Brothers of Charity - History

History

The constitutions were approved and confirmed by Pope Leo XIII on 4 July 1899. The Flemish founder, the Very Rev. Peter Joseph Triest, canon of St. Bavon of Ghent, on account of his services in the cause of charity, was surnamed the Vincent de Paul of his native Belgium, and was three times decorated by royal hands with the highest civic orders of the land. After his death his countrymen erected a superb mausoleum to his honor in Brussels, the Belgian capital.

The special aim of this congregation is the sanctification of its members in the religious state by the exercise of works of charity, which in the spirit of its founder embrace every phase of moral and physical suffering and want. They consist in a special manner in tending the sick, in sheltering poor workmen, in the care of the aged and of the mentally ill persons, in instructing and bringing up orphan children and young people of every condition. The services rendered by the Brothers of Charity were appreciated by the people and Government of Belgium, and in a short time they had marvelously developed.

In 1906, in the mother province, they counted 42 communities in Belgium where about 1,000 brothers cared for about 6,000 mentally ill persons, hundreds of old and sick men and a large number of blind adults. In this same province they instructed and cared for more than 9,000 poor children, orphans, mentally challenged, deaf, dumb and blind. Here was also the normal school of the congregation affiliated with the Government, the graduates of which teach in the numerous boarding and model schools belonging to the religious institute.

So rapid an expansion early attracted the attention of foreign bishops. Calls for brothers came from every quarter. North America, England (1882), The Netherlands (1894), Ireland in turn became large and flourishing provinces. There were in the early 20th century three houses in England, one in Ireland and two in Holland. The American province was founded in 1865 with the arrival of five Belgian brothers in Montreal; the congregation was incorporated in 1869 under the title of "Brothers of Charity of Vincent de Paul of Montreal". The Brothers of Charity directed, among other establishments, the Montreal Reformatory School and Protectory in the city of Montreal with 30 religious, containing 265 inmates and 27 boarders; the S. Benoit-Joseph Labre Insane Asylum and S. Philippe de Neri Retreat at Longue-Pointe near Montreal with 25 religious, eight novices, seven postulants, 106 inmates; the Mont S. Bernard Commercial and Scientific College at Sorel, P.Q., with 16 religious and 160 students; the S. Frederic Academic School at Drummondville and the House of the Angel Guardian, orphanage and industrial institute, Boston, Massachusetts, with 25 religious and 317 pupils.

In 1911, the first mission into Central Africa (DRCongo) took place; thereafter, new houses were established in South Africa, Rwanda and Indonesia(1929), Burundi (1938), India (1936/1994), Peru (1962), Italy (1967), Japan and Papua New Guinea (1970), The Philippines (1981), Sri Lanka (1989), Pakistan (1990), Tanzania and Kivu (1994), Brazil (1997), Romania (1999), Kenya (2002), Vietnam (2004), etc.