Stigmatines
The Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata () commonly called Stigmatines is a Catholic clerical religious congregation for men. Its members add the nominal letters C.S.S. after their names to indicate that they are members of the Congregation. History. The Stigmatines were founded on 4 November 1816 by Gaspar Bertoni, in Verona, Italy. The first written constitutions for the congregation were based on the constitutions of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. Like the Jesuits, the congregation was intended as a missionary and educational ministry. The growth of the community was slow. In 1905, Stigmatines went to the  United States, and in 1910, they started activities in Brazil. For nearly two centuries, the Stigmatines worked in China, Thailand, the Philippines and various countries in Africa and Latin America. In 2002, the Stigmatines settled in India. In June 2018, the city council of Waltham, Massachusetts, voted to take the 46 acres owned by the Stigmatines by eminent domain, for the purpose of building a new high school. The site includes the Espousal Retreat Center, a conference center, and a retirement home for priests. Mayor Jeannette McCarthy stated that the property is valued at $25.4 million; the city is  offering $18 million. A statement on the Stigmatines' website states, "No one is doubting or discounting the need for a new high school in Waltham. We just don't believe the City should be able to end our existence here in Waltham because it covets our land for its own use." In December 2019, the parties resolved their dispute by the city council agreeing to pay a total of $29 million for the site. In the Philippines, on 8 September 2021, Jessie Avenido (30 years old), Jestonie Avenido (29 years old) and Jerson Avenido (28 years old), three  brothers, members of the congregation, were ordained priests by archbishop Jose Cabantan in the Cathedral of Cagayan de Oro. Statistics. In 2012, they had 94 houses with 422 members, including 331 priests.