The Brothers of Saint Patrick were founded on 2nd February, 1808, in the small country town of Tullow, Ireland, by Bishop Daniel Delany. (One year earlier he had founded the Sisters of Saint Brigid.) At that time, the ordinary folk of Ireland -especially the young – faced very bleak futures. There was widespread economic poverty, unemployment and lawlessness. Daniel Delany had the vision that by providing the young with an education in the Four Rs -Reading, (w)Riting, (a)Rithmatic and Religion – many of the social problems could be better addressed. Therefore, he gathered a group of men who would enable the youth of the diocese to take more responsibility for building their own lives as members of their country and their church.

After extremely difficult beginnings, the Brothers of Saint Patrick slowly spread to other dioceses in Ireland. Today you will also find the Brothers in India (1875), Australia (1883), California (1946), Kenya (1961), Papua New Guinea (1968), and Ghana (2008).

The spirituality of the Patrician Brothers has its origins in the life of Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. Patrick wrote in his Confessio of his calling to bring to the people of Ireland the Good News of Jesus Christ; he also recounted the many hardships he endured in this mission. A strong commitment to the Presence of Jesus Christ in all the circumstances of life characterised Patrick’s life. The Patrician Brothers are enlivened by Patrick’s faith in Christ: daily we recite “The Breastplate of St. Patrick” to emphasise that we find Christ in all hearts (Christus in Corde Omnium).