Brother MATHIAS BARRETT

(al secolo: Maurice Patrick)

Born: 15 March 1900 in Ballybricken, Waterford (Ireland).

Died: 12 August 1990 in Albuquerque (New Mexico).

Founder of the Congregation of the "Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd".

A member of the Irish Province of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God, he was sent by his Superiors on a mission to the United States, where he felt called to serve the poorest and most neglected people in society: this new type of apostolate was not yet provided for in our Constitutions at that time.

Reluctantly, but persistently, convinced that this was God's second call, Brother Matthias asked for a dispensation to follow what he felt to be his vocation, while remaining a true son and follower of St John of God. Sustained by his faith, he realised his dream of serving the poorest of the poor in society, trusting in God's Providence and supported by a number of companions who joined him. Like John of God, he was also considered insane because of his many daring works for the benefit of so many poor people.

Before his death, in the odour of sanctity and for which Brother Matthias had been preparing for some time, he even had a poor coffin made for him, dressed in the habit and scapular of the Brothers of Saint John of God.

Charismatic man that he was, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on 19 January 1951 he founded the "Congregation of the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd" (LBGS), an Institute of Pontifical Right of Religious Brothers. It Members (currently 27 Brothers) profess the public canonical vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. They lived in community and provided various social and healthcare services for the poor and needy in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland and Haiti

In 2008 the Congregation of the Good Shepherd received the "Charter of Aggregation to the Order" and contacts between the two Institutes intensified to the point where the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd, at their Chapter General on 12 August 2012, unanimously signed a document stating their intention to merge with the Hospitaller Order of St John of God. Some of them were invited to attend the 2012 General Chapter of the Brothers of St. John of God for the first time, in Fatima, Portugal).

The “fusion” of the "Congregation of the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd" with the "Hospitaller Order of St John of God" was concluded following the positive opinion issued by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Decree Prot. no. S. 110-1/2013 of 1 November 2014.