lay brother

noun

1. a man who has taken religious vows and habit but is employed by his order chiefly in manual labor.

lay brother

noun

1. a man who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and not bound to divine office

Word History and Origins

Origin of lay brother¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Della Porta was also a lay brother of the Society of Jesus: this seems to have been part of his efforts to prove his religious orthodoxy after his trial for heresy; so he may have had other ways of gaining access to Jesuit philosophy.

From Literature

It wasn’t clear how Burke had learned of the case, though Varela said that he once told lay brother Desmond Finnegan, who counseled him to remain quiet about the incident and pray for the elderly chaplain.

From Seattle Times

The Champagnat school founded by the Marist Brothers in downtown Buenos Aires recently reported that a lay brother allegedly abused a former student 38 years ago.

From Seattle Times

“The most vulnerable are always an easy target, even if they are under our sanctuary,” said Jun Santiago, a lay brother of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and a member of Rise Up.

From New York Times

Rosenberg said one of her heroes in life is St. Martin de Porres, a lay brother who lived the 1500s in Peru and cared for the poor and took in all kinds of old and disabled animals, often beyond his own limits.

From Washington Times