ORDERS

CONGREGATION OF THE MISSIONARIES OF
ST CHARLES BORROMEO FOR THE EMIGRANTS

FOUNDATION 1887 PIACENZA, ITALY		FOUNDER BLESSED GIOVANNI SCALABRINI BISHOP OF PIACENZA
HISTORY	BISHOP SCALABRINI	FOUNDATIONS

HISTORY

THE SCALABRINIAN MISSIONARIES WERE FOUNDED BY BLESSED GIOVANNI BATTISTA SCALABRINI BISHOP OF PIACENZA IN 1887 TO SERVE AS APOSTLES TO THE GROWING ITALIAN DIASPORA. INITIALLY THE CONGREGATION WAS ENGAGED IN HELPING ITALIAN MIGRANTS PARTICULARLY IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA. THE TRANSFORMATION OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATIONS WHICH BEGAN IN THE 1960S, WITH THE PROGRESSIVE GLOBALIZATION OF FLOWS AND DIVERSIFICATION OF COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN, BROUGHT A MATCHING TRANSFORMATION IN THE CONGREGATION WHO THEN BECAME INVOLVED WITH MIGRANTS OF ALL NATIONALITIES.

AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION

THE SCALABRINIANS ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA ON 2 NOVEMBER, 1952 FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH THE HISTORY OF THEIR PRESENCE REFLECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA. IN THE INITIAL PHASE THEY REACHED OUT TO SCATTERED COMMUNITIES OF ITALIANS, FROM THE CANE AND TOBACCO PLANTATIONS IN QUEENSLAND TO THE GROUPS IN TASMANIA, AND NEW SOUTH WALES. LATER THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FORMATION OF COMMUNITIES IN THE URBAN AREAS, PARTICULARLY IN SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE, NEWCASTLE AND WOLLONGONG, BUT ALSO IN SMALLER CITIES LIKE SHEPPARTON AND RED CLIFFS. JUST FIVE YEARS AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST FOUR SCALABRINIAN FATHERS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT CONTINUED DEPENDANCE ON THE UNITED STATES-EAST PROVINCE OF THE ORDER WOULD NOT WORK IN THE CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN AUSTRALIA AND IN 1957 A MISSIO SUI IURIS UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF ST FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI WAS ESTABLISHED DIRECTLY ANSWERABLE TO THE ORDER'S HEADQUARTERS IN ROME. IN 1962 THE MISSION WAS RAISED TO THE STATUS OF A RELIGIOUS PROVINCE WITH ITS HEADQUARTERS IN SYDNEY. IN MORE RECENT TIMES THE SCALABRINIANS HAVE BECOME INVOLVED WITH ASSISTANCE TO THE AGEING MIGRANT COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SCALABRINI VILLAGE NURSING HOMES AND HOSTELS. IN THE LATE 20th CENTURY THE ORDER HAS EXTENDED ITS WORK TO THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN AS WELL AS REACHING OUT TO SEVERAL OTHER MIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA ITSELF.

FOUNDATIONS
THE APOSTOLATE OF THE SCALABRINIANS ENCOURAGES THEM TO GO INTO PAROCHIAL WORK AMONGST THE IMMIGRANTS WITH WHOM THEY WORK AND THEREFORE COMMUNITIES IN THE TRADITONAL SENSE ARE RARE. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ALL LOCATIONS WHERE THE SCALABRINIANS HAVE WORKED IN AUSTRALIA. MISSIONS OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA ARE NOT INCLUDED.
PROVINCE OF ST FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
ALLAMBIE HEIGHTS 1994	AUSTRAL 1974	BEXLEY 1997	BROADMEADOW 1960	CARRINGTON 1955
CHIPPING NORTON 1991	DEE WHY 1965	DRUMMOYNE 1999	FITZROY 1959	GRIFFITH 1986
HAMILTON 1958	HAYMARKET 1957	HOBART 1956	LALOR 1972	LISMORE 1958
LIVERPOOL 1976	LUTWYCHE 1981	MOSMAN 1967	NORTH FITZROY 1968	PERTH 1987
RED CLIFFS 1963	ROSANNA 1993	SEATON 1961	SHEPPARTON 1962	SILKWOOD 1952
SOUTH MORANG 1979	UNANDERRA 1952	WALKERSTON 1959	WEST PRESTON 1976	WOLLONGONG 1955