| Brief of approval of the Institute | History |
| Brothers General Superiors and the General Chapters | |
Chronology of the Institution
| 1799 | 1st November: Gabriel Taborin is born in Belleydoux |
| 1817 | Gabriel is appointed schoolmaster and “clerk” of his home village: it was the beginning of his mission as a teacher, catechist and liturgical animator. |
| 1824 | In October, in Bouchoux, Gabriel puts on the habit of the Order of Saint Joseph, of which he himself is the founder, and adopts the name of “Brother”; with him are five other young men. |
| 1827 | In Genay, he meets Bishop Devie of Belley, who encourages him to continue his work of foundation. Soon afterwards, Brother Gabriel places the Congregation under the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. |
| 1835 | On 5 July, Bishop Devie visits Brother Gabriel’s community for the ceremony when the novices don the habit. It is the first official recognition of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Holy Family. |
| 1837 | Brother Gabriel meets the parish priest of Ars, Jean-Marie Vianney. |
| 1838 | On 3 November, Brother Gabriel takes his perpetual vows. |
| 1840 | The Institute transfers its Mother House to Belley, seat of the Bishopric. |
| 1841 | Gabriel is received in Rome by Pope Gregory XVI, who signs the Decree approving the Institute only a few days later, on 28 August. |
| 1842 | On 31 May, the King of Sardinia, Carlo Alberto, also approves the Institute as an “institute which serves the public”. |
| 1850 | Brother Gabriel meets Pius IX in Rome. |
| 1852 | The first General Chapter meets in Belley and approves the Rule. |
| 1854 | The first year of overseas mission: four Brothers are sent to the United States of America. |
| 1856 | Brother Gabriel buys Tamié Abbey, in Haute Savoie, where he wants to found a Trappist monastery for Brothers who wish to live in seclusion. |
| 1858 | He gives the Brothers the “New Guide”, i.e. the book containing the revised Rule. |
| 1864 | On 24 November, Brother Gabriel dies in the Mother House at Belley (Ain). |
| 1874 | The French Government recognizes the Congregation as “serving the public”. |
| 1889 | On 20 March, four Brothers disembark at Montevideo (Uruguay), the first of many Brothers of the Holy Family destined to work in Latin America. |
| 1901 | The French Government adopts views opposed to religious congregations. The Brothers seek to re-locate outside of France. Some go to Tunisia, where they open a school and an agricultural college. |
| 1903 | Anti-religious laws deny congregations the right of association. The Brothers can no longer function as religious. While some continue teaching as laymen in municipal schools, others go to Italy, where they settle in Diano Marina (Liguria), Saluzzo and Chieri (Piedmont). |
| 1908 | The Brothers are in Argentina. They are asked to govern a school in Tandil. |
| 1909 | At La Horra, in Spain, the Brothers open a free school for local children. |
| 1936 | On 19 May, the Holy See approves the Institute’s Constitutions. |
| 1956 | Proceedings to establish the sainthood of Brother Gabriel Taborin begin at Belley (Ain). |
| 1958 | In response to Pius XII’s “Fidei donum” encyclical, some Brothers set off on mission to Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). A decree from the Holy See seals their union with a small, local Congregation. |
| 1959 | The cause for the beatification of Brother Gabriel Taborin is transferred to Rome. |
| 1963 | First establishment in Brazil. |
| 1969 | A special Chapter for renewal of the Congregation begins. |
| 1971 | The General Curia moves to Rome. |
| 1975 | The Brothers carry out missionary activities in Colombia. |
| 1976 | As a result of opposition to evangelisation, the Brothers in Colombia move to Ecuador. |
| 1986 | The new Constitutions are approved. |
| 1987 | The Brothers open their first community in Mexico, at Tijuana. |
| 1988 | On the Ivory Coast, the Brothers are asked to manage two educational and technical colleges. |
| 1989 | The General Chapter invites lay people to take part in the life of the Institution. |
| 1991 | On 14 May, John Paul II issues a decree recognising the heroic virtues of the venerable Brother Gabriel Taborin. |
| 1999 | Second centenary of Brother Gabriel Taborin’s birth. |
| 2000 | The Brothers open their first community in Philippine. |
| 2003 | The Brothers open their first community in India. |
| 2005 | The Brothers open their first community in Falerna (Italy). |
| 2006 | The Brothers open their first community in Bucaramanga(Colombia). |
| 2008 | The Brothers open their first community in Tanguiéta (Benin). |
| 2009 | The Brothers open their community in Ambato (Ecuador) |
| 2010 | Unification of the Provinces San José (Uruguay) and Our Lady of Luján (Argentina) in the Province of Our Lady of Hope. Unification of the Provinces of the Sacred Heart (France) and Our Lady of Loreto (Italy) with the name of Our Lady of Loreto. |
| 2016 | Unification of the Viceprovince Nuestra Señora Aparecida (Brasil) with Province Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Uruguay – Argentina) |
| 2016 | The Brothers open their first community in Ghana |
| 2021 | The Brothers open their first community in Angola |