Victor Scheppers

Victor Scheppers ( born April 25, 1802 in Mechelen ( Belgium); † March 7, 1877 ) was a Belgian priest and founder of the Congregation Brothers of Mercy of Mechelen.

Life

Victor Scheppers was the youngest of four children, his parents were wealthy landowners, his father owned a brewery in Mechelen. When students first visited the Victor Elementary School in Mechelen and moved to Aalst, where he also took his matriculation examination later. After his mother's death (1813 ), his sister (1815 ) and his brother (1817 ), he took over his father's brewery. He traveled to Paris and attended the annual Marian pilgrimage Scherpenheuvel. During one of these spiritual journeys, he decided to become a priest in 1825, in 1832 he was ordained a priest.

Social Commitment

Very soon he began to provide impoverished children, his father bought him for this purpose a house in Mechelen and Victor Scheppers started with the care and education of underprivileged children. In 1835 he expanded his educational institution on a full-time school, and stood up for working children, for which he offered a free lesson. Furthermore, he provided for the establishment of a Sunday school, were taught in the 17-18 year old students. In 1851 he established a day school in the monastery on the Melaan in Mechelen and extended it out to a boarding school. Soon the reputation of the boarding school was known as " Schepper Institute " and the people took the " spirit of Scheppers " on. His social and pedagogical engagement resulted in his spiritual career in 1856 to recognize and Pope Pius IX. awarded him the papal title of " Monsignor ".

The founding of the order

In the times of the Industrial Revolution was a lot of poverty, alcoholism, prostitution and social problems became more frequent, the rising crime filled the prisons. Scheppers visited the prisons and developed the idea to care for the inmates and train in order to reduce crime. Achieve that, he needed support. During his annual pilgrimage to the canons Scherpenheuvel Victor Scheppers decided to start " Brotherhood of Charity ", whose main task should be the care of prisoners a. The Minister of Justice of Belgium supports this activity and promised financial support. With borrowed money Scheppers bought a house and converted it into a monastery. Two simple craftsmen - - In March 1838, the first two brothers were this religious community at. Cardinal Sterckx Engelbertus transmits on 25 January 1839 in which the line to Brother Victor Scheppers and approved rules of the order and the robe.