Stigmatines

The Congregation of the Holy wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ (Latin Congregation a Sanctissimis Stigmatibus Domini Nostri Jesus Christ, even Stigmatiner, religious symbol CSS) is a Roman Catholic religious order. According to the provisions of canon law it is written as a priest, Congregation of Pontifical Right. It was founded on November 4, 1816 by St. Gaspar Bertoni in Verona (Italy). The " Decretum Laudis " was issued on 16 April 1855 its final approval was given the Community on 15 September 1890. The name is derived from the birthplace of the community, the church delle Stimmate de S. Francesco and the connected home, in the Bertoni and his companions lived and maintained a school for poor boys.

Gaspar Bertoni founded the Congregation in response to a vision before the image of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in which the latter had given him an appropriate job.

The first Constitutions of the Congregation were influenced by the written Constitutions of the Society of Jesus by Ignatius. In general, the spirituality of the Jesuits had a great influence on Bertoni.

The congregation grew slowly. 1905 founded the Stigmatiner the first offices in the United States in 1910 in Brazil.

Worldwide 325 had the Congregation 31 December 2009, 99 branches and 441 members, including priests. The Superior General, P. Andrea Meschi. 2003, there were Stigmatiner in 14 countries, including Italy, Brazil, the United States, Thailand, the Philippines, Chile and Lesotho.

Apostolate of Stigmatiner

• Education of youth
• Retreats and parish missions
• Help in the training of clerics