The Congregation of the Holy Spirit and Immaculate Heart of Mary (known more simply as the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, or in Latin, Congregatio Sancti Spiriti (CSSp) is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests. The congregation is known as the Spiritans on Continental Europe, and as the Holy Ghost Fathers in English-speaking countries. A Spiritan priest or brother has the letters 'CSSp' after his name.

History

The Spiritans were founded in Paris in 1703 by a wealthy young Breton lawyer, Claude Poullart des Places , from Brittany. Having opted for the priesthood himself, he wanted to form a religious order for young men who had a vocation to become priests but were too poor to do so. The community was formed in dedication to the Holy Spirit to minister to the poor and to provide chaplains in hospitals, prisons, and schools. The congregation soon developed a missionary side - some volunteered for service in the Far East and North America - and by 1765 the Holy See was entrusting it with direct care of African missionary territories like French Guyana. 1,300 priests had been trained in the years leading up to 1792, when the actions of the seminary was supressed by the French Revolution.

The congregation in Europe declined greatly in numbers until 1802, when the Napoleonic government allowed the seminary to reopen and the congregation was asked to focus on supplying priests for work in the French colonies in Africa, the West Indies and the Indian subcontinent.

In 1848 the Spiritans were joined by a convert Jew, Fr Francis Libermann , who had launched a society dedicated to the Virgin Mary to cater mainly for the emancipated black slaves in the French colonies. Fr. Libermann was elected superior of the congregation.

The Holy Ghost Fathers are active now in about forty-seven countries worldwide; they are often associated with schools and chaplaincy, and also with missionary work.

The Holy Ghost Fathers now run two schools: Duquesne University and Holy Ghost Preparatory School .

External links

• Website of the French province