Piarists

Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools
Latin: Ordo Clericorum Regularium Pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum
AbbreviationSchP, SP
NicknamePiarists
Formation25 March March 25, 1617
(407 years ago)
 (March 25, 1617-03-25)
FounderSaint Fr. Joseph Calasanz, Sch. P.
TypeCatholic religious & Mendicant order of Clerics Regular of pontifical right
HeadquartersPiazza dei Massimi, 4, Rome, Italy
Coordinates41°53′50.5″N 12°28′24.33″E / 41.897361°N 12.4734250°E / 41.897361; 12.4734250
Membership
1,356 members (includes 945 priests) as of 2020
Superior General
Fr. Pedro Aguado Cuesta, SchP[1]
Parent organization
Catholic Church
Websitescolopi.org

The Piarists (/ˈpərɪsts/), officially named the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools (Latin: Ordo Clericorum Regularium pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum), abbreviated SchP, is a religious order of clerics regular of the Catholic Church founded in 1617 by Spanish priest Joseph Calasanz. It is the oldest religious order dedicated to education, and the main occupation of the Piarist fathers is teaching children and youth, the primary goal being to provide free education for poor children. The Piarist practice was to become a model for numerous later Catholic societies devoted to teaching, while some state-supported public school systems in Europe also followed their example. The Piarists have had a considerable success in the education of physically or mentally disabled persons. Notable individuals who have taught at Piarist schools include Pope Pius IX, Goya, Schubert, Gregor Mendel, Tadeusz Kościuszko,[2] and Victor Hugo.

  1. ^ "Curia Generale dei Padri Scolopi". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746- 1817)". CiekawostkiHistoryczne.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 12 June 2020.