English

Noun

lay brother ‎(plural lay brothers or lay brethren)

1. (Christianity) A layman who is a member of a brotherhood without the intention to become a priest.

   In feudal days lay brothers were usually uneducated commoners, who did most menial, manual labor while the learned priestly monks held the more spiritual jobs

   • WHY A LAY BROTHER?, Franciscan Friars

     The male branch of the Franciscan family, a community of Lesser Brothers, is made up of men who are both clergy and consecrated laity traditionally called "lay brothers".'

Related terms

• brotherly
• laicity

Translations