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Bicentenary Celebrations
St Columba’s College has been under the care of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic religious community for men who take vows as Brothers, since 1955.
On 30 September 2021, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart celebrated the 200th anniversary of its founding. On that date in 1821, Father André Coindre received the professions of vows by ten men in Lyon, France, establishing a religious community that is now a worldwide institute with more than 1,000 Brothers in 33 countries. Father Coindre had envisioned a community of Brothers trained to work with the poor through the establishment of schools; in 1821 that dream became a reality with the formation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. After Father Coindre’s death in 1826 and at the end of Father Francis Coindre’s administration, Brother Polycarp, our first Brother Superior General, assumed leadership of the struggling community. His tenure was marked by a period of tremendous growth. By the time of his death in 1859, the Institute had grown to more than 400 Brothers in 70 schools. In January of 1847 at the request of Bishop Portier, five missionary Brothers of the Sacred Heart arrived in Mobile, Alabama to begin charitable and educational work. With a presence in the United States, the congregation began its transformation into a worldwide institute, spreading throughout North America in the South, New York and New England areas and into Canada. Today, as well as St Columba’s College, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart of the United States Province sponsor or work in ten schools in the United States, one school and college in the Philippines, and two missions – one on the Navajo Nation in Klagetoh, Arizona and the other in Amatongas, Mozambique. Various events are planned throughout the autumn of 2021 for honouring this 200th anniversary on the campus of each of the Brothers’ schools. These included a Eucharistic liturgy which was celebrated by the local Bishop on Foundation Day, 30 September. There will also be a ‘Soirée Bicentenaire’ honouring the French heritage of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, during which members of the global community can come together in celebration online. Because of COVID-related restrictions in the actual anniversary year, the United States Province of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart will be celebrating the Bicentennial with a two-day programme held in late July 2022 on the campus of Saint Stanislaus College in Bay St Louis, Mississippi.
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