About The CFIC

CONGREGATION of the “SONS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION” (CFIC)

“Blessed Luigi Maria MONTI is a splendid figure of Apostle of charity whose ardent love for the Immaculate Virgin led him to serve in a heroic way Christ in youth, poor and suffering.” (St. John Paul II)

Biography of Blessed MONTI and brief History of the Congregation

Blessed Luigi Maria Monti was born on 24 July 1825 at Bovisio, Milan, Italy. As a young man he decided to consecrate himself to God and started to gather young farmers and carpenters of his age to pray and help the needy. They called themselves “The Company of Friars”. This gathering inspired them to serve the poor and the sick in the village. In 1851 he entered in The Congregation of Sons of Mary, founded by Venerable Ludovico Pavoni to educate the needy youth. Luigi Monti dedicated himself to the study of minor surgery and pharmacy and obtained diploma, and in 1855 he started to care the cholera affected people as nurse, by giving heroic example of charity.

Foundation of the Religious Congregation (CFIC)

In 1857 he was sent to Rome by his spiritual director and he arrived in the Holy Spirit Hospital and founded The Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception with the scope of assisting the sick and educating the youth in need. This Congregation first spread in Rome, Lazio, Orte, Civita Castellana, Nepi, and Capranica.

Formation of Youth

In 1866 he went back to Saronno near Milan and developed his vocation in the care of the youth education and welcomed orphans and founded technical schools for them. Thus these young people could develop their talents and grow in personal maturity to insert themselves fully in the society. Luigi Monti spent his energy also to give religious formation to his religious brothers so as to continue to serve the needy and abandoned. He spent his last days in Saronno and there he died on 1 October 1900 and his mortal remains are kept in Padre Monti Institute in Saronno. It is a pilgrim centre where many come to pray and ask blessings through the intercession of Blessed Luigi Maria Monti.

Beatification

Pope John Paul II beatified Luigi Maria Monti and proclaimed him, Blessed on Sunday 9th November 2003, for the veneration in the Catholic Church. The date of his memorial is 22 September – Blessed Luigi Maria Monti- Apostle of Charity.

The Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (CFIC) is a Religious Congregation of Pontifical right (1886) which has the scope /charism of witnessing Christ through the care of the sick, education of the needy youth and care of the abandoned. The members of the Congregation are religious priests and lay religious brothers with equal rights and duties and are called brothers.

Today members of this Congregation include brothers, priests, doctors, pharmacists, teachers, lab technicians and nurses. The CFIC is present in over 20 countries all around the world. They are involved in various apostolates by themselves, and where their facilities work alongside existing agencies in places such as leper colonies, institutes for the physically disabled, community centers for the mentally challenged, shelters for families and children in need, secondary schools, assistance for homeless and street children, inhabitants of squatter settlements, hospital facilities and counseling for the sick as well as pastoral ministries in parishes

The congregation is present with its ministries in Italy, France, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, India, Australia, Germany, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Congo (ex Zaire), Ivory Coast, USA, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Philippines, Albania, Poland and Croatia.

For more information on Hospital, Educational and other apostolic works of this congregation, please visit the following websites: