SCHEPPERS, CORNELIUS VICTOR. – Founder of the Brothers and Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, born in Mechelen on 25 April 1802, died there on 7 March 1877.
Ordained a priest in 1832, his pastoral work among young people opened his mind and heart to the two foundations he wished to undertake for their salvation. In 1839 he began with the Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy, with the aim of engaging in all works of charity, with particular regard for prisoners and the mentally ill. Indeed, alongside the schools opened in Mechelen for poor children, he soon added the care of prisons and penitentiaries (Vilvoorde, Aalst, Ghent, Namur, etc.). Cardinal Pecci, the future Leo XIII, called the Brothers to Perugia, and Cardinal Manning to London. In Rome they were called in 1854 by Pius IX, who entrusted them with the direction of the reformatory of St Sabina, to which other houses were soon added. In 1854 Scheppers founded the parallel branch of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, who care for young girls, with schools, homes for the elderly, and workshops.