FRATELLI DELLA ISTRUZIONE CRISTIANA DI SAN GABRIELE. – Religious institute founded in 1816 DESHAYES, GABRIEL (v.) for rural schools, in the spirit of s. G. B. de La Salle. When Deshayes was elected superior general of the Company of Mary, he transferred a large number of the F. to St Laurent-sur-Sèvres, initially placing them in the mother house of the Company itself, known as the Holy Spirit; hence the F. were called Brothers of Christian Instruction of the Holy Spirit. In 1835 they acquired their own house, known as that of St Gabriel. Subsequently the entire Institute adopted this designation.
Deshayes also gave them their Rules. The Institute soon extended beyond the borders of France and spread throughout Europe and the overseas countries (Canada, 1888; from 1900: Siam, Madagascar, India, Gabon, etc.). It was definitively approved by the Holy See in 1923 and today comprises 5 provinces with 155 houses and more than 1,300 members. They are highly experienced educators of the deaf and mute.
Since 1888, the year of the beatification of Luigi
1707 FRAT. DELL'ISTR. CRIST. DI S. GABRIELE – FRAT. DELLA VITA COMUNE 1708
Maria Grignion di Montfort, founder of the Company of Mary, the F. of St Gabriel too have claimed that they were founded by him. The question was resolved negatively by decree of the S. Congregation of Rites dated 25 Apr. 1947 (AAS, 39 [1947], pp. 240–41). The biographies of Deshayes reflect the author’s point of view.