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Patrician Brothers The Patrician Brothers, or Brothers of Saint Patrick, are a Roman Catholic congregation for the religious and literary education of youth and the instruction of the faithful in Christian piety. This Brotherhood was founded in 1808 by the Right Rev. Dr. Daniel Delany, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, at Tullow, in the County of Carlow, Ireland, on the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in 1808. Catholic Ireland was at this period just emerging from the troubled times of British penal laws which made it treasonable for a Catholic parent to procure for his child a religious and secular education in consonance with his belief, and consequently not only were the young deprived of the means of instruction, but adults also were in a state of enforced ignorance of Christian doctrine and its practices. Bishop Delaney set up the founding for the Religious congregation of the Brothers of Saint Patrick in his diocese, for the purpose of affording his people that education of which they had been so long deprived. He chose from among the catechetical instructors of the Sunday schools seven young men who formed the nucleus of the new order, and under the personal instruction of the bishop, and direction of his successor, the illustrious Dr. Doyle, the congregation was established as a diocesan institution. In succeeding years filiations were established in other dioceses of Ireland, and the Brothers were invited by several Australian and Indian bishops to these distant countries. Several foundations were made, among them those of Sydney, to which archdiocese the Brothers were invited by Cardinal Moran; and that of Madras in India, undertaken at the request of the late prelate of that diocese, Bishop Stephen Fennelly.
In 1885 the Brothers made application to the Holy See for the approval of the congregation, for constituting a central government and for establishing a common novitiate. The request was granted. After taking the opinions of the bishops in whose dioceses the Brothers were labouring, Pope Leo XIII provisionally approved the congregation for five years by a Rescript dated 6 January, 1888, and on 8 September, 1893, issued a decree of final confirmation, highly commending the good work hitherto accomplished by the Brothers, approving of their rules and constitutions, granting them all the facilities and powers necessary for carrying on the duties of their congregation, constituting India and Australia separate provinces, and imparting to the institute the Apostolic Benediction. The houses of the order, which had hitherto been independent and separate communities, were united under a superior general who with four assistants governs the congregation, all residing at the mother-house, Tullow, Ireland, where are also the novitiate and house of studies. A general chapter of the Patrician communities assembles every six years. As a result of the confirmation of the institute the Brothers could perfect and extend their congregation in Ireland, and open new colleges, schools and orphanages in the above-mentioned foreign countries.
Source: http://www.patricianbrothers.org/website/history.htm St. Monica's High School - Santa Monica (1948-1977) The Brothers had to obtain visas from the American Legation at Merrion Square in Dublin. They were interviewed by the American vice Consul and presented their visas. On August 21, 1948, they left Cobh on board the SS Washington and arrived in New York on August 27th. After spending a few days in the rectory of St. Matthew’s Church, they left by train for Los Angeles on August 31st. The heat was oppressive and the Brothers finally arrived in Los Angeles on September 3rd. They were met by Msgr. Connelly and Father Fogarty, pastor of St. Brendan’s and Father Michael O’Callaghan. Both priests had been students of the Patricians in Ireland. The Brothers started teaching at St. Monica's High School on Monday, September 13, 1948.  The scope of their work, which embraces primary, intermediate and university education, has been much extended in recent years. The introduction of a scheme of technical and scientific study by the different educational departments was warmly supported by the Brotherhood; while by their management of orphanages and industrial schools they aid thousands of youths to raise themselves to a higher place in the social scale. Their residential colleges and secondary day-schools equip the students for responsible positions in life. The colleges of the Brothers in India were affiliated to the Allahabad and Calcutta Universities, in which their students distinguished themselves; while in Australia, notwithstanding that the Brothers receive no State aid, their pupils compete successfully with those of the highly subsidized Government schools for positions in the civil service. On the occasion of the centenary in 1908, Pope Pius X bestowed on the order many favours and special indulgences. Daniel Delany
In 1763 at the age of 16 Delany went to Paris to study for his priesthood and was ordained a priest in 1771 at the age of 24. For the next six years Delany taught theology at St. Omer in France, but returned to Ireland in 1777. When back in Ireland Delany took up the position of assistant priest in Tullow. Catholic education in Ireland had been denied to the people of Ireland since the sixteenth century, in consequence many of the population suffered from poverty, hunger and drunkenness. Delany tried hard to bring back the traditional Catholic education to the community. He started by the establishment of Sunday schools, which targeted to educate the youth. Also to target the youth Delany formed a band to help teach his students hymns. Soon older people of the community started to join these classes to develop a Catholic education. In 1781 Elizabeth Delany died, leaving Daniel Delany all her property. Delany invested portion of this property left to him and the interest went to charities. Delany also distributed prayer books to children on the day of their first communion. In April 1783 Delany was appointed Coadjustor Bishop to the See of Kildare. Soon afterwards he took up the motto "Fortiter at Suaviter", and on the 17th February 1788 Delany received faculties as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. With the relaxation of Penal Code, many Irish priests including Delany worked to rebuild churches, monasteries, convents and schools. In 1807 Delany re-founded the Congregation of St. Brigid, and in 1808 he founded the Congregation of Patrician Brothers in Tullow, county Carlow. A year after in 1809 Delany also erected a temple in the Convent grounds in Tullow. Also in the convent gardens Delany planted an oak sapling from Kildare. Today many of the Brigidine communities have an oak tree growing from the seed of an oak tree in Kildare. Thanks to Terry Curran c2007
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