diff --git a/brahmap/__init__.py b/brahmap/__init__.py
index 399cb2e..31b116b 100644
--- a/brahmap/__init__.py
+++ b/brahmap/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
 from . import interfaces, utilities, linop, mapmakers, _extensions
 
-__all__ = ["interfaces", "utilities", "linop", "mapmakers", "_extensions"]
+from .utilities import Initialize
+
+bMPI = None
+
+__all__ = [
+    "interfaces",
+    "utilities",
+    "linop",
+    "mapmakers",
+    "_extensions",
+    "Initialize",
+]
diff --git a/brahmap/utilities/__init__.py b/brahmap/utilities/__init__.py
index 5f9e1ea..3aa7ddb 100644
--- a/brahmap/utilities/__init__.py
+++ b/brahmap/utilities/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 from .process_time_samples import ProcessTimeSamples, SolverType
 
+from .mpi import Initialize
+
 __all__ = [
     "is_sorted",
     "bash_colors",
@@ -38,4 +40,5 @@
     "ProcessTimeSamples",
     "SolverType",
     "TypeChangeWarning",
+    "Initialize",
 ]
diff --git a/brahmap/utilities/mpi.py b/brahmap/utilities/mpi.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a87955
--- /dev/null
+++ b/brahmap/utilities/mpi.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import os
+import brahmap
+
+import mpi4py
+
+mpi4py.rc.initialize = False
+mpi4py.rc.finalize = False
+
+from mpi4py import MPI  # noqa: E402
+
+if MPI.Is_initialized() is False:
+    MPI.Init_thread(required=MPI.THREAD_FUNNELED)
+
+
+def Initialize(communicator=None, raise_exception_per_process: bool = True):
+    if brahmap.bMPI is None:
+        brahmap.bMPI = _MPI(
+            comm=communicator, raise_exception_per_process=raise_exception_per_process
+        )
+
+
+class _MPI(object):
+    def __init__(self, comm, raise_exception_per_process: bool) -> None:
+        if comm is None:
+            self.comm = MPI.COMM_WORLD
+        else:
+            self.comm = comm
+        self.size = self.comm.size
+        self.rank = self.comm.rank
+        self.raise_exception_per_process = raise_exception_per_process
+
+        if "OMP_NUM_THREADS" in os.environ:
+            self.nthreads_per_process = os.environ.get("OMP_NUM_THREADS")
+        else:
+            self.nthreads_per_process = 1
+
+
+def MPI_RAISE_EXCEPTION(
+    condition,
+    exception,
+    message,
+):
+    """Will raise `exception` with `message` if the `condition` is false.
+
+    Args:
+        condition (_type_): The condition to be evaluated
+        exception (_type_): The exception to throw
+        message (_type_): The message to pass to the `Exception`
+
+    Raises:
+        exception: _description_
+        exception: _description_
+    """
+
+    if brahmap.bMPI.raise_exception_per_process:
+        if condition is False:
+            error_str = f"Exception raised by MPI rank {brahmap.bMPI.rank}\n"
+            raise exception(error_str + message)
+    else:
+        exception_count = brahmap.bMPI.comm.reduce(condition, MPI.SUM, 0)
+
+        if brahmap.bMPI.rank == 0:
+            error_str = f"Exception raised by {brahmap.bMPI.comm.size - exception_count} MPI process(es)\n"
+            raise exception(error_str + message)