MISSIONARIES OF ST CHARLES (SCALABRINIANS). - The Pious Society of the M. of St C. originated in Piacenza on 28 Nov. 1887, the day on which the first two missionaries, Fr Domenico Mantese and Fr Giuseppe Molinari, made their profession in the hands of the founder, Bp G. B. Scalabrini, bishop of Piacenza. The Constitutions were definitively approved and promulgated by decree of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation on 15 Aug. 1948. The particular aim of the Congregation is to maintain the bond of nationality in the hearts of
MISSIONARIES OF ST CHARLES - MISSIONARIES OF ST PAUL THE APOSTLE 1100
emigrants and to assist them spiritually and materially.
The Missionaries of St Francis of Sales (M. di s. F. di S.) were founded in Annecy on 29 Dec. 1838 by Bp. Pierre-Marie Mermier. The first missionaries left for India in 1845, where Bp. Mermier entrusted to them a vast territory of the Indies, which was later organised into the dioceses of Vizagapatam and Nagpur, with 25 million inhabitants. In these two dioceses the M. of St F. of S. possess two flourishing colleges, two industrial schools and various elementary schools. In 1857 they established themselves in England, in the diocese of Clifton, where they currently have 5 parishes. Later they opened houses in the archdiocese of Westminster and in the dioceses of Birmingham, Northampton and Plymouth. In 1926 they arrived in Brazil, where they opened two houses in the archdiocese of São Paulo and one in the diocese of Lages. In 1948 they established themselves in Algeria, in the diocese of Constantine.
At present they have 6 houses in France and 4 in Switzerland. The scholastics and novitiates of the Congregation are located in Fribourg in Switzerland, in Birmingham in England and at Rachol (Goa) in the Indies.
In 1951 the Congregation numbered 275 missionaries, of whom 175 priests, 43 scholastics, 77 lay brothers and 10 novices.