Alexians

The Alexians, or Cellites, officially named as the Congregation of Alexian Brothers (), abbreviated C.F.A., is a Catholic lay religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men, specifically devoted to caring for the sick. The congrgation has its origin in Europe at the time of the Black Death. Its members follow the Rule of Saint Augustine.

==History== The Alexians trace their origin to the early 12th-century Beghards, male counterparts of the Beguines, laywomen who followed a devout style of life that included a limited degree of life in common. The men first came to prominence in the city of Mechelen, in the Duchy of Brabant (in central Flanders, now Belgium), during the 14th century, during the terrible ravages of the Black Death. To face this challenge, some laymen united under the guidance of a man named Tobias to succor the plague-stricken. They did not take vows or adopt the practices of monastic life. One of their most obvious activities was caring for those stricken with the bubonic plague, caring also for the victims' families, and burying those who died. These laymen lived in small rooms or cells (from Latin "cella", a cell), which gave rise to their early name of "Cellites".