Daughters of St. Francis de Sales of Lugo
The daughters of St. Franz von Sales von Lugo , abbr. DSFS , are a religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1872 by Carlo Cavina in Lugo , Italy.
founding
The Italian priest Carlo Cavina observed with growing concern the decline in human and Christian values in Italian society in Italy in the second half of the 19th century. He became convinced that young people urgently needed a solid Christian upbringing. With the help of two sisters of the Vincentian Sisters, Sr. Theresa Fantoni and Sr. Luigia Montanari, who ran an orphanage in his parish in Luge, he founded a girls' school. On August 23, 1872 , she presented the Superior General of the Vincentine Sisters with the decision to return to the Vincentine Sisters or to leave the order and continue to work with Carlo Cavina. The two sisters chose Carlo Cavina. This day has been considered the founding date for the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales of Lugo.
Carlo Cavina then bought a house in which the sisters and other candidates could begin their new religious life. He called the building the "Little House". In this house he set up a wooden cross, and on the back of the plaque labeled INRI he wrote in his own hand, “Whatever comes in contact with the cross will bring abundant fruit.” This phrase is the motto of the daughters of St. . Francis de Sales of Lugo to this day.
Spread
Carlo Cavina died in 1880 at the age of 60. Sr. Theresa Fantoni then continued his work. Today the religious community has expanded to various countries around the world and is now active in Italy, South Africa, India, the Philippines, Brazil, England, Chad, Cameroon, Tanzania and Kenya.
spirituality
Carlo Cavina was a great admirer of St. Francis de Sales . He also made contact with the Sisters of the Visitation of Mary , the order of women that St. Francis de Sales together with St. Johanna Franziska von Chantal had founded in 1610 . From the beginning it was his intention to base his new religious community on the basis of Salesian spirituality . The central concepts that define the spirituality of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales of Lugo are therefore also central concepts in Salesian spirituality: apostolic zeal, love, simplicity, humility, meekness, joy, optimism, hospitality and equanimity towards the will of God. The daughters of St. Francis de Sales of Lugo therefore belong to the Salesian family .
tasks
As a mandate, Carlo Cavina left his newly founded congregation the apostolate of prayer, education in the faith and service to the sick, poor and needy. The main activities of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales of Lugo are today education, help in the parish, care for the sick and poor, e. B. through home visits. You run schools, children's homes, orphanages, boarding schools, homes for the handicapped, apprentice homes and are involved in a wide variety of social services.