Origins

The Piarist Religious Family, with a thankful and humble attitude, recognizes itself as a work of God and a lucky daring and tenacious patience of Saint Joseph Calasanz. Because he, guided by the blow of the Spirit, gave himself in body and soul to the Christian education of children, especially the poor, in a spirit of understanding and piety.

Calasanz, inspired interpreter of the signs of his time, founded a Clerical Institute that the Church recognized of Pontifical right and received in her bossom as an Order of the Cleric Regulars Institute Poor of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools. In this way, he created a new school, in strong connection with the foundation charism, first model in history of an integral formation, popular and Christian, as a means to liberate children and youth from the slavery of ignorance and sin.

With the purpose of consilating in the Church the inspiration and mission received, Calasanz, by a supernatural motion, proposed to his companions the practice of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, and he added a fourth vow, of consecrating in a special way to the education of children. And he wanted that his educators, preferably priests, would carry out in plenitude this educational action, through the mimistry of the Word and the Sacraments.