Congregation of Saint Basil

Congregation of St. Basil

Seal of the Congregation of St. Basil
Abbreviation	CSB
Motto	Bonitatem et disciplinam et scientiam doce me (Latin) "Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge." (Psalms 119)
Formation	1822; 195 years ago (1822) (in France)
Type	Roman Catholic religious order
Headquarters	95 St. Joseph Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3C2
Location	Predominantly in North and South America
Superior-General	Very Rev. George Terence Smith, CSB
Website	basilian.org

The Congregation of St. Basil, also known as the Basilian Fathers, is a community of priests, students for the priesthood, and lay associates. It is an apostolic community whose members profess simple vows. The Basilians seek the glory of God, especially in the works of education and evangelization. The Congregation was founded in 1822 in the aftermath of the French Revolution. In the early 19th century the Basilian Fathers' educational and pastoral work brought them to a variety of locations in Canada and the United States. In the 1960s, the priests began to minister in Mexico, and in Colombia in the 1980s.

The Basilian crest was developed in the late nineteenth century. Its main components are the founding date of the Congregation (1822); the Congregation's motto in Latin; and a shield bearing four symbols. The four symbols and their meanings are: a chalice, representing the Blessed Sacrament; an open book, representing knowledge; a fleur-de-lis representing both the Blessed Virgin and the French origins of the Basilians; and a Greek cross, representing Christ and honoring St. Basil, the Greek patron of the congregation. The motto, which is translated as "teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge", is often seen on the logos of Basilian schools around the world.

Amid the turmoil and persecution of the Catholic Church during the French Revolution and after the Reign of Terror, the Archbishop of Vienne, Charles-François d’Aviau Du Bois-de-Sanzay, encouraged Joseph Lapierre to take over the Catholic education of boys in the isolated hill commune of Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun, Ardèche department. Despite difficulties, the school grew, and in 1800, when the political climate was more favourable, the Archbishop asked Lapierre to also educate candidates for the priesthood. With the addition of Joseph Marie Actorie as director, a minor seminary was founded. Increased growth made it necessary to find a new location, and in 1802 the school moved to Annonay at the suggestion of Henri Léorat-Picansel, a pastor who had previously been in Saint-Symphorien-de-Mahun.

Ten men, priests and students for the priesthood, formed the staff of the school. In the ensuing years, school enrollment grew to over 300 students, and auxiliary institutions were established nearby. In the years leading up to 1820, changing French educational laws and changing Church administration meant falling enrollment. The newly appointed bishop suggested that if they formed an association and bought the property of a nearby school, Maison Seule, that they would have his support. This “coincided with a desire for closer religious life already shown by several of the priests teaching in the college.”