Mill Hill Missionaries

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The Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM), officially known as the Saint Joseph's Missionary Society of Mill Hill (Latin: Societas Missionariorum S. Ioseph de Mill Hill), is a Catholic society of apostolic life founded in 1866 by Herbert Alfred Vaughan, MHM, later Cardinal Vaughan.

Saint Joseph's Missionary Society of Mill Hill
Societas Missionariorum S. Ioseph de Mill Hill
AbbreviationMHM
FormationMarch 19, 1866 (158 years ago) (1866-03-19)
FounderHerbert Alfred Vaughan, MHM
TypeSociety of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right (for Men)
HeadquartersMaidenhead, United Kingdom
Members (2018)
585 members (311 priests)
Superior General
Michael Corcoran, MHM
Parent organization
Catholic Church
Websitemillhillmissionaries.com
[1]

History

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St. Joseph's College (closed in 2006)

The society was founded in 1866 by Herbert Alfred Vaughan.[2] In 1892, a separate North American offshoot, the Society of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites), was formed.[3]

The society was formerly based at St Joseph's College at Mill Hill in north London.[4] The late 1960s saw the development of the Missionary Institute of London to consolidate training facilities for the various mission societies in Britain. St Joseph's College site was closed in 2006.[5] Its present headquarters are at 6 Colby Gardens in Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7GZ.

In 1884, St Peter's School, Freshfield, near Liverpool was founded to serve as a preparatory school to the college.[6]

During the Second World War. the college was evacuated to Lochwinnoch in Scotland. The war ministry then requisitioned part of the buildings for the use of the civil service; the college at Mill Hill was effectively closed for the duration of the war. In the 1960s, Pope John XXIII asked missionary societies to become involved in South America. As of 2019, the Mill Hill Missionaries are active in Brazil and Ecuador.

On its 150th anniversary, an account of its history on the Diocese of Westminster website said in part: "At the 1988 Chapter, with representatives from all over the Mill Hill world present, a decision was taken to recruit Mill Hill Missionaries from Africa and Asia, our former mission areas, now flourishing with well-established churches planted and grown by Mill Hill Missionaries." There are now Mill Hill Society formation centres in Cameroon, East Africa, the Philippines, and India.[7]

As of 2014, the congregation has forty priests working within Ireland and twenty working internationally, with an average age of 73.[8]

Superiors general

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  • Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1868–1903), founder[9]
  • Rev. Arthur Henry MHM (1904–1924)[10]
  • Bishop John Henry Mary Biermans (1924–1934)
  • Rev. Stephen O’Callaghan (1934–1947)
  • Very Rev. Thomas McLaughlin (1947–1962)
  • Very Rev. Gerald Mahon (1963–1970)
  • Rev. Noel Hanrahan (1970–1982)
  • Bishop Cornello de Wit (1982–1988)
  • Rev. Maurice McGill (1988–2000)
  • Jac Hetsen, Netherlands (2000–2005)[11]
  • Anthony Chantry, England (UK) (2005–2015)[12]
  • Michael Corcoran, Ireland (2015 – present)[13]

Prelates from their ranks

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See also

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  • Alice Ingham, who founded the Franciscan order of Sisters of St. Joseph's Society for Foreign Missions

References

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  1. ^ "Saint Joseph's Missionary Society of Mill Hill (M.H.M.)".
  2. ^ Sources 1796-1949. Walter de Gruyter. 1 January 1983. pp. 407–. ISBN 978-3-11-097033-3.
  3. ^ Yearbook of International Organizations. Union of International Associations. 1999.
  4. ^ Phyllis Mander-Jones; National Library of Australia; Australian National University (1972). Manuscripts in the British Isles relating to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. University Press of Hawaii. ISBN 9780708104507.
  5. ^ Mill Hill Missionaries, "History", accessed 6 January 2016.
  6. ^ "St Joseph's Society Missionary Society (Mill Hill Missionaries)", Mill Hill Missionaries' Archives
  7. ^ "Mill Hill Missionaries Celebrate 150 Years - Diocese of Westminster". rcdow.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  8. ^ McGarry, Patsy. "Review of orders' practices on child protection published". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  9. ^ Arthur McCormack (1966). Cardinal Vaughan: the life of the third Archbishop of Westminster, founder of St. Joseph's Missionary Society, Mill Hill. Burns & Oates.
  10. ^ Nottingham and Midland Catholic News - Saturday 26 July 1930
  11. ^ Jeanne Logiurato (FRW) Hanline; National Register Publishing (1 July 2005). National Catholic Directory. National Register Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87217-366-8.
  12. ^ Fides, Agenzia. "EUROPE/ENGLAND AND WALES - Appointment of National Director of the PMS, Fr. Anthony Chantry MHM - Agenzia Fides". www.fides.org.
  13. ^ "Mill Hill Missionaries celebrate 150 years - ICN". www.indcatholicnews.com. Independent Catholic News.
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