PROUPEINE (Annecy): “Mother House” of the Congregation, at the foot of the Visitation Basilica. Fr. MERMIER wanted the mother house to be close to the tomb of St Francis de Sales and Fr Jacques MARTIN built the first mother house, “La Feuillette”, in 1837. A second mother house was built at “Chemin de Proupeine”, and then a third, quite new, in 1994. This house was also the Generalate till 2001. Three confreres, among them the chaplain of the Visitation monastery, are living permanently there.

LES ALLINGES: Salesian « high place », 7 kilometers southern of Thonon. St Francis de Sales spent 6 months there, at the beginning of his “Chablais mission”, because the castle belonged to a friend of his family. We can see even today the little chapel, with frescos from the 11th century. The mission of the community (2 confreres in the house) is to maintain alive this place of pilgrimage. Many tourists also visit the place, especially during the summer.  The confreres also help the parishes around for the pastoral ministry.

 

BEL-AZUR: Community house at Veyrier-du-Lac (on the shore of the Lake of Annecy). 4   confreres are living there, one of them being a preacher. For years, it was a « Foyer » for young workers, seeking their vocation.

 

VILLE-LA-GRAND: This former minor seminary founded in 1920 (Juvenate) became a big school, with more than 1’300 pupils. The community is involved in various ministries: chaplaincy of the school and youth movements, parish ministry, Salesian ministry. The present Provincial is living there with 2 confreres. During the Second World War, a confrere, Fr. Louis FAVRE, member of the French Resistance, was shot down by the Nazis. Some confreres helped to save about 2’000 Jews through the wall of the garden (border with Switzerland).

 

 

 

NOTRE-DAME DE LA GORGE:  at the foot of Mont Blanc, highest mountain of Western Europe, this house was first the presbytery of the parish. The place is an antique pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Assumption, on the 15th of August. Another smaller pilgrimage finds place on the 8th of September. One confrere is living there through the year and opens the house for those who want to take rest.

 

 

 

Besides these houses, we have some confreres living, one in Paris (home for old Sisters), one in Châteauneuf-de-Galaure (« Foyer de Charité ») and two in homes for retired priests, at Annecy and Thonon.

BONLIEU: the old « Villa Bonlieu » from the beginning of the 20th century, was replaced by the “Seminary of Bonlieu”, build in 1977 in Fribourg, close to the University. Formees from other Provinces (especially the English Province or Chile mission) and student-priests, mainly from India, are members of this community, along with the candidates from Franco-Swiss (presently 2 scholastics).  2 confreres are at the service of the formation, 3 others are « regular residents ». 

FLORIMONT: this community is living in the school of the same name, founded 1905. 7 confreres are living there, with various ministries (chaplaincy of the school, chaplaincy of the jail house, chaplaincy for handicapped people). One member of the community is staying in a home for aged people. Being close to the Geneva International Airport, Florimont is welcoming confreres who are travelling to Europe.

 

2 confreres are helping the diocese of Fribourg, taking charge of big parishes (they belong to the Bonlieu community). One is living in Lausanne (chaplaincy of the hospital).