A French institute.

The first steps towards the foundation of this society were taken in 1625 at Roy, Picardy, by Père Pierre Guérin, Françoise Unalet, and Marie Fannier to provide for the Christian education of girls. The members were not bound by vows. After a happy beginning the organization was almost wrecked by a series of civil misfortunes. A few years later, however, some of its adherents came in contact with Mme. Marie l'Huillier de Villeneuve, who became interested in their work and was encouraged to assist in it by St. Vincent de Paul . She established a house near Paris, in 1651, and with the approval of Archbishop Jean-François de Gondi of Paris, introduced the obligation of making vows. This innovation was opposed by the older houses, and led to the formation of two branches of the society, one secular, and the other religious; papal approbation was obtained for the latter in 1668. Both institutes spread rapidly throughout France, under diocesan control, and noteworthy constitutions were drawn up by Mgr. de Rochebonne, Bishop of Noyon, in 1728. During the French Revolution the sisters were utterly dispersed. A community was established again at St. Quentin on 23 March, 1828; it continued, however, to languish, till Mgr. Simony, Bishop of Soissons, reorganized the institute in 1837, basing his rules partly on those of St. Ignatius, and partly on the old regulations. These were approved by the Holy See on 15 April, 1847. Thereafter the organization spread widely and branches were established eventually at La Louviere, Belgium, and in England at Boscombe, Southsea, and Ryde.

The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.

Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.

No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.

Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912

Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online