Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel
Encyclopedia
The Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (CSMA), in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Congregatio Sancti Michaëlis Archangeli and also known as the Michaelite Fathers, is a religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
founded in 1897 by the Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Father Bronisław Markiewicz, a Polish priest from Miejsce Piastowe
Miejsce Piastowe
Miejsce Piastowe is a village in Krosno County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Miejsce Piastowe. It lies approximately south-east of Krosno and south of the regional capital Rzeszów.-References:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel is one of the 23 officially recognised groups of the Salesian Family of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
History
On September 29, 1921, the Bishop of KrakowKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
Adam Stefan Sapieha issued the Erecting Decree of the Congregation. On 15 June 1966, the Congregation was affirmed under papal law. It was recognized by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
on June 15, 1966.
The Michaelites Today
Headquartered in the suburbs of WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(52°21′42"N 21°8′15.5"E), the Congregation now operates in a number of countries around the world including Argentina, Paraguay, Italy, Germany, Belarus, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Austria and Canada. At the end of 2005, the congregation had 28 houses and 357 members, among which 250 Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s .