#Sisters of the Infant Jesus (I.J)

#ပုရိတ်သူငယ်တော်ယေဇူးစစ္စတာရ်များအသင်းဂိုဏ်း

The Sisters of the Infant Jesus, previously known as the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus or the Dames of Saint Maur, is a Roman Catholic religious institute, dedicated to education and the training of the poor for the betterment of their lives. They were founded in Paris in 1675, as part of the work of the Blessed Nicolas Barre, a Minim friar and Catholic priest (1621-1686), who had gathered some young women for the free instruction of the poor in Rouen in 1662. The members of the Institute use the postnominal initials of S.I.J or I.J.S. (previously C.H.I.J.).

#Foundation

#Main article: Nicholas Barre

In 1662 Barre saw the need for the education of the poor in France. He, therefore, recruited educated women to help set up his first school near Rouen. As the enrollment Increased, more schools were established, and four years later, the ladies in charge of these schools began to live in a community under a Superior. This was the beginning of a religious congregation whose main work was the education of the poor. The year 1666, therefore saw the founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus.

These women were not bound by religious vows or confined to a cloister They were free to serve the local community and provide free education for poor children. A number of "Little Charitable Schools" were established throughout France. The ladies committed themselves by a legal document drawn up in 1669 and took the name "Maitresse's Charitable de l'Infant Jesus" (Charitable Teachers of the Infant Jesus). In 1677 a Convent was established in Rue Saint Maur, Paris (ii), and the Sisters were subsequently known as the Dames of St. Maur. In 1678, Barre founded a novitiate for the sisters on the Seine.

The Daughters of Providence of Paris were members of a Catholic religious congregation for women founded in 1643, by a pious widow, Marie Polaillon (nee de Lumague) under a Rule of Life drawn up by Vincent de Paul The Daughters would profess annual vows of obedience, chastity, service and stability. In 1681 several houses of the congregation merged with the Sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus. In 1691 the communities of Rouen and Paris split. The Sisters of Providence in Rouen. became a diocesan institute with a missionary outreach in Madagascar and Central Africa. The Sisters of St. Maur in Paris became an institute of pontifical right with communities in five continents.

The French Revolution closed all the schools of the institute and it was not until 1805 a new community of teachers was formed by seven surviving members. Less than twenty-five years after the opening of the motherhouse in Paris, eighty schools for free education and forty boarding schools had been established in France. With the granting of official approval from Rome, the Sisters extended their work to America, England. Spain, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand

#Expansion

#Southeast Asia

In 1849 a Catholic missionary in the Straits Settlements, the Rev. Jean Marie Beurel, a native of Saint Brieuc in France, suggested to the colonial governor, William John Butterworth, that it might be worthwhile to found a charitable organization for girls next to the Church in Victoria Street In August 1852, Beurel bought the house at the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road Beurel then appealed to the Superior General of the congregation in France for Sisters to run a school.

#Mission: The mission of CHIJ schools is the creation of a Christ-centred school community where all work together for the promotion of truth, justice, freedom and love, with special reference to the need of the pupils who are disadvantaged in any way.

#Motto Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty.

Virtue is a personal possession, no one can take it away from you against your will. An upright virtue goes out to one's neighbour with spontaneous warmth. It judges oneself with humble honesty and it goes straight to God with childlike confidence.

"Steadfast in Duty" speaks for itself Perseverance in what is one's assigned vocation is not always easy but it yields that inner peace and freedom which no money can buy. It stresses the importance of a sense of personal responsibility an essential trait for everyone preparing for adulthood.

#IJ Emblem

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#Note- The article copied from The Year of Consecrated Life Magazine 2016.