Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel
Founded in 18th-century France, the Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel have shaped Catholic education in Singapore since 1937, running schools and institutions that continue their mission today.
The Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel linked their foundation to St. Louis Marie de Montfort (1673 – 1716) in France. The first Brothers were associated with the founder, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, and assisted him in his missionary preaching in the western part of France. In the course of his mission in those parts of France, St. Louis Marie de Montfort established charitable schools for needy children. He entrusted this work to the early followers, from whom the group grew to be later known as the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel.
The Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel arrived in Singapore at the end of 1936. They took over the running of Holy Innocent English School (later on known as Montfort School) in 1937 at the invitation of the late Bishop Deval. The mission in Singapore grew and flourished and today we have the Montfort Junior and Secondary Schools; the Boys’ Town, which include the Boys’ Town Home, the Assumption Pathway School and the Assumption English School; and the St. Gabriel’s Primary and Secondary Schools.
Today there are no longer any Brothers directly teaching in the school but the spirit of the founder continues among the many lay personnel of the schools and institution. The St. Gabriel’s Foundation (SGF) established in 2001 constituting of lay members and Brothers now governs the schools and institution in the spirit of the founder St. Louis Marie de Montfort as emulated by the early founding Brothers.