The Verbum Dei Missionary Brotherhood ( Spanish : Fraternidad Misionera Verbum ) is a Roman Catholic “contemplatively active” missionary community. The Brotherhood was founded by the Holy Father Jaime Bonet on January 17, 1963 on the Spanish island of Mallorca . The community was approved by the church on April 15, 2000, by Pope John Paul II as the Institute for the Consecrated Life of the Papal Law.
Structure
“Verbum Dei” - translated from Latin as “Word of God”. According to the guidelines adopted on the day it was approved by Pope John Paul II, the mission of the Brotherhood is to help people study the Holy Scriptures (Bible) and understand the Christian teaching. And also in spreading the kingdom of God: through prayer, through ministry through the Word, and testimony of the gospel life. The community consists of dedicated women, dedicated men (brothers and priests) and dedicated couples.
The mission of the Verbum Dei Missionary Brotherhood is to provide opportunities to participate in the path of Christian discipleship, both for individuals and societies. This discipleship is formed in spirituality, the basis of which is Holy Scripture and Catholic tradition. Because of this, the foundations of the Christian faith are manifested through community in life.
All initiated members of the community have been undergoing academic studies of philosophy and theology for several years, as is the case in a Catholic seminary. The missionary's daily life includes several hours of contemplative prayer in silence. The Verbum Dei activities are carried out within the Catholic Church, but are not limited only to church service. The fraternity holds various social events and educational programs for people of all ages. Such as: spiritual exercises (prayer in silence), the study of Holy Scripture, spiritual and educational programs and seminars for men and women, for couples, for youth and adolescents, and also organizes pilgrimages to holy places.
People of different states and spheres of life participate in the Verbum Dei Institute on five continents: single and married, elderly and young, of different backgrounds and professions.
The Verbum Dei community supports people in their spiritual search when they come to the community, seeking to gain spiritual knowledge and support. For such people, training groups are held that allow them to expand their knowledge about God and spirituality, about the Christian faith and find fellowship on these topics, ask questions - and receive answers from the clergy and all members of the community.
Another aspect of the community’s activity is working with students from universities and universities, thereby helping young people to cultivate more Christian qualities and adhere to the principles of spirituality and morality in life, to understand the significance and importance of this. Verbum Dei is a Spanish society, and therefore of particular importance is its assistance in Christian education for Spanish-speaking students and residents in Russia. Some dedicated members of the fraternity work as Catholic priests in universities in many countries.
Brotherhood missionaries serve in 30 countries:
England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, USA, Venezuela, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire (ivory coast), Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan. For some time, the community was present in France, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Hong Kong and other countries.
See also
Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity - in English