The Brothers of Saint John is a Catholic Religious Congregation, founded in 1975. The Brothers received from their founder, Father Marie-Dominique Philippe o.p (a Dominican), a great love for Saint John and the Three Wisdoms as taught by Saint Thomas Aquinas. In total, there are nearly 500 Brothers on six continents. Together with the Apostolic and Contemplative Sisters, as well as the Lay Oblates, they form the Family of Saint John.
“And this is the Life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal Life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.”
1 John 1:2
Our Charism:
How we live it:
With the Virgin Mary, we live together
A life of silent prayer
Adoration, the Eucharist and Divine Office.
A fraternal life
Community life in an apostolic priory lived out in simplicity and joy.
A life of study
Seek Wisdom to grow in an intelligence of the faith and of the world’s present-day challenges.
An apostolic life
To respond to the needs of those whom the Lord sends us, by formation, and accompaniment, all in a great diversity of missions (teaching, preaching, missions, work with those in the peripheries).
The Brothers of Saint John founded a priory in Cebu in 1994, invited by His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. He wanted the Brothers to give the witness of their religious life and charism, to help in the formation of future priests in the College seminary and to work in the mission for the
youth.
The Brothers settled and built their convent in Banawa, Guadalupe, Cebu City. Soon, they started to work in thismission field: youth activities, scholarship program and ministry for the families with a priority for the poorest habitants of the area. They also started to teach philosophy in several seminaries and institutions.
In 1995, the convent was blessed and in 1999, the convent’s Church was consecrated. In 2008, the Novitiate was opened, to serve the vocations from the Philippines and other Asian countries. The Congregation counts now 10 Filipino Brothers, most of them are still in their years of formation.