The Alexian Brothers: An Evolutionary Look at the Monastery and Modern Health Care

The Catholic Congregation of Alexian Brothers was founded in Aachen, an ancient city in northwest Germany. Dating back to medieval times, the Alexians ministered to the diseased, the insane, the rejected poor, and the outsiders of Aachen. At a time when medicine was riddled with superstition and catered mainly to the powerful and the rich, the Alexians took in patients without regard for their status. Thus was born an organization whose concern for the poor and underprivileged can be equaled only, perhaps, by such an entity as the United Nations. Comprehensive, meticulously researched, and eminently readable, this is a compelling history of the Chicago Branch of the Catholic Congregation of Alexian Brothers. It describes the founding and historical development of the congregation's hospital in Chicago and details the lives of the brothers from 1866 to present.