Brothers of St. Patrick

The Patrician Brothers, or Brothers of Saint Patrick, are an Ireland-based Roman Catholic congregation for the religious and literary education of youth and the instruction of the faithful in Christian piety.

This Brotherhood was founded by the Right Rev. Dr. Daniel Delany, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, at Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland, on the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in 1808. Religious toleration of Catholics and dissenters by the Irish Parliament since 1782, was followed by was the restoration of the franchise in 1793, and the Maynooth Grant. In 1801, the Act of Union followed with the promise of Catholic Emancipation. Roman Catholics in Britain and Ireland were emerging from the punitive Penal Laws, which since 1728 had forbidden religious run schools which supported Roman Catholic doctrine and its practices.

The four founding members were Patrick McMahon (Brother John Baptiste), Richard Fitzpatrick (Brother Bernard), Ambrose Dawson (Brother Joseph) and Maurice Cummins (Brother John Evangelist).

Bishop Delany set to founding the Religious Congregation of the Brothers of Saint Patrick in his diocese, for this purpose. He chose from among the catechetical instructors of the diocesan Sunday schools seven young men who formed the nucleus of the new order. Under the personal instruction of the bishop, and the direction of his successor, Dr Doyle, the congregation was established as a diocesan institution.

In succeeding years, branches were established in other dioceses of Ireland, and the Brothers were invited by several Australian and Indian bishops to erect schools these countries. Several foundations were made, among them those of Sydney, to which archdiocese the Brothers were invited by Cardinal Moran; and that of Madras in India, undertaken at the request of Bishop Stephen Fennelly.

In 1885 the Brothers made application to the Holy See for the approval of the congregation, to constitute a central governance board and to establish a common novitiate. Sounding opinions from the bishops in whose dioceses the Brothers were established, Pope Leo XIII provisionally approved the congregation for five years by a Rescript dated 6 January 1888, and on 8 September 1893, issued a decree of final confirmation. This included approving their rules and constitution, the facilities and powers necessary for their congregation, constituting India and Australia separate provinces. The governance of the order, which had functioned as separate communities, were united. The superior general four assistants governs the congregation, at the mother-house, Tullow, Co. Carlow, Ireland, where there is a novitiate and a house of studies.

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