INSTITUTE
58
INSTITUTE
tionscanonically recognized by the Church. The most All the schools were closed and the young Brothers
prominent of its superiors general in the eighteenth enrolled in the army of the Convention. At the peril
century was Brother Agathon. A religious of strong of their lives some of the older Brothers continued to
character, he maintained the faithful observance of the teach at Elbeuf, Condrieux, Castres, Laon, Valence,
rulesbytheBrothers;adistinguishededucator,hepub- and elsewhere, to save the faith of the children. The
lished the "Douze vertus d'un bon Maitre", in 17S5; Brothers of Italy had received some of their French
an eminent administrator, he created the first scholas- confreres at Rome, Ferrara, Orvieto, and Bolsena.
ticates, in 1781, and limited new foundations to what During this time, Brother Agathon, having left his
was indispensable, aiming rather, when the storm was prison, remained hidden at Tours, whence he strove
gathering on the horizon, to fortify an institute that to keep up the courage, confidence in God, and zeal of
had already become relatively widespread. The con- his dispersed religious. On 7 August, 1797, Pope Pius
gregation, however, was hardly known outside of VI appointed Brother Frumence vicar-general of the
France, except in Rome, 1700; Avignon, 1703; Fer- congregation. In 1798 the Italian Brothers were in
rara, 1741; Mareville, 1743; Lun^ville, 1749; and Mor- their turn driven from their houses by the armed
hange in Lorraine, 1761; Estavayer in Switzerland, forces of the Directory. The institute seemed ruined;
1750; Fort Royal, Martinique, 1777. it reckoned only twenty members wearing the religious
Whilst adhering to their methods of teaching during habit and exercising the functions of educators,
theeighteenthcentury, the Brothers knew how to vary Restoration of the Institute. 1802-1810.- — In
their application. The superiors
general insisted on having the
elementary schools gratuitous
and by far the more numerous.
In accordance with the course of
studies set down in the "Con-
duite des ecoles", the Brother.-^
applied themselves to teach very
thoroughly reading, writing, the
vernacular, and especially the
catechism. The boarding sehodi
of St- Yon at Rouen, established
in 1705 by St. John Baptist de
La Salle himself, served as a
model for like institutions: Mar-
seilles in 1730, Angers in 1741,
Reims in 1765, etc. It was
proper that in these houses the
course of studies should differ
in .some respects from that in
the free schools. With the ex-
ception of Latin, which re-
mained excluded, everything in
the course of studies of the best
schools of the time was taught:
mathematics, history, geog-
raphy, drawing, architecture,
etc. In the maritime cities,
such as Brest, Vannes, and Mar-
seilles, the Brothers taught more
advanced courses in mathemat-
ics and hydrography. Finally,
Joseph
Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools— 1884-97
July, ISOl, the First Consul
signed the concordat with Pius
VII. For the Church of France
this was the spring of a new era;
for the Institute of the Brothers
of the Christian Schools it was
a resurrection. If at the height
of the storm some Brothers con-
tinued to exercise their holy
functions, they were only ex-
ceptional cases. The first reg-
ular community reorganized at
Lyons in 1802; others in 1803,
at Paris, Valence, Reims, and
Soissons. Everywhere the
municipalities recalled the
Brothers and besought the sur-
vivors of the woeful period to
take up the schools again as
soon as possible. The Brothers
addressed themselves to Rome
and petitioned the Brother Vicar
to estalilish his abode in France.
Negotiations were begun, and
thanks to the intervention of his
uncle, Cardinal Fesch, Bona-
parte authorized the re-estab-
lishment of the institute, on 3
December, ISO:!, provided their
superior general «(iul(i reside in
France. In November, 1804,
the Brother Vicar arrived at
the institute accepted the direction of reformatory in- Lyons, and took up his residence in the former petit
stitutions at Rouen, Angers, and Mar^ville. It was colli-ge of the Jesuits. The institute began to live
this efflorescence of magnificent works that the French again.
Revolution all but destroyed forever. Nothing was more urgent than to reunite the for- The Brothers during the Revolution. — The raer members of the congregation. An appeal was revolutionary laws that doomed the monastic orders made to their faith and good will, and they responded, on 13 February, 1790, threatened the institute from 27 Shortly after the arrival of Brother Frumence at December, in the same year, by imposing on all teach- Lyons, the foundation of communities began. There ers the civic oath voted on 27 November. The storm were eight new ones in 1805, and as many in 1806, was imminent. Brother Agathon, the superior gen- four in 1807, and five in 1808. Brother Frumence eral endeavoured to establish communities in Belgium, dying in January, 1810, a general chapter, the tenth but could organize only one, at St-Huljert in 1791, only since the foundation, was assenililed at Lyons on 8 to be destroyed in 1792. The Brothers refused to take Septeml>er following, and elected Brother Gerbaud the oath, and were everywhere expelled. The insti- to the highest office in the institute. Brother Ger- tute was suppressed in 1792, after it had been decreed baud governed until 1822. His successors were that it "had deserved well of the country". The Brother Guillaume de J(sus (1822-30); Brother Ana- storm had broken upon the Brothers. They were clet (1830-38); Brother Philippe (1838-74); Brother arrested, and more than twenty were ca.st into prison. Jean-Olympe (1874-75); Brother Irlidc (1875-84);
Brother Salomon, secretary general, was massacred in
the Cannes (the Carnii'lite monastery of Paris);
Brollicr Ag.ithon spi-nt eighteen months in prison;
Brother Mdiiilciu- was guilloliited at Rennes in 1794;
Brother liai)liafl was put to death at Uzi'^s; Brother
Brother .Joseph (1884-97); and Brother Gabriel-
Marie elected in March, 1897. He is the thirteenth
successor of St. John Baptist de La Salle.
The Institute from 1810 to 1874. — After 1810 communities of the Brothers multiplied like the
Florence, forme rly ^iipiiior general, was imprisoned at flowers of the fields in spring-time after the frosts have
Avignon; eight Brothers were transported to the disappeared. Fifteen new schools were opened in
hulks of Rochefort, where four died of neglect and 1817, twenty-one in 1818, twenty-six in 1819, and
starvation in 1794 and 1795. twenty-seven in 1821. It was in this year that the
