The Spread of Edmund Rice's Brothers Around the World
(1802 - 2007)

Leadership Team: (left to right) Chris Teh, Richard Walsh [Leader], Gerard Ellul, Seamus O'Reilly, Donal Kirk (Deputy Leader), Michael de Klerk

Christian Brothers Africa Province Centre
Keating House
PO Box 310046
Chelston, Lusaka
Zambia
Phone: +260 21 128 3643  Mob:260 976 256 699
Email: Province Leader: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   Secretary: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

AFRICA PROVINCE

HISTORY

Christian Brothers from Ireland first came to the African continent at Kimberley in 1897. The Vice-Province of South Africa was constituted in 1950. In 1954 the Vice-Province extended into Zimbabwe when a house was opened in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and in 1966, the Province of Southern Africa [St Joseph's] was established.

American Christian Brothers arrived in Mazabuka, Zambia [then Northern Rhodesia] in 1964. In 1967 Brothers from Ireland came to Zambia to replace the American Brothers. The Zambian Region [Mater Dei] was formally constituted in 1984.

In 1969 Brothers from England opened a mission in Liberia and in 1985 in Sierra Leone. The Region of West Africa was constituted in 1994.

The Gambia became an Area with the arrival there of Brothers from India in 1988.

East Africa became an Area with the arrival of Brothers from Australia in Tanzania in 1988 and then in 1991 in Kenya.

Separate houses, initially under the jurisdiction of the CLT opened in Khartoum, Sudan [1988] and Yambio, South Sudan [1993]. In 2000, South Sudan became the responsibility of the Area of East Africa. Namibia was established in 1996 as an extra-Region house of the English Province.

Pan-African Formation Houses were established at Lusaka, Zambia [International Spirituality Centre, in partnership with the Presentation Sisters] 1997; at Tamale, Ghana [Paul Noonan Formation Centre] 2001; at Nairobi [House of Studies] 2003; Greenpoint, South Africa [2006] and Stellenbosch, South Africa [2007].

CO-ORDINATION

Early attempts to provide coordination of the Christian Brothers Mission across Africa saw the establishment of the biennial Pan-African Conference in 1989 and the Pan-African Commission [meeting annually]1991.

These two forums were supplanted by the Pan-African Leaders Conference [meeting annually] in 1996. This latter group consisted of the Leaders of the five separate entities [i.e. one Province, two Regions, two Areas], together with a member of the CLT and the Leaders of the sponsoring Provinces in Ireland [SMI and SHI], England and Australia [SPA].

In 2001, a decision was taken that this larger grouping would no longer meet but rather the five African Leaders, together with a member of the CLT, would meet twice a year.

This Group, known as Pan-African Leaders [PAL] shared the chairing of the group on a rotating basis.

The existing administrative entities within Africa, namely the Province of Southern Africa, the Regions of Zambia and West Africa and the Areas of East Africa and the Gambia, were reconstituted into four Districts of equal status in 2004 - namely Southern Africa [South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia]; Zambia; East Africa [Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan]; and West Africa [the Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia].

A Leadership Team, known as the Pan African Leadership Team [PALT], consisting of the Pan African Leader and the Leaders of the four Districts within Africa, was constituted in 2004 and took office at the commencement of 2005. Hence was born the Pan African Province.

At the Province Chapter in 2008, a decision was taken to appoint a full time Deputy Province Leader and the name of the Province was changed from the Pan African to simply  the African Province.

The relationships of Districts to each other and to the African Leadership Team are contained in a separate documents, namely the African Charter and the District Charters.

Leadership Team: (back L to R) Hugh O'Neill (Leader),  Kevin Griffith (Deputy Leader), Ray Vercruysse
(front L to R) Barry Lynch, Mark Murphy, Dan Casey,

Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America
742 Monroe Ave
Elizabeth NJ 07201-1641 USA
Phone: + 1 908 469 1103
Email:
Web: www.ercbna.org

-------------Latin American Region

Latin American Region Leadership Team: (left to right) Kevin Bernard, Pablo Keohane (Deputy Leader) , Juan Casey [Leader]

Hermanos Cristianos
Casilla 361
CochabambaBolivia
Phone: +591 4 7071 8785
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Leadership Team: John Burke, (Deputy Leader), Eddy Coupe, Jim Donovan, Edmund Garvey, Kevin Mullan (Leader), Martin O'Flaherty, Michael Reynolds

Christian Brothers Province Centre
Griffith Avenue
Marino
Dublin 9
Ireland
Phone: +353 1 807 3300
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: www.edmundrice.eu

Click here to read a response of the European Province to the Ryan Commission Report

History

The Feast of Blessed Edmund, Saturday May 5th, 2007 was the day on which the new European Province of the Christian Brothers in Europe came into existence. At a special ceremony in Marino on that day the new Leadership Team was installed. This event celebrated not only the inauguration of the new team but the birth of the new province.

