Albertine Brothers
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2017) ) |
Abbreviation | C.F.A.P.U. |
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Formation | c. Catholic religious order |
Headquarters | Poland |
Website | albertyni |
The Albertine Brothers are a
History
Foundations
The founder, born Adam Chmielowski (1845-1916), came from an aristocratic Polish family. Orphaned at a young age, he grew up expecting to take responsibility for the family estates and studied agriculture to this end. The young student, however, was a strong Polish nationalist and took part in the January Uprising of 1863, in the course of which he lost a leg.
Chmielowski was forced to flee Poland due to the repressive response of the
When he returned to his homeland, though, Chmielowski was struck at the degree of poverty he saw among the people of the country. He began to help at homeless shelters run by the city, where he grew to know the poorest segment of the population at first-hand. Over the next decade, he continued this service, while maintaining his artistic career, though he increasingly turned to religious themes.
By 1887, Chmielowski had decided to abandon his career, to live among the poor and needy and to accept a beggar's life and lifestyle. On 25 August of that year, the feast of the
Congregation
Upon the completion of his year of novitiate on the same feast in 1888, Chmielowski was allowed to profess religious vows. At that time, he gathered other men who had expressed interest in sharing his commitment and established the Brothers of the Third Order of St. Francis, Servants of the Poor. He encouraged each new Brother to see the face of Jesus in each one of the poor men and women they would meet in their service.
The Brothers established shelters to give warmth and shelter for the most vulnerable and soup kitchens for the hungry, as well as nurseries and institutions for homeless children and youth. They were joined in their work in January 1891, with the foundation of the companion congregation of Albertine Sisters. The two communities grew slowly, even after the founder's death in 1916. The Brothers were established as a
By the outbreak of
With the fall of Communism throughout Eastern Europe in 1989, the Brothers again found themselves free to pursue their commitment to needy, who again were increasing in the aftermath of the social changes which took place as a consequence of the political changes. In 2010, the Brothers served in six cities of Poland and one in Ukraine. The services they provide are: houses for homeless men, homes for the mentally and physically handicapped and community kitchens for feeding the poor.