Alexian Brothers History

The Alexian Brothers ministry began in the Middle Ages, as Europe slowly emerged from centuries of ignorance and superstition. In the Low Countries and along the Rhine, small groups of men and women banded together to carry out Christ's commands. They would tend the sick, feed the hungry and bury the dead. These were dangerously unorthodox activities in the 12th century. Most people, out of fear, shunned the sick and dying, forcing them outside the city gates, to subsist on the leavings of the more fortunate.

Today, nearly 800 years later, the Alexian Brothers are located in Germany, Belgium, England, Ireland, the Philippines, Hungary, and the United States. The Alexian Brothers story is by no means finished. The Brothers remain committed to the healing ministry and the community, as they did more than seven centuries ago. The names and faces may change, by the spirit of love and sacrifice remains. There is still much work to be done.