CLAUDE DES PLACES,THE SON OF AN AFFLUENT BUSINESSMAN AND LAWYER, FOUNDED THE MISSIONARY CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN 1703 TO RESPOND TO BOTH THE MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF HIS FELLOW STUDENTS, MANY OF WHOM WERE IMPOVERISHED. LATER HE FOUNDED THE SEMINARY OF THE HOLY GHOST TO TRAIN STUDENTS SO THEY IN TURN MIGHT AID THE POOR IN RURAL FRANCE AND OVERSEAS MISSIONS. SIX YEARS LATER DES PLACES DIED BUT THE WORK OF THE ORDER CONTINUED TO SPREAD REACHING AS FAR AS NORTH AMERICA. TOWARD THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY THE CONGREGATION WEATHERED POLITICAL PERSECUTION AT HOME WHILE REMAINING FAITHFUL IN THEIR OVERSEAS MISSIONARY WORK. IN 1799 SPIRITAN PRIESTS ARRIVED IN AFRICA, THE FIRST OF WHAT WOULD BECOME A PRESENCE IN VIRTUALLY ALL OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. DURING THE 19TH CENTURY THE ORDER STAGNATED BUT FOUND RENEWAL IN AMALGAMATION WITH THE CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY HEART OF MARY FOUNDED IN 1841 BY FRANCIS LIBERMANN, A CONVERT FROM JUDAISM WHO WAS QUIETLY ORDAINED A PRIEST EXPLICITLY FOR WORK IN MISSIONS TO BLACKS, SLAVES, AND FORMER SLAVES IN FRENCH COLONIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, THE INDIAN OCEAN, AND AFRICA. BECAUSE OF THEIR SIMILAR PURPOSE, CHARISM, AND WORKS, THE CHURCH ENCOURAGED THE TWO ORDERS TO MERGE WITH LIBERMANN BEING ELECTED THE FIRST SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE NEWLY MERGED CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. KNOWN AS THE SPIRITANS OR IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES AS THE HOLY GHOST FATHERS, THE ORDER IS ACTIVE TODAY IN ABOUT FORTY-SEVEN COUNTRIES AND ARE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS, CHAPLAINCY AND PAROCHIAL WORK IN ADDITION TO THEIR USUAL MISSIONARY WORK.

IN KEEPING WITH THEIR SPECIFIC APOSTOLATE TO BLACK PEOPLES THE CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY HEART OF MARY STARTED A MISSION TO THE ABORIGINES IN 1845 BUT BY 1848 IT HAD PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. IN 1888-91 A SECOND ATTEMPT AT A FOUNDATION WAS MADE BY THE NOW AMALGAMATED ORDER WHEN A GROUP OF SPIRITANS CAME TO BALLARAT TO ESTABLISH ST PATRICK'S COLLEGE. ALTHOUGH THE COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED THE MISSION SADLY PROVED AS UNSUCCESSFUL AS THE FIRST.

IN 1971 THE SPIRITANS RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA TO UNDERTAKE MISSION WORK AMONGST THE ABORIGINES OF THE KIMBERLEY AND THE INDIGENOUS PAPUA-NEW GUINEANS. INEVITABLY THE FATHERS WERE DRAWN INTO THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH'S NEED FOR PRIESTS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE OLDER AND FOR WHOM LIFE ON THE MISSION FIELD WAS PROVING AN INCREASING STRAIN. TODAY ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE SPIRITANS IN AUSTRALIA ARE INVOLVED IN SERVING AS PARISH PRIESTS IN THE LARGER AUSTRALIAN CITIES WHILE THE REST CONTINUE TO LABOUR AT THEIR PRIMARY APOSTOLATE AMONG THE ABORIGINES.