The Congregation of the Brothers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (FIC = Fratrum Immaculatae Conceptionis) was founded on 21st November 1840 in Maastricht, The Netherlands. 

The main reason for starting the Congregation was to try to improve the situation of especially poor children in those times, mainly by means of education and formation. “As brothers we know ourselves to be called together and thus sent out to continue the work of Jesus” (FIC Constitutions #15). 

Even though the Congregation had not been founded initially as a missionary congregation, it eventually became one because the brothers discerned that Jesus did not confine his mission to Nazareth his birth place. The brothers had initially turned down requests to go on mission, but in a mysterious turn of events, the General Council announced in the year 1919 that the coming year, the Brothers FIC would go on mission to Indonesia, and that was when missionary work began. To do the work of Jesus Christ is to go to other territories. This has become a tradition as expressed in our Constitutions.

 

“A valuable tradition in the Congregation is the willingness to help build a more human world outside one’s own native country. Many brothers leave their own people and their own culture to spread the Good News in word and deed in other countries, and to give form to the Kingdom of God” (FIC Constitutions #19). Consequently, the Brothers have tried to adhere to this tradition by expanding their missionary areas to almost all the continents of the globe.

During the 174 years of existence, the Congregation of the Brothers FIC has spread out and been active in different continents and countries, trying to continue to realize the FIC ideals.  The Brothers FIC in our four other provinces have, in various ways, expressed their gratitude to our mother province of The Netherlands for their availability and generosity in listening to the call of the Holy Spirit to expand the FIC missions to other countries.

At the moment FIC Brothers are still trying to give shape to the ideals of the Congregation in five countries/provinces:

 

 

* CHILE

On 26 January 1953 the first 6 Dutch brothers arrived in Chile to start the FIC mission in that country.

During the 60 years of FIC presence in Chile, the brothers have been mainly involved in primary and professional education of poor and handicapped youth in Santiago, Buin and Talca. Furthermore they do pastoral and cultural work and community building.

The Provincial Council 2012-2018 of the Chile Province consists of the following brothers:

Bros. Marcelo Sandoval Muñoz, Diego Izquierdo Gallego (Provincial Superior), Lucio Torres Martín.

 

   

 

 

 * GHANA

On the invitation of Bishop Dery of Wa, the Brothers FIC went to that diocese in Ghana in 1965 to share their "being seized by the person and message of Jesus" with the young indigenous Congregation of the Brothers of St. Joseph.

At this moment the Brothers FIC in Ghana live in ten communities, based in Accra, Damongo, Kaleo, Nandom, Sunyani, Tamale, Tumu, Wa (2) and Zebilla. They are mainly involved in primary, secondary and professional education of the youth, with a preference for the poor, especially in remote areas, in agricultural and building projects, in formation of religious, in work for street-children. All of the above activities are very much in the field of education, formation and teaching in a wide sense, which is our congregational charism. The goal is to provide a better future for people through education based on gospel values.

In 2015 the Brothers FIC will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of FIC presence in Ghana.

The Provincial Council 2012-2018 of the Ghana Province consists of the following brothers:

Bros. Cosmas Kanmwaa, Patrick Binneh, Alpitio Kog, Seregeous Dery (Provincial Superior), Clement Nangpiire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* INDONESIA

Around 1900 a new view emerged in The Netherlands concerning the Dutch colonies in the East. There was a general feeling that the nation had to redeem a debt of honour with regard to the indigenous population of the Dutch colonies. It was against this background that the first FIC Brothers went to the Dutch East Indies in 1920 to start the FIC mission there. On 17 August 1945 the independence of Indonesia was proclaimed.

In Indonesia the FIC brothers live and work on Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. The FIC mission in Timor Leste is also belonging to the Indonesia Province. The brothers live in 26 communities, based in Ambarawa, Bara, Bekasi (2), Belitang, Giriwoyo, Jakarta (2), Ketapang, Klaten, Muntilan (2), Pemalang, Salatiga, Semarang (3), Sorong, Sukaraja, Surakarta, Tanjung, Timor Leste-Ainaro/Becora, Tumbang Titi, Wedi and Yogyakarta (2).

The brothers are mainly involved in the primary and secondary education of the youth, in poor and also wealthier areas, in professional education, in catechesis, organizational support of the (primary) education, education of deaf children and boarding-schools in remote areas.

Quite some younger brothers are involved in professional studies at universities and other institutions for higher education. Several brothers are involved, full time or part time, in the running of the School Foundation Yayasan Pangudi Luhur.

The Provincial Council 2012-2018 of FIC Province Indonesia consists of the following brothers:

Bros. Agustinus Giwal Santoso, Michael Sidharta Susila, Valentinus Daru Setiaji, Petrus Anjar Trihartono, Fransiskus Asisi Dwiyatno (Provincial Superior).

 

 

 

 

 

*  MALAWI

In 1957 pope Pius XII wrote the Encyclical Fidei Donum, calling for more missionaries for Africa. The Dutch bishop dr. J. Theunissen, Apostolic Vicar of Nyassaland in Central Africa, approached the Brothers FIC in Maastricht (The Netherlands) and requested for brothers to strengthen catholic education in the country. In 1960 the FIC mission in Malawi started officially..

The FIC Brothers in Malawi live in four communities, based in Blantyre, Limbe (2) and Thyolo-Mitengo. They are mainly involved in primary and secondary education, in education of deaf children, the training of primary school teachers and in catechesis.

Next to this 'institutional' work several brothers are involved in social activities. They attend people who suffer from AIDS, help farmers to get fertilizer or seedlings, give assistance in scholarships, etc.

The Provincial Council 2012-2018 of the Province Malawi consists of the following brothers:

Bros. Emmanuel Mtegha, Lawrence Sitima, Joe Banda, Martinus Dariyo (Provincial Superior).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*  THE NETHERLANDS

Although the Brothers FIC have been working in that country since 1840, the Dutch Province officially started in 1966. The province made its start in the time after the Second Vatican Council, when many changes were beginning to take place in church and society.

In this same period fewer and fewer young people felt a vocation for the religious life. The decrease in membership, added to the increasing ageing process, also had its consequences for the educational apostolic works of the province. However, though fewer and fewer brothers were active in education, an increasing number has been engaged in the areas of social work, of catechesis and pastoral work at an advanced age. The way the work is shaped depends on the situation, the circumstances in which the brothers find themselves, on the question for help that reaches them from outside, on their health and mobility. In this way the apostolic attitude of the brothers remains to be expressed in deeds of "service to..." and "care of...".

The Provincial Council 2012-2018 of the Province The Netherlands consists of the following brothers:

Bros. Maarten Bouw, Wim Luiten, Kees Gordijn (Provincial Superior), Frans Turkenburg.

 

 

 

* GENERAL COUNCIL

The overall leadership of the FIC Congregation during the administrative period 2012-2018 is the responsibility of the following brothers:

Bros. Guido Sukarman, Theodorus Suwaryanto, Raphael Besigrinee, Martinus Tukir Handoko (General Superior).