For Brother Hervé Zamor, the journey into religious life began in a classroom and with the example of a Canadian missionary.
As a young student, Zamor was educated by the Brothers of Christian Instruction and became fascinated by the missionaries who had dedicated their lives to serving others.
‘When I was about 12 or 13 years old, one of my teachers was a Canadian Brother. One day, I told him, ‘I want to be like you. I want to become a brother,” he recalls.
That moment marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually take him from Haiti to the leadership of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, also known as the Brothers of Christian Instruction of Ploërmel.
Zamor says what attracted him most was the missionary dimension of religious life.
‘At that time, I did not see local Haitian brothers. Most of the brothers I encountered were missionaries from other countries. In a way, I thought becoming a brother was something reserved for foreigners. But I gave it a shot.’
He went through the various stages of formation, beginning with postulancy, a period of discernment during which candidates pray, reflect and seek to understand whether they are truly called to religious life.
At the end of that journey, he made his vows.
Like other Brothers of Christian Instruction, Brother Zamor took the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
For him, chastity means choosing not to marry, not because marriage is wrong, but because he wants to remain available to Christ and to the children and young people the Brothers serve.
Obedience, he explains, means accepting that personal wishes do not always come first.
‘It means listening, discerning and seeking to understand God’s will.’
Poverty, meanwhile, does not mean living a miserable life.
‘It means sharing what we have. Everything belongs to the community, and each brother receives what he needs to live a normal and dignified life.’
An unexpected election
Brother Zamor never planned to become Superior General.
Before his election, he was Provincial in Haiti, responsible for the congregation in the country. As his term approached its end, he expected to return to teaching, a vocation he says he loves.
But during the General Chapter, he was elected Superior General.
‘It came as a big surprise,’ he says.
His election was significant because, according to Brother Zamor, he became the first Superior General from the Global South in the congregation’s history. Previous leaders had come from countries including France, Spain and Canada.
The responsibility is considerable. The Brothers of Christian Instruction are present in 26 countries, and Zamor works with a team and the wider leadership of the congregation.
His principal responsibility, he says, is to visit the Brothers and provide spiritual guidance.
‘My role is not to tell someone exactly how to run a particular school. That is the responsibility of provincial and local leadership. My mission is to help the Brothers remain faithful to their vocation and to the vision of the founders.’
Another important responsibility is maintaining unity among the Brothers.
Who are the Brothers of Christian Instruction?
The name of the congregation, Brother Zamor says, captures its identity and mission.
‘First, we are Brothers.’
The Brothers are not priests, although a Brother can become a priest. Their particular vocation is to live as Brothers in community.
The second part of their name, ‘Christian Instruction’, points to their mission.
‘Our mission is to make Jesus Christ known and loved, especially among children and young people. We do this mainly through education.’
The Brothers work in primary and secondary schools and, in some countries, universities.
Their vocation differs from that of priests. Priests administer the sacraments, including baptism, the Eucharist and reconciliation. Brothers, on the other hand, dedicate themselves primarily to education and the formation of young people.
‘Through schools and our lives, we seek to make Christ known.’
Why Christian education still matters
Zamor believes the congregation’s mission is even more important today.
‘There are many people who say, ‘I am Catholic’ or ‘I am Christian’, but they do not actively practise their faith.’
The Brothers seek to help young people encounter Jesus Christ through schools, Christian groups, prayer and other forms of formation.
Not every student in their schools is Catholic or Christian. Nevertheless, Zamor says the schools provide an opportunity for students to encounter Christian values and the message of Jesus Christ, which forms part of what the Church calls the new evangelisation.
Today, he says, evangelisation is not simply about what Christians say.
‘Announcing Jesus Christ is not only about what we say. It is also about how we live. Our attitudes and actions must also communicate the Gospel.’
Uganda’s growing role
Uganda occupies an increasingly important place in the congregation.
The country has one of its largest provinces, with close to 200 Brothers, and has also become an important centre for religious formation.
Brothers from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan and other countries pass through formation structures in Uganda. The country hosts several stages of religious formation, including international communities where young Brothers prepare for religious life.
For Brother Zamor, this gives Uganda enormous potential.
‘This makes Uganda an important source of human resources for the future of the congregation. The congregation needs young Brothers who can continue its mission across the world, and Uganda has enormous potential.’
His dream is to see Ugandan Brothers eventually serve in Canada and other countries.
‘I hope that one day Ugandan Brothers will even go to Canada and other countries to offer what they have received. When you receive a gift, there comes a time when you must share it.’
‘That is my dream.’
From receiving missionaries to sending them
Uganda, Brother Zamor says, is already beginning to embrace this missionary responsibility.
Ugandan Brothers have served beyond the country’s borders, including in other African countries and the US, while more are being prepared to work in other parts of the world.
For Zamor, this is more than an expansion of the congregation’s work. It goes to the heart of its identity.
‘Being missionary is part of our identity.’
He points to the congregation’s history, noting that only 18 years after it was founded, its founders began sending Brothers beyond their homeland, including Senegal.
‘Missionary work is therefore not something secondary to our identity. It is essential. If we lose the missionary spirit, we lose something fundamental about who we are.’
His message to Uganda is therefore straightforward: ‘I encourage Uganda not only to receive missionaries but also to send them.’
Keeping pace with a changing world
Young people today live in a very different world from that of the first missionaries.
Technology, social media, changing family structures and economic pressures have transformed the environment in which young people grow up.
But Brother Zamor says educators cannot afford to ignore these changes.
‘We are educators, and educators must understand the world in which young people live. We cannot ignore social media.’
The congregation is responding by encouraging Brothers to study technology and social media, which can be used for education and evangelisation.
‘Like any tool, social media can be used for good or for bad. If used badly, it can destroy. But if used well, it can educate and connect people.’
Some Brothers are already using platforms such as Instagram to reach thousands of people with messages of faith and hope. In some countries, social media is also being used to promote religious vocations.
Education itself is changing, too. Online learning now allows people to obtain qualifications without necessarily travelling across the world.
‘As educators, we must remain aware of these changes and use them positively.’
What must never be lost?
Even as the congregation adapts to a changing world, Brother Zamor says some values must remain at its centre.
First, the Brothers must remain Brothers.
‘Living together as Brothers from different families, cultures and backgrounds is itself a witness to society. In a divided world, community life has a powerful message.’
Second, they must remain people who live for God.
‘Prayer must remain at the heart of our lives.’
Third, they must continue caring for the poorest.
Many of the congregation’s schools were founded to serve children with limited opportunities, and Brother Zamor believes this concern for the poor must never disappear.
Finally, the missionary spirit must remain alive.
‘We must always remain ready to go beyond ourselves and beyond familiar places.’
Unfinished work in Uganda
Although Zamor describes the Brothers’ presence in Uganda as strong and successful, he also sees unfinished work.
The Brothers are concentrated mainly in central Uganda and other areas where the congregation has traditionally been active.
He would like to see the mission expand further, particularly into northern Uganda, where many children and young people may be waiting for greater opportunities.
‘Perhaps this could be one of the next frontiers of the congregation’s mission in Uganda.’
Legacy of quality education
Quality education is one of the congregation’s greatest legacies, Zamor says.
Whether he visits Haiti, Japan, the United States, South America or countries in Africa, he hears similar appreciation from parents who believe the Brothers provide quality education.
‘This is a legacy we must preserve.’
He stresses, however, that the goal is not to claim superiority over others.
‘It is about offering young people the best possible preparation for the future. Without education, there is no future for a country.’
Education, he adds, is equally important to the future of the Church.
A mission for Uganda’s second century
Looking ahead, Zamor wants the Brothers in Uganda to become even more missionary.
‘Uganda has great potential.’
But potential, he argues, must be accompanied by action.
‘It is not enough simply to remain comfortable where we are. We must be ready to go to the peripheries and beyond the country’s borders.’
He hopes Uganda will continue considering new missions, including in countries where the congregation is not yet present.
‘Opening a new mission brings new life to a congregation.’
He asks Ugandans to imagine what the country’s history might have looked like if Canadian Brothers had never opened a mission in Uganda.
‘We must therefore continue developing the missionary spirit.’
His conclusion is simple and emphatic: ‘Mission must continue.’
Looking ahead 100 years
When Zamor imagines the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Uganda a century from now, his vision extends beyond successful schools and academic achievement.
He hopes the schools will have formed generations of people with different abilities and talents who contribute positively to society.
But he also wants them to produce people of faith and strong character.
‘I also hope that our schools will have helped form holy people; men and women who have encountered God and who live according to strong values.’
He dreams that former students could one day be recognised for lives of extraordinary holiness and service.
That dream, he says, is not only for Uganda but for the entire congregation.
‘If our schools continue helping young people encounter Jesus Christ, then the mission we are celebrating today will have achieved something far greater than simply building institutions.’
‘It will have helped transform lives.’