FRATELLI DI NOSTRA SIGNORA MADRE DELLA MISERICORDIA. - Institute founded in 1884 at Tilbourg, in Holland, by the local parish priest Giovanni Zwijsen, later archbishop of Utrecht, for the Christian education and instruction of male youth; Zwijsen himself had already founded another institute of sisters for female youth. Co-founder and first superior general was Giovanni Antonio De Beer, who governed the Institute for more than 50 years and brought it to great development.
The Institute, at first composed chiefly of lay Brothers and a few priests, excluded priests in 1916 because of organizational difficulties. Its expansion was rapid, and today it has 39 houses, 28 of them in Holland, 3 in Belgium and Indonesia, with 110 schools annually attended by more than 33,000 pupils. The religious also devote themselves to works of charity in orphanages, kindergartens, and nursing homes, and publish L'Angelo Custode, which has existed for 64 years. Among the former pupils there is also a Union of prayers for the separated brethren, which has carried out notable work in defence of Catholic principles and for the conversion of heretics.