XAVERIUSVEREIN. - The first alms for the work of the Propagation of the Faith, founded in 1822 in Lyon, were collected in Germany from 1827. The physician Heinrich Hahn of Aachen worked for the introduction of the work in Germany. In 1837 he obtained approval for a Confraternity of St. Francis Xavier, later transformed in 1842, with ecclesiastical and state license, into the "Franziskus-X.", an association of prayer and aid on behalf of the missions.

Hahn remained until his death, in 1882, secretary and agent of the association. From Aachen the X. soon spread to various dioceses of Germany and finally to all of them, with the exception of the Bavarian dioceses (v. LUDWIGS MISSIONSVEREIN). In 1917 there was a new organization through the enlargement of the administrative council, changed into a general presidency with 12 priests and laymen as members, and with the creation of a general secretariat, the institution of diocesan counselors, and propaganda activity especially by means of the magazine Weltmission der katholischen Kirche. In 1922 the X. was incorporated into the Pontifical Work of the Propagation of the Faith, transferred from France to Rome. The center of the X. is also that of the Missionary Union of the Clergy and of the Work of St. Peter the Apostle; a Missionary Museum was also created at it.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: B. Arens, Die kath. Missionsvereine, Freiburg 1922, pp. 174-81; F. Baeumker, Dr. med. Heinrich Hahn, ein Apostel im Laienkleide 1800-82, Aachen 1930.

Giovanni Rommerskirchen

@incollection{ec12_xaveriusverein, author = {Rommerskirchen, Giovanni}, title = {Xaveriusverein}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1725}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/xaveriusverein} }

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