothers.org
West Africa
Br. Emmanuel Aminenta
Tel: 00 233 37 202 6522
Email: presprovtamle@gmail.com
Contact our Vocations Director by post, phone, or e-mail: he can help answer any questions you might have. You may meet with him too for an informal conversation.
We also organise vocation discernment groups and live-in weekends as relaxed and informal opportunities to better understand religious life. If you are interested in any of these options – our Vocations Director would be delighted to speak with you and give you more details.