From Pentecost onwards we see St John working with the other apostles to proclaim the risen Christ. His apostolic life took on many different forms, each adapted to the needs of his contemporaries: he proclaimed Jesus to the Jews and to the pagans; he drew close to the suffering churches when he wrote the Apocalypse; he exhorted the new generation of Christians to charity in his First Letter, and in his Gospel he proclaimed the salvation offered by the Lord to everyone. Our apostolic life is inspired by his example.

Responding to the call of local bishops, we seek to meet the needs of the men and women of today

Our priories are founded at the request of local bishops, and our ministry takes on a variety of forms depending on the needs of specific dioceses and their members. In Yaoundé, Cameroon, for example, the brothers run a school; in Pellevoisin, France, the brothers look after drug addicts; in London, England, the brothers have a parish; in Tainan, Taiwan, the brothers are responsible for a university chaplaincy; in Laredo (Texas), USA, the brothers run a centre for spiritual retreats, etc.

A variety of talents at the service of a variety of missions

The variety of our missions is a reflection of the diversity among our brothers: each brother is a missionary according to his own specific talents and creativity. We do, however, give special attention to young people and to families.

A missionary challenge: to nourish the search for truth present in each person

The men and women we meet aspire, each in their own way, to a deeper knowledge of man and of God. Moved by this desire for truth, we wish to help people along the paths that lead to it. That is why we promote, according to our means, a human (philosophical) reflection aimed at reaching every person in search for meaning and truth. In the majority of our priories, philosophical teaching is given in various forms within the setting of what we call the ‘School of Saint John’. We are also keen to encourage and to further people’s theological understanding of the faith, especially through a deeper reading of the Bible that is more fully alive.