“With My BROTHERS in Marriottsville” By Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS - 2026 Religious Brothers Conference
Bro. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, recently presented at the 2026 Religious Brothers Conference Assembly held last week. His presentation was around the Papal Encyclical, “Laudato si.” Pictured right are the Assembly Participants in the chapel of the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center. There were Brothers from 20 Congregations represented. You can read Bro. Mickey’s reflection below:
“With my BROTHERS in Marriottsville”
By Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS
For so many reasons, I was truly delighted and honored to have been the main speaker and presenter at this year’s RBC gathering. It’s been a long time (if ever!) since I was part of a gathering of so many religious brothers from various congregations involved in diverse ministries. There we were, thirty of us, in the beautiful garden setting of Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriottsville, MD. Whether I was inside with the brothers or outside with the goldfish it was heaven all around.
We all have concerns about the future of our congregations and ministries thanks to the realities of aging and diminishing numbers and fears of “coming to completion.” These concerns are only amplified by the ever-growing anxieties and tensions of our nation and world. But at the Bon Secours Center those issues didn’t loom as large as our shared brotherhood. In his beautiful closing address on the last day, Bro. Peter O’Loughlin reminded us that communion, humility, and tenderness are what keep us going forward together in Christ’s name. We Brothers can rise above fear, anger, and anxiety when we each lovingly accept who we are. In the words of Sr. Thea Bowman, we just gotta “keep on steppin.’ I am confident that at least thirty of us Brothers are doing just that.