Enciclopedia Cattolica

PRETI DEL SACRO CUORE DI GESÙ DI BËTHARRAM

Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram

Volume IX · p. 1184 · 1952

English translation · Testo originale italiano

Image from page 1184
Image from page 1184

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

PREISTS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS OF BËTHARRAM. – A religious congregation founded by St. Michael Garicoits in 1832 at Bëtharram for the education of youth in schools and colleges, for preaching to the people, and for missions among the infidels.

Its spread was rapid, and in 1856 the founder sent the first religious to Argentina to assist the Basques and Béarnais who had emigrated there. After overcoming strong 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, as well as to Spain, Morocco, Palestine, and India. In 1872 they were approved by the Holy See.

Today the congregation numbers 800 members divided into five religious provinces. The Superior General, with his council, resides at Bëtharram (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 Bëtharram, ibid. 1942; D. Buzy, Le bon père Garicoits, ibid. 1947; P. Duvignau, La doctrine spirituelle de St. M. Garicoits, ibid. 1949.