Brother Bruno Clifton is 27 years old and is a member of the Order of Friar Preachers, a religious order of the Catholic church. He is currently studying to be a priest.

Whilst at Durham university, he felt frustrated at not being able to adequately explain his faith to his friends. To help, he read a book written by a Dominican friar that set out the basics of the Catholic faith, and it was this that led him enquiring more about the order.

In the meantime, he went on to gain a masters degree in composition at the Northern Royal College of Music, and one of his works was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of a concert of music by young composers.

The Entrance to Black Friars

Despite being offered some composition work when his masters ended, Bruno decided to join the Order of Friar Preachers. However, he was advised to first of all take a gap year and ‘see a bit of the world'. So he worked for six months and then with the money saved, went travelling and walked the Appalachian Trail.

On his return he entered the Dominican Novitiate and has temporarily been accepted by professing vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In a few months time he has to decide if he is going to renew those vows for life.

Bruno said, "There isn't a get out clause within the church. Once you've said until death, you've said until death. But nobody can stop you leaving, if you like, a number do."

"I don't know if I'll regret it. I don't think I would, because for me, very much, the most difficult vow I found was obedience. And chastity, just seems to me something I've always done any way… you join an order for some reasons, you stay for other reasons"

Combining his time between studying and his calling, Bruno still manages to find time for his music composing and playing the organ for his local parish church on Sundays. In the future he hopes to become a priest and a lecturer or university chaplain.

• Bruno joined the order when he was 24 years old.
• Before joining he gained a masters degree in composition at the Northern Royal College of Music.
• He goes to the pub with the other friars on Saturday nights and his favourite drink is Guinness.
• He likes to read Terry Pratchett and horror novels.
• In the future he is hoping to be a priest and would like to be a lecturer or university chaplain.
• He finds the vow of obedience harder than poverty or chastity.

Blackfriars facts

• Members of the Order are either called ‘Dominicans’ after their founder, or ‘friars’, which comes from the French frère and Latin frater, meaning ‘brother’. They are called Blackfriars after the cappa, black cloak, that they wear when they go out.
• Friars are not monks. Monks live a contemplative life of prayer in enclosed monasteries isolated from the world. Friars, on the other hand, live in communities often called ‘priories’ and they work in the world.

History Facts:

• Founded in 1216 the Dominican family is a collection of people who live according to the spirituality and mission of St Dominic.
• In 1221 they decided to come to England and founded a priory in Oxford.
• It was felt Oxford would be an ideal site due to its climate for study and potential for new recruits.
• They built their priory east of St. Aldates between the Town Hall and Christ Church.
• The friars had a good relationship with the monarchy up until Henry 8th who began the destruction of the monasteries, tearing down the priories and using the stones to build a wall that separates Trinity college gardens from St Johns in Oxford.
• An American Widow funded the building of the third priory in 1921 which still stands today in St Giles.

More about the history of Black Friars>>

Day in the life with Bruno Clifton>>

Links
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