Institute of the Missionary Brothers of Saint Francis of Assisi

FRATELLI MISSIONARI DI SAN FRANCESCO D'ASSISI, ISTITUTO dei. - It began in 1896 through the work of a certain Paolo Moritz, a converted Jew from Danzig, together with other confreres already belonging to a self-styled Congregation of the Immaculate Conception for the conversion of India, founded in Cologne in 1892 by Antonio M. Bodewig, a former Jesuit and parish priest of Bona, then transferred to Malines, whence in 1895 some twenty lay missionaries set out for the diocese of Lahore.

In 1901 it was canonically erected by the bishop of Nagpur (India), who approved its constitutions in 1909. On 20 May 1906 it was aggregated to the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. In 1908 the general house was transferred from Kandwa, diocese of Nagpur, to Mount Poinsur, now diocese of Bombay. It received a first approval from Propaganda on 8 Jan. 1921, which by rescript of 27 Apr. 1927 placed it under its dependence. On 29 June 1931 the constitutions were approved ad septennium. After the house of aspirants or postulancy of Pietersborough, diocese of Northampton (England), already founded in 1907, had closed after a few years of struggling existence, another was opened at Como and then transferred to Maslianico, where the representative of the superior general resides.

The purpose of the Institute is the propagation of the Faith, especially in India.

In 1949 the brothers were working in 24 dioceses and numbered 100 in all, of whom 90 were professed and 10 novices. Savrini Parenti