DAME DI NAZARETH. – A women’s religious institute founded at Montléan in 1821 by Duchess B. A. de la Rochefoucauld-Doudeauville for the religious education and instruction of young people, which acquired its definitive form and substance through the work of Elisa Rollat. Approved in 1835 by the bishop of Châlons, it was definitively confirmed by the Holy See in 1896.
At present it has 51 houses with 350 religious.
BIBL.: Archive of the S. Congr. dei Religiosi; Anon., Notice de la Société religieuse des Dames de Nazareth, Anas 1861; M. Heimbucher, Die Orden und Kongregationen der katholischen Kirche, II, 3rd ed., Paderborn 1933, p. 518. Giulio Mandelli