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Servants of Charity

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Congregatio Servorum a Charitate (Latin)[1]
Abbreviation Post-nominal letters: S.C.[1]
Nickname Guanellian[2]
Formation 1908[1]
Founder Saint Fr. Luigi Guanella[1]
Founded at Como, Lombardy, Italy
Type Clerical Religious Congregation of Pontifical Right (for Men)[1]
Headquarters General Motherhouse
Vicolo Clemente 41, 00148 Rome, Italy[1]
Coordinates 41°54′4.9″N 12°27′38.2″E / 41.901361°N 12.460611°E
Region served Europe and the Americas
Members 558 members (366 priests) as of 2018[1]
Motto Latin:
In Omnibus Charitas
English:
In all things Love
Superior General Fr. Umberto Brugnoni, S.C.[1]
Patron saints Blessed Virgin Mary
(under the title Madonna Della Strada)
Apostolate Education of the poor
Affiliations Roman Catholic Church
Website http://www.servantsofcharity.org/

The Servants of Charity (Latin: Congregatio Servorum a Charitate) is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men. Members of this clerical congregation are popularly known as 'Guanelliani' (or Guanellians, in English). They add the nominal letters SC after their names to indicate their membership in the Congregation.

History

The institute was founded in Como on March 24, 1908 by Italian priest Luigi Guanella, (1842 - 1915), a friend of David Albertario and Giuseppe Toniolo. He was sensitive to issues of social outcasts and the handicapped. This gave birth to a religious community to provide the needs of the poor. Their motto reads "In Omnibus Charitas" (In all things Love).

The congregation obtained the recognition of ecclesiastical institution of pontifical right with decree of praise, 1912 and was again approved in 1928.

There is also the female branch of Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence.

Activities and dissemination

These religious operate day and evening schools for workers, institutes for the education of youth and speakers. They also run facilities worldwide for the care of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As of December 31, 2018, the congregation had 103 houses and 558 religious, 366 of them priests.[1]

References