What’s in a name?

Brothers can be friars, monks, or simply just religious brothers. Friars can be monks, but this isn’t always the case, and the terms aren’t exactly interchangeable. Likewise, in new monasticism and mostly outside of the Roman Catholic Church, sisters are not always professed nuns.

Unlike what many people think, “Brother/Sister” is customarily not an honorific title commensurate with Doctor, Reverend, Professor, etc. rather, in our priory at least, it is intentionally supposed to signify the opposite. The goal is to radically disrupt inherent power dynamics, and sincerely invite another person into a loving siblingship. It is a reminder that at the end of the day, we are simply beloved siblings who make up the Body of Christ. In my experience, most have no preference if you call them by their first name or Br./Sr., but this depends on the person and local customs. I have no preference, although I know some who do, and it is always perfectly fine to ask! Because of tradition within the Roman Catholic Church, Br./Sr. has been shaped across history as an ecclesiastical title. In the new monasticism of today, many monastics are trying hard to change the meaning from a pseudo-honorific back to an earnest invitation.

Mendicant generally refers to one of the four main mendicant orders: Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Augustinians. there are other mendicant orders, and there are also formerly mendicant orders, such as the jesuits (SJ) who are now considered “clerics regular”

~ br c