Congregation of Alexian Brothers

The Alexian Brothers Congregation is a Catholic lay religious community founded in 14th-century Aachen, Germany, when men of faith cared for plague victims, buried the dead, and served the abandoned. Rooted in the Rule of St. Augustine and approved by Pope Sixtus IV in 1472, they took St. Alexius as patron and embraced the motto Caritas Christi urget nos - "The love of Christ compels us." Today, Brothers live under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, serving in Europe, the Philippines, and the U.S. Through prison ministry, outreach to the poor, and Christ's healing presence to those in need, they adapt their mission to modern needs.