BROTHERS OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER. - Religious congregation founded in Bruges in 1839 by Theodore Rijken (1797-1871), for the instruction and Christian formation of youth, especially in America.

The beginnings were very difficult, but, thanks to the tenacity of the founder and his first disciples, some schools were able to be opened in Bruges, with good results. In 1848 the Institute transplanted itself to England, and in 1855 to Louisville in the United States. By now the way was cleared, and developments were rapid. Approved by the Holy See on 12 Feb. 1931, today the Congregation has a dozen houses in Belgium, as many in England, about thirty in America and flourishing missions in the Belgian Congo and in Uganda, with 800 religious.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: Fr. Gaëtan, Fragments de l'histoire des Frères Xavériens, Bruges 1911; Fr. Julian, Men and Death. The Xavierian Brothers in America, New York 1930; Souvenir of the first centenary of the Xavierian Brothers. London 1930; The Xavierian, centennial number, Baltimore 1939.

Silverio Mattei

@incollection{ec5_fratelli_di_san_francesco_save, author = {Mattei, Silverio}, title = {Fratelli di San Francesco Saverio}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {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-san-francesco-saverio} }

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Brothers of Saint Francis Xavier

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