Priests Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus Of Bétharram (PRETI DEL SACRO CUORE DI GESÙ DI BÉTHARRAM)

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS OF BÉTHARRAM. - A religious congregation founded by St. Michele Garicoits in 1832 at Bétharram for the education of youth in schools and colleges, for preaching among the people, and for missions among the infidels.

Its expansion was rapid, and in 1856 the founder sent the first religious to Argentina to assist the Basques and Béarnais who had emigrated there. Having overcome serious conflicts with the bishop of Bayonne, who wished the new Congregation to be diocesan, the Priests of the Sacred Heart soon spread also to Italy, England and Brazil, Spain, Morocco, Palestine, and the Indies. In 1872 they were approved by the Holy See.

Today the Congregation has 800 members divided into 5 religious provinces. The Superior General and his council reside at Bétharram (France).

BIBL.: B. Bourdenne, Vie du b. Michel Garicoits, Paris 1918; Italian trans., Acquapendente 1922; G. Bernoville, Vie du b. Michel Garicoits, Paris 1936; Fr. Veuillot, L'Institut des Prêtres du S. Coeur de Bétharram, ibid. 1942; D. Busy, Le bon père Garicoits, ibid. 1947; P. Duvignau, La doctrine spirituelle de st M. Garicoits, ibid. 1949.