A brother is someone is who has publicly consecrated himself to the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. A Brother therefore, is a Religious - he publicly professes the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

He is a man who has heard the call of Jesus, "Come follow me." Having heard the call decides to follow Jesus in a radical manner.

He has one and only one primary relationship in his life and this relationship is a total commitment with Jesus. This is his call to chastity.

He has accepted to live out his mission of following Jesus with like minded men, who endeavor to live out the mission of Mary in the modern world. That of introducing Christ to the world in areas of greatest need. This is his response to commitment to the mission of his congregation. This is his call to obedience.

In his community life he has the support of others following the same call, with a shared vision on how this can be done in a particular place at a given time in history. They live out of a set of values which are guided by what is essential for their particular mission, no one having more that the other. Sharing in common all their resources. This is his call to poverty.

A Brother is distinguished from the laity because of his special and public consecration, his participation in a religious community and his activity within the Church. A Brother lives in community with the ordained, as Religious Priests share his consecration. However, being a Brother is not a half way stage between been a priest or a layperson because both priests and laity are called to religious life. Being a Brother, like being a Sister, is a distinct gift within and for the Church.

Within the Society of Mary there are both Brothers and Priests. In fact, all within the Society of Mary are Brothers for all share the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. However, many of those in the Society choose to also become priests.

Relaxing after a day's hard work

Sharing many of the ministries of the priest, except for sacramental ministry, a Brother takes on a variety of roles within Marist communities. These include chaplaincies and teaching roles, administrative responsibilities and missionary work. A number of Brothers bring a series of life skills such as carpentry, accounting and engineering which are used to compliment the work of priests and laity in the field.