Education for All
Following St. Calasanz's vision, we provide quality education to children — especially the poorest — as a sacred right and a path to God.
Order of the Pious Schools — India
Pietas et Litterae
Piety & Learning — Serving India's Children
Since 1994
"It is never too early or too late to serve the Lord in children." — St. Joseph Calasanz
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Who We Are
A Community of Faith,
Education & Service
✦
We are the Pauline Congregation of Clerics Regular Poor of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools, commonly known as the Piarists or Escolapios. Our Order was founded in 1617 and elevated to a full Religious Order in 1621 by Pope Gregory XV.
For more than four centuries, Piarists have stood at the forefront of education — caring for the formation of children, especially the most underprivileged, and championing the dreams and aspirations of youth.
Today we are more than 1,300 religious active across four continents — Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas — sharing our mission with over a hundred thousand laity within the Calasanz Family.
🎓 Education-First Mission 🌍 4 Continents 📖 Since 1617 🙏 Special 4th Vow
Pietas et Litterae
Piety & Learning
Our Motto since 1617
Our Charism
"The right to education of every child — proclaimed first by St. Joseph Calasanz — is our living mission today."
Our Mission
Six Pillars of the
Piarist Vocation
Declared in 1948 by Pope Pius XII as the patron of all Christian popular schools in the world, St. Joseph Calasanz gave us a mission that continues to define our work across the globe.
Care for the Poor
We make a special fourth vow dedicating ourselves to the Christian education and catechesis of children from poor and marginalized families.
Evangelization
We see education as a ministry of evangelization — forming the whole person in wisdom, values, and faith through daily encounter with the Gospel.
Community & Family
We carry out our mission together — sharing it with lay partners, male and female congregations forming the vibrant Calasanz Family worldwide.
Integral Formation
Our schools nurture intellectual, moral, spiritual, and physical development — forming tomorrow's leaders with conscience and compassion.
New Frontiers
Ever attentive to the signs of the times, we open new missions in underserved areas — bringing education and God's love to remote corners of India.
Our Founder
St. Joseph Calasanz
1557 – 1648
St. Joseph Calasanz
Patron of Christian popular schools
"The best road to God is the one that leads through the education and formation of children."
— St. Joseph Calasanz
Born in Peralta de la Sal, Aragon (Spain) in 1557, Joseph Calasanz was a great pedagogue and educational visionary of the Post-Tridentine period. In 1597 he opened the first public popular free school in Europe in Rome — a revolutionary act that changed the course of history.
He proclaimed the right to education of all children and fought passionately for it, facing persecution and hardship. Yet he had a resounding success — responding to the deepest spiritual and social needs of his time with vision and the spirit of a crusader.
His Congregation was approved by Pope Paul V in 1617 and elevated to a Religious Order by Pope Gregory XV in 1621. It spread rapidly throughout Italy and Central Europe before reaching the Americas, Africa, and finally Asia.
Canonized in 1767, he was declared Universal Patron of all Christian Popular Schools by Pope Pius XII in 1948 — a title that captures his enduring legacy as the Church's great champion of education.
1557
Born in Aragon, Spain
1597
Opens first free school in Europe
1617
Congregation approved
1767
Canonized as a Saint
By the Numbers
The Piarist Presence
in India & the World
0
Ordained Priests
in India
0
Scholastics
with simple vows
0
Canonical Communities
across India
0
States of Presence
and growing
0 +
Religious Worldwide
in 4 continents
0 +
Years of History
since 1617
"The Vice-Province of India came to existence on 25th August 2013 — a milestone of 29 years of faithful service."
What We Do
Our Ministries
& Apostolates
From schools and parishes to new missionary frontiers, the Piarist Fathers of India serve children and families across 8 states — bringing education, faith, and hope.
3
Schools
Schools & Education
Our flagship institutions offer quality Catholic education rooted in the Piarist charism — forming children's minds and souls in the tradition of St. Calasanz.
1
Hostel
Student Hostel
A home away from home for students from remote areas — providing accommodation, formation, and pastoral care alongside academic support.
1
Parish
Parish Ministry
Serving the local Catholic community through sacramental life, pastoral outreach, and faith formation — bridging education and parish life.
3
Mission Places
New Missions
Pioneering new frontiers in underserved regions of India — bringing the light of faith and the gift of education to communities yet unreached.
40+
Candidates
Vocation Formation
A robust discernment pathway — 5 novices, 2 pre-novices, and 40+ candidates in initial formation — ensuring the future vibrancy of the Indian Piarist mission.
100K+
Lay Partners
Calasanz Family
We share our mission with over a hundred thousand laity — men and women who carry the Piarist charism into families, workplaces, and communities.
Spread Across India
8 States, One Mission
From Kerala to the North — Piarist communities are present throughout India, with members representing every state in which we serve.
Kerala Karnataka Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Maharashtra Goa West Bengal Delhi
Our Journey
Piarists in India —
A 30-Year Story of Faith
From a single foundation in Kerala in 1994, the Piarist mission has grown into a vibrant Vice-Province reaching the length and breadth of India.
1994
October 20
Foundation in India
Fr. José Alfaro arrives in Cochin at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Kureethara. The foundation stone of the first Piarist house is laid in Aroor, Kerala — initiative of the Province of Argentina.
1995
October 1
House Blessed & Inaugurated
The first Piarist community in India, Calasanz Bhavan in Aroor, Alappuzha, is blessed and officially inaugurated — marking a new chapter in the history of the Order.
1998
First Novices Profess Simple Vows
The first batch of three novices takes their simple vows — the first native Indian vocations in the long Piarist tradition, demonstrating the Order's rootedness in Indian soil.
2002
First Ordinations
Two of the first novices make their Solemn Profession and are ordained priests — the first native Indian Piarist priests, a historic moment for the Church in Kerala.
2013
August 25
Vice-Province Established
The Vice-Province of India is formally established — recognizing the maturity and growth of the Indian Piarist mission after nearly two decades of faithful service.
Today
Growing Across India
The Vice-Province now spans 8 states with 59 priests, 18 scholastics, 3 schools, a hostel, a parish, and 3 new mission places — continuing St. Calasanz's dream in Asia.
Get In Touch
Connect With Us
Whether you seek to know more about our mission, explore a vocation, or partner with us — we welcome every person with open arms.
Calasanz Bhavan
Aroor, Alappuzha
Kerala — India
Phone
6361582139"Education is not merely a social service — it is a sacred vocation, a work of God."
Piarist Tradition