Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church in Kenya, under the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pope's leadership, has over 18 million baptised Catholics, accounting for nearly 40% of the country's population. The CMM Brothers, a Catholic congregation of lay men, has served in Kenya since the 1950s, focusing on education, healthcare, and pastoral care. To become a Catholic brother in Kenya, one must meet specific requirements, including age, gender, health, and educational qualifications. The journey involves stages such as Postulancy, Novitiate, and Theology, where individuals deepen their faith, integrate community living, and study theological and spiritual aspects. The process culminates in taking vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty, dedicating their lives to God and serving humanity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Congregation | CMM Brothers, Holy Ghost Fathers Kenya |
| Location | Kenya, Tanzania |
| Qualifications | 18-30 years old, baptized Catholic male, physically and emotionally healthy, secondary school certificate or university/college qualifications |
| Formation | Postulancy, Novitiate, Theology stage, perpetual vows |
| Vows | Chastity, obedience, poverty |
| Service | Education, healthcare, pastoral care, prayer, social support, economic empowerment of the poor |
| Lifestyle | Community living, simple living, dedication to God, daily commitments |
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What You'll Learn
Requirements to join a congregation
The Catholic Church in Kenya is under the spiritual leadership of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pope in Vatican City. There are over 18 million baptised Catholics in Kenya, with 10.6 million adhering strictly and attending Mass regularly.
The Holy Ghost Fathers, or Spiritans, in Kenya outline the following requirements to join their congregation:
- Aged between 18 and 30 years old
- A baptised Catholic male
- Physically and emotionally healthy
- Holding a secondary School Certificate of grade C+ or above, or sufficient University or College qualifications
The Spiritans' formation process includes a Theology stage, which takes four years in Nairobi, Kenya. This stage aims to deepen spiritual and religious commitment, with a focus on missionary spirituality, including study and pastoral or professional work.
The CMM Brothers, another Catholic congregation in Kenya, outline the following requirements and expectations:
- A motivated person who wants to join and strengthen their communities
- A commitment to a simple but radical way of life, requiring deep personal dedication
- A willingness to be totally available to God and open to a personal relationship with Him
- A promise of faithfulness and obedience to the congregation
- A commitment to the three vows: religious obedience, poverty, and chastity
- A willingness to live in community with others, without personal belongings, and to share as much as possible
- Forfeiting marriage and family life
The CMM Brothers also emphasise the importance of formation, which includes reading, prayer, liturgy, study, work, reflection, encounters, and community life. This formation period lasts at least two years and is a time for exploring one's vocation, deepening one's faith, and getting used to community life.
Other general requirements for becoming a Catholic brother or sister in a congregation include educational qualifications (e.g., a matric pass), reasonably good health, and some knowledge of the Catholic faith. Different congregations may have varying requirements, so it is important to ask questions and be honest about one's background and life story.
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The Postulancy period
During the Postulancy period, candidates may also pursue theological studies and/or other degree work. They will get to know the work and communities of the Catholic brothers, as well as adjust to community life. This includes understanding the vows of religious obedience, poverty, and chastity, which are fundamental to the Catholic brotherhood. These vows are lived out in community with others, where brothers choose to live without personal belongings and share as much as possible.
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The Novitiate year
You will continue the studies begun in the Postulancy program, but with a deeper focus on initiating yourself into the religious life of a Brother. You will primarily grow in your personal relationship with God and come to understand the Brothers' vowed life of association for the service of the poor through education, stability, obedience, chastity, and poverty.
This year is a time for personal deepening of faith: to learn to pray, to study the scriptures, and to get to know the institute of the Church better. It is also a time to get accustomed to community life and deepen your personal beliefs and choices in life, under the guidance of a novice master.
At the end of the Novitiate year, you will discern your call to profess annual vows, publicly acknowledging your commitment to a relationship with God as expressed through service and community in a specific educational ministry as a De La Salle Christian Brother.
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Formation and ongoing learning
Formation is an important part of becoming a Catholic brother in Kenya. The process starts with an invitation to postulancy, a period of preparation for the novitiate where you will live in a Regional Postulancy Community with other postulants and brothers. During this time, you will integrate faith, service, and community, develop a personal and communal prayer life, and study the Catholic faith, scripture, and the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle. This is also a time for personal deepening of faith and getting to know the Church better.
The next stage is the novitiate, a formal year of preparation for the vocation of a brother. During this year, held at the Regional novitiate, there are specific classes and activities to develop your faith, understanding of religious life, and experience of community. You will also grow in your personal relationship with God and integrate your understanding and experience of the brothers' vowed life of association for the service of the poor through education, stability, obedience, chastity, and poverty.
After the novitiate, you can choose to commit yourself to the congregation, initially for one year at a time, and if this way of life suits you, you can make a perpetual commitment. During this initial formation period, you will live in a community while serving in an educational ministry and may pursue additional studies. You will also gather with other brothers in temporary profession to share experiences and support each other.
Ongoing formation is also crucial, and in Kenya, this includes annual retreats, renewal courses, and sabbaticals. This ongoing formation is based on the belief that God's call is not a one-time event but an ever-evolving process that requires continual retraining and updating. It involves all aspects of one's calling, including the human, spiritual, theological, professional, and pastoral dimensions.
The process of becoming a Catholic brother in Kenya involves a deep commitment to service, community, and personal and spiritual development. It is a journey that requires dedication to God and a desire to serve humanity.
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Vows and commitment
The process of becoming a Catholic brother in Kenya involves a series of stages that include formation, discernment, and the taking of vows. The journey towards becoming a brother is seen as a response to a personal encounter with God and a desire to serve. This commitment is not a single act but a series of daily commitments to God, oneself, and others.
The first stage is Postulancy, a period of preparation for the Novitiate. During Postulancy, candidates live in a community with other postulants and brothers, integrating faith, service, and community. They study theology and the Catholic faith, scripture, and the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle. At the end of this stage, candidates discern their call to the brotherhood and decide if they are ready for the next stage.
The Novitiate year is a formal period of preparation for the brotherhood. It involves specific classes and activities that develop one's faith, understanding of religious life, and experience of community. The focus is on growing in one's personal relationship with God and integrating the vows of association for service through education, stability, obedience, chastity, and poverty.
At the end of the Novitiate year, candidates make their first vows, publicly acknowledging their commitment to a relationship with God through service and community in a specific educational ministry. This marks the beginning of the initial formation period, which lasts at least four years. During this time, brothers continue to live and serve in community while pursuing additional studies. They gather regularly to share their experiences and support each other.
After the initial formation period, brothers who are 25 or older and have fulfilled certain requirements can request to make perpetual vows, signalling their desire to continue their participation in the community lifestyle and educational work. This marks the end of the initial formation and the beginning of their permanent membership in the congregation.
Ongoing formation is also important, with annual retreats, renewal courses, and sabbaticals offered to help brothers continually update their response to God's call. This includes all aspects of their calling, such as human, spiritual, theological, professional, and pastoral development.
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Frequently asked questions
The requirements to become a Catholic brother in Kenya vary depending on the congregation. However, some general requirements include being male, Catholic, between the ages of 18 and 30, emotionally and physically healthy, and having a secondary school certificate or university/college qualifications.
The process typically involves a period of formation, including the Postulancy and Novitiate stages, where individuals explore their vocation, deepen their faith, and integrate into the community. After this, individuals can choose to commit to the congregation and take their first vows, marking the beginning of their initial formation.
Life as a Catholic brother in Kenya involves dedicating oneself to God and serving humanity. This includes taking vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty, living in community with other brothers, and often working in education, healthcare, and pastoral care.
