At the death of the Venerable Louis Querbes, the Congregation had between 250 and 300 members (of whom about fifty were in Canada) distributed in four provinces: Vourles, Saint-Flour, Rodez, and Canada. While the project to associate lay catechists was not immediately realized, the founder maintained until the end the hope that this vision would one day be realized.
Missions diverged according to region:
Between 1859 and 1880, growth in France was sustained before slowing down following political turbulence. The religious were forced to abandon municipal schools to open free but destitute parochial schools. Between mandatory military service and declining vocations, the landscape was changing: in 1900, there were 500 French religious out of a total of 760. Simultaneously, expansion was beginning in America:
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Congregation retained a “French face.” Activities were centered on elementary schools (often boarding schools), some secondary schools, social works (orphanages, institutes for the deaf), and sacristy service in parishes, within communities mostly composed of brothers.
In May 1903, the French government ordered the closure of 11,000 religious establishments. In two months, the Viatorian structures in France collapsed: provincial houses and novitiates closed, staff dispersed, schools disappeared, and properties seized by the State. Some religious were imprisoned, others went into exile. International solidarity was organized:
Despite a slow reconstruction through subsistence activities (gardens, workshops) and the opening of schools in Brussels and Vitoria, the First World War decimated the Congregation: nearly half of the French religious were mobilized and 29 young men perished in combat. This period marked the shift of European influence toward North America: from 1907-1908, the North American religious became more numerous than their European brothers.
From 1920 to 1960, the Canadian workforce exploded, reaching 1146 religious out of 1760 in 1960 (that is, two-thirds of the Congregation). This dynamism allowed for:
For its part, the Chicago province distinguished itself in higher education and chaplaincies, also founding a school in Bogota (Colombia) in 1961. In Europe, the French provinces reorganized by founding a Normal School in Ivory Coast (1955), while Spain became an autonomous province in 1947 and established itself in Chile (1957).
The Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of John XXIII brought a fresh breath, but the end of the 1960s was also marked by an institutional crisis and numerous departures. The General Chapters of 1969 and 1972, as well as the new Constitution of 1978, allowed for the rediscovery of the essence of the Viatorian mission. This renewal saw the rebirth of the idea of lay associates. Today, men and women share the mission and spirit of the Congregation, integrating into local communities according to the models specific to each country.
The current mission is defined by the proclamation of the Gospel and the creation of faith communities, extending the work of the Venerable Louis Querbes to youth and parishes. Faithful to the guidelines of 1984, the Congregation is oriented primarily toward disadvantaged youth, whether they are in the school system or outside it, in Christian environments or not.
The dawn of the 21st century was marked by new commitments in Burkina Faso and Honduras. Currently, the Viatorian Community brings together 340 religious and 340 lay associates, present in 13 countries.
However, recent missionary deployment has known mixed fortunes: although missions were initiated in Belize by the American province and in Bolivia by the Chilean province, these two settlements unfortunately did not survive the departure of their founders. On the contrary, the presence in Honduras, launched by Spain in 1998, still persists today. This community remains active there thanks to the collaboration between Spanish religious and Honduran lay associates, although no new entries are currently recorded among young religious.
Since 1953, the canonization process of Louis Querbes has progressed. On October 2, 2019, Pope Francis declared him “Venerable,” recognizing the heroic exercise of his theological and cardinal virtues. The community continues to promote his knowledge and to pray for his intercession. In 2025, Fr. Macaire Wendena Sandouidi was appointed postulator to succeed Father Giuseppe Guerra, CM, and continue this mission.
