Our History
 

Landmarks of the growth

1823: one December, 18^th, at La Salle de Vihiers, Rose Giet dedicated herself to God, to serve Jesus in the persons of the poor and the education of children. The seed was now in the ground...

1823-1833: slowly, patiently the seed grew on the local field of La Salle de Vihiers
 with a community of 5 Sisters.

1833- 1848:  after a humble start the seed grew into a fair harvest:
from the 5 Sisters of 1833 in one community, it deployed to 129 Sisters in 1848, in 43 convents including 42 schools.
 

Two elements helped this rapid development:
- on the one hand the "religious revival" as a reaction to the upheaval of the revolution
- on the other hand, the Guizot law (1833) which promoted popular education by making it compulsory for each parish to have a school.

 Thereafter many priests wanting to open a parish school, turned to the religious congregations. Jean Maurice Catroux and Rose Giet were in great demands. The priests who had requested nuns recommended, the community of La Salle de Vihiers to the young candidates for the religious life. This made possible to found a proper Institute. The legal authorization was granted in 1852.

 Young women came in ever increasing number especially from Anjou and Poitou. At the community they received professional training and from 1853 after sitting the exams organized by the diocese and obtaining a diploma equivalent to the official certificate, the Sisters were qualified to teach in public schools as well as catholic schools. When in 1881 the official certificate was made mandatory for teaching, the Sisters were prepared to meet the obligation.

That period of development of religious revival was followed by a time of conflicts with the State, a time of hardship which turned out to be a time of opening to other continents.

The map of the foundations at the death of Father Catroux

At the death of Father Catroux in 1863, there were:
378 Sisters  and
134 Communties