DESHAYES, GABRIEL. - Priest, born at Beignon (Morbihan) on 2 Dec. 1767, died at St-Laurent-sur-Sèvre on 28 Dec. 1841. From 1821 superior general of the Priests Missionaries of the Company of Mary and of the Daughters of Wisdom.
D. founded at Auray (1816) a male congregation for the Christian instruction of youth, and united it in 1817 with that founded by the Servant of God J.-M. de la Mennais at St-Briceu (1817). In 1821 the Congregation was divided into two branches: the Brothers of Ploërmel and the Brothers of Christian Instruction of the Holy Spirit, with headquarters at St-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, who later took from their founder the name of Brothers of St. Gabriel. D. also founded at Auray the Sisters of Christian Instruction of St. Gilda (1807), and finally (1839) the Farmers Brothers of St. Francis and the Sisters of the Guardian Angel.
He was a zealous and pious missionary and rendered great service especially for the care of the deaf-mute (and blind deaf-mute), for whom he opened eight institutes, entrusting them to the Daughters of Wisdom and the Brothers of St. Gabriel.