Witnesses of the Faith | March 2025

Inside the Life of the Coadjutor Brothers of Miles Christi
Testimony from Br. Francis Conte-Grand

This is Br. Francis Conte-Grand and I wanted to take a few moments to share with you about the life of the Coadjutor Brothers in Miles Christi.

What is a Coadjutor Brother, and what does he do? The term “Brother Coadjutor” might sound a bit unusual—it’s a word with Latin roots, meaning “helper.” Essentially, we are brothers who assist the other members of our Religious Institute in their apostolates, particularly the priests. We support the priests in their mission and in various aspects of religious life, sharing the same charism and apostolic work. Since we are not clerics—meaning we are not ordained priests—we cannot perform priestly duties like celebrating Holy Mass or hearing confessions, just as a layperson cannot. However, we help the priests so they can carry out their work, and in doing so, we participate in the mission they fulfill.

It’s a beautiful and profound vocation that God has called us to, and because of this, we find great joy in it and love to share it with others. It’s a specific calling from God, and like everything He does, it’s what’s best for us—it’s the way He has chosen for us to serve Him. For us, as for everyone in whatever state God calls them to, this path is the greatest way to give glory to God and the only way to find true happiness.

It’s worth mentioning this from time to time because it can sometimes seem that those without a seemingly “important” role aren’t called to something extraordinary. Yet, we are all called to holiness, no matter our state in life. The key is to seek, discover, and follow what God desires for each of us.

So, what does a Coadjutor Brother do? In Miles Christi, an apostolic militia, the opportunities for a brother to contribute are vast and varied. He might assist in preparing and coordinating retreats, handling office tasks, maintaining the house, providing technical or computer support for the apostolates, working in construction, leading Bible groups, organizing summer camps or youth groups—some brothers even work with metal, among other things.

I consecrated myself to God, choosing to give myself to Him, to offer back a small portion of the infinite love He has for us. When I made that decision, I didn’t know all the details of what He would ask of me or how He would want me to serve Him. But over time, I began to wonder if God might be calling me to be a Brother.

There’s something vital for everyone to do: discern what God wants for them, whatever it may be, by listening to His voice. God is a loving Father who cares for us infinitely and desires only that we follow His most holy will. If He wants us to do His will, He will reveal it to us. Since God wishes to show me His will, we must make every effort to hear it—and once we hear and understand it, we must follow it. It would be a grave disrespect to so good a Father to know what He wants and ignore it. Beyond that, it would be sheer foolishness, because with His infinite love for us, He desires nothing but our greatest good.