Rev. Fr. Mathias Wolff, S.J.,
The Inscrutable Hand of God Founder of the Society Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ)
1779 : Born on March 9th in Luxemburg
1802 : Ordination - Diocesan priest
1815 : Novice in Jesuit novitiate in Belgium
1816 : Ordination - Jesuit Priest
1819 : Missionary in Culemborg
1822 : Superior of the Jesuits of the Dutch Mission.
1822 : Founded the Society of JMJ on July 29th
1857 : Died on 31st October in Culemborg
1779: Born on March 6th in Luxemburg:
Rev. Fr. Mathias Wolff was born in a simple family of Mathias Wolff and Anna Marie Zenner, on March 6, 1779 in Diekirch, Luxembourg in Europe at the end of the 18th century at the time of French revolution.
1802: Ordination – Diocesan Priest:
Though he had a strong desire to be a Jesuit, it was impossible due to the suppression of the Jesuit order in 1773. He was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1802 and devoted his life in priestly work in different parishes.
1815: Novice in Jesuit novitiate in Belgium:
When the Jesuit Order was restored, he did a year of Novitiate under the Jesuits in Belgium in 1815 thus becoming Fr. Mathias Wolff S.J. He knew that he was surrendering himself for ‘Ad Majorem Deum Gloria’ – i.e. for the greater honour and glory of God, totally dedicating himself to God in the service of others.
1816: Ordination – Jesuit Priest:
In 1816 Mathias Wolff ended his novitiate in Belgium. Together with his fellow novice, priest like him, he received his mission: The mission in the Netherlands. In 1816 on his arrival in Holland sensed a crying need for Catholic schools. Fully aware of the prevailing political conditions, his vision and mission were focused on the education of the Catholics, so that they could have an equal footing with others in public life.
1819: Missionary in Culemborg:
In 1816, he became a Jesuit after the restoration of the Order and was placed as a curate in Culemborg. Fr. de Hasque and Fr. Mathias Wolff took the parish of Culemborg, which had been administered by the Jesuits ever since the 17th century, but had no longer any priest since the death of the last Jesuit in 1815. Both priests' saw as their first task; bringing to life the slumbering or disappeared religiousness, building up the parish of the Culemborg.
1822: Superior of the Jesuits of the Dutch Mission:
On 5th July 1822, his Provincial appointed him the Superior of the Dutch Jesuit Stations; For the Culemborg parish priest already overloaded with work, this was a small gratuitous extra burden! But Fr. Mathias Wolff humbly accepted the responsibility in obedience. Under the given circumstances Wolff was the ideal leader of the Dutch Jesuit Stations.
1822: Founded the Society of JMJ on July 29th:
During French revolution the existing convents, the women religious had been practically unknown. Within the framework of the emancipation of the Church in the Netherlands, Fr. Wolff perceived the need for a sister congregation to assist him in the education of the girls in his mission – a mission which would be carried beyond this boundaries of the tiny Netherlands.
During the course of revival Fr. Mathias Wolff responded with his sharp intellect to see the signs of times - the education of girls. In order to meet this demand, Fr. Mathias Wolff started the Society with three young girls, under different secular names in the beginning, as the socio, political atmosphere was not favorable towards religious. It was called as association of Miss Van Werkhoven, Pedagogie Christienne (Christian Education), later the congregation was also known as “Sisters of the Blessed virgin Mary” and eventually the “Society of Jesus Mary Joseph”.
Very soon, God has pooled the potential of a few young girls with that of Fr. Mathias Wolff and constructed the international Rocket – ‘The Society of Jesus Mary Joseph' on 29th July 1822 at Amersfoort which was known as ‘The Association of Women for Christian Education' to the outside world. In June 1923 Fr. Wolff obtained the first ecclesiastical approval for his foundation.