The Brotherhood of St Laurence

The Brotherhood of St Laurence is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that works toward a vision of an Australia free of poverty. Based in Melbourne, the Brotherhood (as it is colloquially known) has a national profile. It undertakes research, delivers services and advocates on behalf of people experiencing disadvantage. It works not just to alleviate poverty but to prevent it, focusing on those who are at risk at four critical stages (transitions) in their lives:

Within this broad framework, the Brotherhood pays particular attention to issues relating to refugees and settlement, financial inclusion and social inclusion.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence was named after St Laurence, the patron saint of the poor. Laurence lived in Rome at the time of Pope Sixtus (AD 258–276). He was one of seven deacons appointed by the Christian church in Rome, responsible for collecting donations and distributing them to people in need.

Under the Emperor Valerian, the church came under attack. Laurence was ordered by the Prefect of Rome to hand over the church’s treasures. In response, he assembled the poor of the city, among whom he had shared the church’s possessions. He presented them to the Prefect, saying, 'These are the treasures of the church'. For this action he was punished by being slowly roasted to death on an iron grid. St Laurence is one of the most famous Christian martyrs.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence was founded on 8 December 1930 in the Anglican parish church of St Stephen in Adamstown, a working class suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales. Its founder, Father Gerard Kennedy Tucker, dreamed of building a dedicated group of like-minded men who would serve the church and the community. The Brotherhood was established as a religious order of the Anglican Church, with members including priests and lay brothers.

In 1933 the Brotherhood of St Laurence accepted the invitation of Canon Maynard of St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, Melbourne (with the approval of the Archbishop of Melbourne) and moved to St Mary's Mission in Fitzroy to help the poor in that neighbourhood. Young men who wished to serve others in the name of Christ came together as a community at St Mary’s and attended lectures at St Peter’s. They lived simply, studied, prayed and helped with social welfare activities.

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