Our second founder Francis Mary Paul Libermann

Francis Mary Paul Libermann

born in 1802 of Jewish family became a Catholic and opted for the Priesthood. In this he suffered from family alienation. Struck down by epilepsy his ordination was delayed 10 years. When in the seminary he had two friends.

 

E. Tisserant	F.Le Vavasseur

Eugene Tisserant and Frederick Le Vavasseur who told him of the plight of “liberated” slaves in the Caribbean and Libermann convinced, he and his two confreres spent the rest of their lives in the services not of the liberated slaves from Africa but of African people everywhere on that continent. After the fusion of the two communities in 1848 Libermann had the personnel and the Spiritans the places for all enthused about going to work in Africa, he found himself being left at home to shoulder the endless chores of recruitment, training, funding and all the paperwork with civil and Church authorities.
In 1852, just 3 years after drawing up the “Rule of Life” for the Spiritans, Libermann was facing final illness and premature death. Setting The Standards
Quickly in the Spiritan life there were men setting standards for the rest:

Jacques Laval (1803-1864)

Daniel Brothier (1876-1936)

Bishop Joseph Shanahan (1871-1943)

Jacques Laval (1803-1864)
Appointment to Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, he worked there until his death 23 years later.

Jacques Laval

Today his tomb is a centre for unity and inter faith dialogue between Christians, Moslems, Hindus and Buddhists. Today, Each year on Sept. 7th The date of Pere Laval’s death is a National Holiday, on which 70,000 or more people gather to pay their respects.It is said that “Pere Laval’s door was always open”.

Daniel Brothier (1876-1936)

Daniel Brothier

After from returning from Dakar in Senegal, Daniel was a Chaplain in the 1st World War.
At the age of 53 he began the greatest work of his life - - - his work for homeless boys.
He began with 170 orphans in a tin roofed house and this developed into a technical school at Auteuil. His motto was “Open wide the doors”.
Today Auteuil’s’ gates are still wide open. 3,400 homeless boys of various origins are cared for in its 23 residences and 22 schools.

 

Joseph Shanahan

Bishop Joseph Shanahan (1871-1943)
1902 – 1932 was Apostolic to Nigeria. He died in Nairobi, Kenya in 1943 and in January 1956 his remains were brought back to Nigeria for the “second burial” in Onitsha Cathedral.
He was a truly charismatic figure, a man of exceptional courage and vision! He saw the importance of education and his schools formed the foundation of one of the most flourishing missionary churches in the world today.

He founded the Holy Rosary Congregation, a missionary Sisterhood. He was the inspiration behind the setting up of the Kiltegan Fathers, the Medical Missionaries of Mary and two Nigerian Sisterhoods. After his death in 1943 he was acclaimed as the leader and father of the great Irish Missionary movement that marked the first half of the 20th century.

Claude Poulart Des Places

Prayer used in the Holy Spirit Seminary as a renewal in the steps of Claude Poullart.

Holy Mary, my mother and my queen, kneeling humbly at your feet I implore your help. Assist me, your servant, to dedicate, consecrate and devote myself to the Holy Spirit, your divine Spouse. Despite my weaknesses, I want today to make a serious commitment in his honour. My dear Mother, please listen to me; all-powerful Spirit hear her prayers for me and enlighten my mind and inflame my heart with your love, so that in this house (Congregation) which is dedicated to you I might do all that is pleasing to you, everything that will bring you glory, achieve my sanctification and build up and strengthen my brothers.

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