Friends,

I have always been proud of my title, “brother” and happy to have others use it. It is a designation helpful in my life ministering to others in Shem Center’s work and in my place in today’s world. It has been a privilege to be a brother to many, often as someone who helps or listens to others when needed. As a member of an international religious order of men and women, the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans was  founded in Spain 1206 by St. Dominic deGuzman. Our mission, simply put, is to bring God’s inclusive love to others. I proudly join with many others who carry the Good News of the Creator’s love to all others. Brothers minister in the world in many different ways as educators, retreat directors, medical professionals, builders of buildings and the communities who occupy them. My life as a religious brother has included a variety of ways of serving others, as a chef for a large formation community, a teacher of children with behavior disorders, and a director of interfaith retreats. 

The Religious Brothers Conference of which I am a member, represents brothers of religious orders who minister in many different ways. I share the following letter by the President of our conference to tell you something about who we are as we serve today’s world.

– Br. Joseph Kilikevice, OP

A Letter of Encouragement and Hope to the Brothers of North America

Living Our Vocation with Faith, Courage, and Joy in Troubling Times

October 21, 2026

Dear Brothers,

Grace and peace to each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, our hope and our source of strength.

We live amid division, war, economic pressure, poverty, isolation, aging membership, fewer vocations, and changing ministries. Yet our vocation remains a precious gift to the Church and the world. Our hope rests not in numbers, institutions, or success, but in Jesus Christ, who calls us and remains with us.

In his 2014 Apostolic Letter to All Consecrated People, Pope Francis invited religious to look to the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope. He acknowledged declining numbers and aging membership yet insisted that hope rests not on statistics or accomplishments, but on the Lord in whom we have placed our trust. We can therefore face limitations honestly, grieve what has been lost, and make difficult decisions without surrendering to discouragement.

Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV: Encouragement for Religious Life

Pope Francis wrote, “Where there are religious, there is joy.” This is not freedom from sorrow, but the deep joy of belonging to Christ and giving ourselves to others. It appears when a brother listens patiently, a community welcomes a stranger, an older religious prays faithfully, or someone accompanies the forgotten. Francis also urged religious to “wake up the world” through prophetic witness: placing human dignity above wealth, service above power, the common good above individual success, and standing with those on the margins.

Pope Leo XIV likewise calls the Church to place Christ at the center of its life and mission. His emphasis on communion, missionary discipleship, and peace offers direction in societies marked by division and distrust. Our identity is not defined only by former ministries or institutions; it is rooted in being brothers to one another, to those we serve, and to a world longing for compassion, belonging, and hope. Communities and ministries may change, but the Gospel invitation to consecrated life remains alive.

Pope Leo XIV underscored communion in his January 2026 address to consecrated members of Regnum Christi on charism, governance, and communion. In September 2025, he described religious institutes as a splendid and varied testimony to God’s gifts to the Church. Even small or changing communities have something valuable to offer. Let us cherish every brother, resist isolation, deepen our relationships, and collaborate with religious and lay partners committed to the Gospel.

Looking to the Future with Hope

The future of religious life in North America may not resemble its past. Ministries will conclude, communities may consolidate, and familiar structures will change. Yet change does not mean that our vocation has lost its purpose. It calls us to discern where the Spirit is leading—perhaps through smaller communities, collaboration among congregations, accompaniment of the vulnerable, spiritual guidance, justice, care for creation, or the quiet ministry of presence.

Our task is not to guarantee the future according to our expectations, but to prepare for it through faithful living today. We encourage vocations when others see the goodness of our life together, when we listen to young people, and when we share experience without requiring them to reproduce the past. No act of love is wasted: prayer for the Church, a visit to someone lonely, encouragement to a struggling brother, or a commitment to justice helps the Kingdom of God take root.

I am deeply grateful for your vocation, sacrifice, service, and fidelity. Whether energized, weary, or uncertain, know that your life has value, your witness matters, and your brotherhood is a gift. Let us move forward without denying present difficulties or allowing them to determine our hope—men of prayer who trust God’s providence, men of fraternity who care for one another, and men of mission attentive to the needs of our time.

As Pope Francis urged, let us embrace the future with hope. As Pope Leo XIV calls the Church to deepen communion and renew its missionary commitment, let us make our lives as Brothers a credible sign of Christ’s love. May Mary accompany our discernment, the Holy Spirit renew our courage, and the Lord sustain us in faith, compassion, and joy.

We have reason to be realistic about our challenges and every reason to hope. The story of religious life is not finished. God is still calling, the Gospel is still transforming lives, and we still have much to offer the Church and the world. Let us remain brothers to one another and signs of hope to all we encounter.

With gratitude, prayer, and fraternal affection,

In Christ and in our shared vocation,

Brother Peter J. O’Loughlin, CFC
President, Religious Brothers Conference