Theophile verbist biography examples

Belgian priest

Theophile Verbist, CICM (Chinese: 南懷義 12 June 1823 – 23 February 1868) was a Belgian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a missionary religious congregation of men.

He led missionary activities in China.^[1]

Early life

Verbist was born in Antwerp, Belgium on 12 June 1823.^[2][3] After studies at the Minor Seminary and Major Seminary, Mechelen, he was ordained as a priest on 18 September 1847 by Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx, Archbishop of Mechelen.

He was appointed subregent of the Minor Seminary of Mechelen on 1 October 1847.^[4]

Career in Belgium

In 1853 he became chaplain of the Military Academy in Brussels. He was simultaneously appointed director of the Sisters of Molenbeek, a Congregation of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, which worked since 1840 in various countries as missionaries.

He became the National Director in Belgium of the Assoc