MISSIONARIES OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES. - The Congregation was founded on 24 October 1838 at Annecy, near the tomb of the Saint, under whose patronage it was placed, by Fr. Pietro Mermier, of Chaumont (Haute-Savoie). It brings together priests and lay brothers and has as its purpose parish missions, the education of youth, and the conversion of unbelievers and heretics.
It received the decree of praise on 2 June 1843 and was officially recognized by the Holy See on 19 May 1860. In 1845 the Congregation of Propaganda entrusted to it a vast territory of Hindustan, which was later organized into the dioceses of Vizagapatam and Nagpur, with 25 million inhabitants. In these two dioceses the M. di s. F. di 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 presently 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 S. Paolo and one in the diocese of Lages. In 1948 they established themselves in Algeria, in the diocese of Costantina.
They presently have 6 houses in France and 4 in Switzerland. The scholastics and novitiates of the Congregation are located at Friburgo in Switzerland, Birmingham in England, and Rachol (Goa) in India.
In 1951 the Congregation numbered 275 missionaries, of whom 175 were priests, 43 scholastics, 77 lay brothers, and 10 novices.