BROTHERS OF OUR LADY MOTHER OF MERCY. - Institute founded in 1884 at Tilburg, in Holland, by the local parish priest John Zwijsen, later archbishop of Utrecht, for the Christian education and instruction of male youth; the same Zwijsen had already founded another institute of sisters for female youth. Cofounder and first superior general was John Anthony De Beer, who governed the Institute for over 50 years and brought it to great development.

The Institute, at first composed predominantly of lay Brothers and of a few priests, in 1916 excluded priests because of organizational difficulties. Its spread was rapid, and today there are 39 houses, of which 28 are in Holland, 3 in Belgium and in Indonesia, with 110 schools attended annually by more than 33,000 pupils. The religious also devote themselves to works of charity in orphanages, nurseries, and nursing homes, and they print L'Angelo Custode, which has been in existence for 64 years. Among the former pupils there is also a Union of prayers for the separated brethren, which carried out notable action for the defense of Catholic principles and for the conversion of heretics.

Bibliography

BIBL.: Arch. della S. Congr. dei Relig.

Silverio Mattei

@incollection{ec5_fratelli_di_nostra_signora_mad, author = {Mattei, Silverio}, title = {Fratelli di Nostra Signora Madre della Misericordia}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {1715--1716}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/fratelli-di-nostra-signora-madre-della-misericordia} }

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Brothers of Our Lady Mother of Mercy

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