Restructuring is happening worldwide across the Congregation at this time. From January 2005 onwards Africa was restructured into four districts, East, West, Southern Africa and Zambia, all under an African Province Leadership Team. In July 2005, the two American and Canadian provinces united to form one North American Province, of which the Latin American Region is part.

The Christian Brothers have established a single Province of Oceania, incorporating the four former provinces in Australia, together with the Province in New Zealand and the Region of Papua New Guinea. This new came into operation on October 1st, 2007. Plans for restructuring in India are also moving ahead at this time.

New Focus
In reshaping the Congregation, the Christian Brothers have set out to sustain and creatively expand their ministries into the future, find new ways of addressing unmet needs, promoting justice for all and respect for the planet earth. Catering for young people who have been excluded from mainstream schools is one of the priorities. As they reach out to lay people to share their vision they are encouraging a new and mutually enriching partnership.

Province Celebrations
The three provinces, St. Helen's and St. Mary's, Ireland and St. Mary's, England have ceased to exist as administrative regions within the Congregation. All three held Province Gatherings to celebrate the life of their Province and to mark the transition to the new Province. St. Mary's, Ireland came together at Emmaus, Dublin on February 3rd, 2007. The Brothers of St. Helen's gathered for a two-day event, April 2nd and 3rd, at their old novitiate, St. Helen's, Booterstown, now the Radisson Hotel. In England, the Brothers gathered at Hale Barns in Altrincham on March 31st to remember and celebrate the past. For the Brothers of each Province it was a time to let go and to embrace the new

Eighty Years of Life
The Irish Province first came into existence in 1923 and was named St. Helen's. St. Mary's Province, England was founded in 1945. By the mid-fifties the Irish Province had grown to such an extent that it was necessary for it to be divided into two for administrative purposes. That division came in 1956 with the creation of a second Irish Province. A line from Galway to the centre of Dublin city divided the country, with St. Mary's on the northern half and St. Helen's on the southern side

New European Province
Following consultation with the Brothers and much discussion at Tri-Province level, it was decided to name the new Province ‘The European Province' The decision to designate the province according to its geographical location was linked to the possibility that more than Ireland and England may comprise the new Province, for example, a new foundation in Geneva has already been opened.

New Leadership Team
The new Province Leader is Kevin Mullan. The other members of the new team are: John Burke, Eddy Coupe, Jim Donovan, Edmund Garvey, Martin O'Flaherty and Michael Reynolds. We wish them well for their seven year term. The Headquarters of the Province Leadership Team are located at Marino, Dublin.

Building God's Kingdom
As Philip Pinto said in his address to us at the Province Assembly in Limerick in August, 2006. "The time is over for building personal kingdoms or Christian Brother kingdoms. We are called to build God's kingdom". Our corporate mission as Brothers is to share our spiritual search with others.

Report from Colm Griffey cfc

Ministries

•  WELFARE

•  SPIRITUALITY

•  EDUCATION

•  JUSTICE

Province Leadership Team: (left to right) Conrad D'Souza (Deputy Leader), Larry Miranda, Placid Henriques [Leader], Avinash De Mello

St Joseph's Province Centre
c/- St Columba's School
Ashok Place
New Delhi
Delhi 110 001
India
Phone +91 11 2374 7637
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Region Leadership Team:  (left to right) Steve Fernandos (Deputy Leader), Mark Da Costa [Leader], Noel De Sa

West Coast Region Centre
c/- Regina Mundi High School
PO Chicalim
Vasco Da Gama
Goa
India
Phone: +91 832 254 1965
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Province Leadership Team: (left to right) Vince Duggan (Leader), Paul Robertson, Dean McGlaughlin, Joe Lauren, Chris Meehl, Peter Harney (Deputy), Julian McDonald

Christian Brothers Province Centre
PO Box 596
Virginia BC
Queenland 4014
Australia
Phone: + 61 (0)7 3621 9600
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: www.edmundrice.org

Support Offices Oceania

History

The Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers commenced on 1 October 2007 and comprises the four former provinces of the order in Australia; the former New Zealand province; and the regions of Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. It also covers East Timor and the Cook Islands.

Like the brothers and the members of the wider Edmund Rice Network who gathered in India for the 30th Congregation Chapter, the Oceania Leadership Team recognises that the establishment of our new Province is a dynamic process in which "the Spirit enters our lives to unsettle us, to encourage us to leap into the Mystery of God".

Mission Statement

Faithful to the call of Jesus
and inspired by Edmund Rice,
we, living in solidarity with the whole earth community,
and walking with those whom society has marginalised,
particularly young people,
proclaim liberation and justice for all creation

Power Point - please click

Documents