The Brooklyn Oratory of St. Philip Neri

The Congregation of the Oratory is a group of priests and lay brothers living a common life without vows. We are committed to the same community for our lives and value stability in our work. 

The first Oratory was founded by St Philip Neri in Rome in the sixteenth century.  The Brooklyn Oratory was established February 11, 1989.  The ideal of St Philip, after which the members of the Oratory strive, is one of community life and priestly service lived in a spirit of prayer, and where obedience is offered out of fraternal love, and not any external compulsion.  The Oratorian vocation allows for a degree of flexibility in pastoral work, provided that it is not incompatible with the demands of the duties of the Congregation.  Internationally, Oratorians are involved in ministries as diverse as school, hospital, prison and university chaplaincies, teaching, and work in Rome, as well as the more traditional parish ministries.

The priests and brothers of the Brooklyn Oratory provide the care of two parishes, St. Boniface in downtown Brooklyn and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO.  Our work as a congregation is to support the spiritual journey of the laity who participate in our communities and to be a leaven in the local Church.  We strive for creativity, excellence and diversity in our work and ministries and value these in our work in the Church.  

The St. Boniface website provide a sense of our pastoral 

http://oratory-church.org/