Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 2.djvu/884

 BROOKLYN

802

BROTHERS

patients yearly; homes for aged 3, inmates 540. Catholic population estimated 600,000.

Mitchell, Golden Jubilee of Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, 1S91); Stiles, History of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, 18R7. 1870); The Eagle and Brooklyn (Brooklyn, 1893); U. S. Catholic Hist. Mopazine (New York, 1890, 1891); U. S. Cath. Hist. Soc. Hist. Records (New York, 1900), II, pt. I; Shea, //is(. Cath. Ch. in V. S. (New York, 1894); Mulrenan, A Brief Hist. Sketch of the Cath. Ch. on Long Island (New York, 1871); O'Callaghan, History of New Netherlands (New York. 1846-48); Long Island Star files (Brooklyn, 1822, 1823, 1825).

Thomas F. Meehan. Brooklyn Benevolent Society. See Heeney,

CoHNELIUS.

Brooks, Ferdinand. See Green, Httgh.

Brosse, Jean-Baptiste de la, a Jesuit mis- sionary, b. 1724 at Magnac, Angoumois, France; d. 1782. He studied classics at the Jesuit College of St. Louis at Angouleme, and entered the novitiate of the society at Bordeaux, in 1740. After a fuU course of pliilosophy and theology in the latter city, he was ordained in 1753 and sent to Canada the following year. He first laboured on the Abenaki mission, held different positions in the College of Quebec, and finally succeeded, in the Montagnais mission, Father Coquart, who died in 1765 at Chicou- timi. De la Brosse was the twenty-first of his order to fill that post. Fixing his headquarters at Tadou- sac, at the mouth of the Sagucnay, a rendezvous for the Montagnais and for the traders of the lower St. Lawrence, his apostolate radiated from that point along the Labrador coast, to the French settlements on the south shore of the great river, to the Micmacs of Restigouche, and as far east as Isle Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island). Besides Christian doctrine, he taught tlie Montagnais reading, -nTiting, and plain- song, creating and developing in their souls the taste for elementary instruction which is to be found to this day in each family of the tribe. The zealous and practical missionary had 3000 copies of the Mon- tagnais alphabet, and 2000 copies of a catechism and prayer book in the same tongue printed at Quebec in 1767.

The latter is one of the first books issued from the press in Canada. It bears the author's name in Montagnais (Tshitstiisahigan), which signifies a broom or brush, in allusion to his family name. He also compiled a dictionary in the same language, being moreover familiar with the Abenaki and Micmac dialects. His inland mission-field embraced all the region watered by the Saguenay and Lake St. John. He braved the stubborn ferocity of the Naskapi Indians, who had so far resisted every attempt to convert them. A forest fire, whose ravages he is said to have miraculously stopped, was the occasion of their consenting to hear the Gospel. Father de la Brosse left a reputation of holiness which still endures. His remains lie in the old mis- sion-chapel of Tadousac.

Roy. Voyage au pays de Tadousac (Quebec, 1889); Roche- MONTElx, Les Jesuites et la N ouvelle-France au xviiie giixle <Pari.s 1900).

Lionel Lindsay.

Brosse, Joseph de la. See Ange de St. Joseph. Brothers Hospitallers ot St. John of God. —

St. John of God, the founder of this religious institu- tion, was born 8 March, 1495, at Montemor Novo, in Portugal. In his fortieth year he was drawn strongly to God's service and began a wonderful life of prayer, penance, and charity towards his neighbour. Pressed by the love of God, and of Christ's suffering members, he founded his first hospital at Granada in Spain, where he tenderly served the sick and afflicted. It is related in his life that one day the Lord appeared to him and told him that He was much pleased with his work, and for that reason He wished him to be called John of God. After ten years spent in the exercise of heroic charity, he died 8 March,

1550. He was canonized by Pope Alexander VII! in 1690; and was declared heavenly patron of th. dying and of all the hospitals by Pope Leo XIII, in 1898.

The charity of St. Jolin of God was destined to be perpetuated among his brethren, whom he had formed by his lessons and example. His first com- panion Antoni Martin was chosen to succeed him as superior of the order. Thanks to the generosity of King Philip II, a hospital was founded at Madrid, another at Cordova, and several others in various Spanish to'mis. St. Pius V approved the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers in 1572 under the rule of St. Augustine. The order spread rapidly into the other countries of Europe, and even into the distant colonies. In 1584 Pope Gregory XIII called some of the Brothers to Rome and gave them the Hospital of St. John Calybita, which then became the mother- house of the whole order: Brother Pietro Soriano was appointed first superior. Brother Sebastiano Arias founded the hospital of Our Lady at Naples and the famous hospital of Milan. At that time a holy ser- vant of God and of the poor joined the brotherhood and shed great lustre upon the order by his burning charity and profound humility: Blessed John Grande, who was beatified by Pius IX in 1852.

The first hospital of the order in France was founded in Paris, in 1601, by Queen Marie de' Medici. In the stormy days of the French Revolution the Brothers were expelled from the forty hospitals where they were caring for 4125 patients. But since then some large new hospitals have been established. The order is governed by a prior general, who resides in Rome; it is now divided into eleven provinces, with 102 hospitals, 1536 Brothers, and 12,978 beds, dis- tributed as in the following table: —

og

a

ll

Locations

'J

S3 o

•sis

B g


 * m

S^

£


 * K

!z;

l«

Rome

13

Rome, Perugia, Velle- tri. Corneto, Florence, Rieti. Tivoli, Jesi, Narni, Amelia, Fras- cati.

1,100

132

MUan

8

Milan, Brescia, Ven- ice, Padua, Marano.

996

60

Naples

3

Naples, Taranto, Fog-

318

9

France

11

Paris, Lvons, Mar- seilles, Dinan, Lille.

3,540

250

Cannes, Croisic.

Austria

15

Feldsberg. Vienna, Prague, Goritz, Tex- hen. Prossnitz, Kukus, Briinn, Lettowitz, Hus- seldorf, Lintz, Wiso- witz, Zebrzidowitz, Cra- cow, Neustadt.

1,070

221

StjTia

5

Graz, Algersdorf, St. Vitus. St. Remo.

458

81

Hungary

13

Pressburg, Erlau, Sze- pes. Temesvar, Papa. Einsenstadt, Grosswar- dein, Waes, Pdcs, Sza- kolez, Agram, Buda, Szathmar.

1,152

197

Bavaria

13

Neuburg. Strauhing, Kaisheim. Schweins- peint, Hcilbronn, .\lga- sing, Burglengensfeld, Attel.

1,645

213

Prussia

7

Breslau, Neustadt, Pil- chowitz, Frankenstein. Stemen, Bugutschuctz.

699

125

Spain

14

Madrid, Seville, Manila, Barcelona, and other places.

2,000

248

102

12,978

1536

In addition to these a hospice of the order has been established at Nazareth. In 1882 a home for de- mented patients (male) was founded at Stillorgan near Dublin, Ireland. The house at Scortou, ziear