Lumen 2018

CHAPTER II AT THE PIARIST FATHERS T HE O RDER OF THE P IOUS S CHOOLS The Order of the Piarist Fathers was founded by St. Joseph Cala- sanctius in Rome in 1597. At first, it was a religious institute of the Pious Schools ( scholarum piarum — hence the name “Piarists”), which Pope Paul V approved in 1617 as a congregation with simple vows. They received religious attire which was much different from that used by religious orders thus far. The Piarists wore a black habit similar to a cassock worn by diocesan priests, without a hood, a cape, or a scapular. In 1621, Pope Gregory XV raised the Congregation of the Piarists to the rank of an order with solemn vows. A year later, the Piarists obtained the approbation of their constitutions. 1 From the very beginning, the new religious order grew very quickly, for there existed a great need for the schools run by the Pi- arists, where the students could learn free of charge. The schools were called “pious” ( pie ) since the education they offered was suf- fused with the religious spirit and the students were taught how to live their lives as good Christians. 2 The Piarist schools followed a principle established by St. Joseph Calasanctius: If we impart knowl- edge to a student together with piety from very early on, we may hope that his entire life will be happy. 3 The Piarist Order quickly spread all throughout Italy, and, after 1631, they opened their houses in other countries of Europe, such as Moravia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and Poland. In 1646, they had about 500 members working in 40 houses. 4 The quickly developing institute, experiencing various organizational dif- ficulties and often threatened from the outside, soon found itself in