MISSIONARIES OF THE HOLY FAMILY. - Religious congregation founded in 1895 by Fr. G. B. Berthier at Grave, near Bois-le-Duc in Holland. The purpose of the Institute is to foster ecclesiastical vocations that could not otherwise be realized because of the poverty or the age of the subjects, and to multiply to this end, in the countries where such vocations flourish, houses to prepare the greatest possible number of priests to be sent to mission lands. The Institute developed successfully and at the death of its founder, in 1908, numbered 25 priests with 183 students.In 1911 the decree of praise was granted and in 1939 the definitive approval.

The first m. set out for Brazil, then for Argentina, for Chile, for Borneo, Java and northern Norway. In the latter country an apostolic prefecture has been entrusted to them. Today the Congregation numbers 978 professed members and about a thousand between scholastics and novices.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: J. M. de Lombaerde, La vie et l'esprit du t. r. p. J. Berthier, Grave 1910; P. J. Ramers, Bonus miles Christi Iesu, Betzdorf 1931; id., Mens divinior. Principes de pédagogie missionnaire pour les Miss. de la S. Famille, ivi 1930.

Silverio Mattei

@incollection{ec8_missionari_della_santa_famigli, author = {Mattei, Silverio}, title = {Missionari della Santa Famiglia}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {1094}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/missionari-della-santa-famiglia} }

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Missionaries of the Holy Family

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