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 The first Piarists (Hungarian and Polish Fathers)arrived in the United States in 1949.
The first Community was formed in the diocese of Buffalo NY in 1950. The Community moved to Derby in 1951. The House of Derby was closed in 1999. Another community was created in Lackawanna, also near Buffalo, in 1952. It was transferred to Philadelphia in 1954.
In 1954 another community was opened, in Washington, which became the Formation House. In the same year, two Polish Fathers went to Whitecourt, Alberta (Canada) to establish a Piarist presence there. They returned the next year. Also in 1954, the General Delegation of Buffalo in the USA was created.
In 1956, the Piarists purchased the Lea Estate in Devon PA, and opened Devon Preparatory School, moving there from Philadelphia.
Calasanctius School for gifted children opened in Buffalo, NY, in1957. The school closed in 1991.
The Independent Vice-Province of USA was erected in 1960.
The Piarist Community of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was founded in 1961, under the authority of Fr. General. There, the fathers help staff Cardinal Gibbons High School. In 1972 it was transferred to the USA Vice-Province.
In 1966, Fr. General Vincent Tomek erected the General Delegation of the United States of America, formed by the Vice-Province of the United States, the Provincial Delegations of California and New York and Puerto Rico, and the House of Fort Lauderdale, which at that time was immediately subject to Fr. General. Fr. Stephen Senye, the Rector of Devon, was appointed General Delegate. The purpose of this Delegation was to offer a common formation for all the vocations in the United States. There would be only one Novitiate, in Derby, and only one Juniorate, in Washington. The General Delegation was short-lived. It ended in March 1969, with the resignation of Fr. Senye.
In the year 1973, a Piarist community was established in Fargo, North Dakota. Two Polish Piarists from the USA volunteered to help the Province of Poland to start the foundation. After three years, they returned. The Province of Poland abandoned North Dakota in 1979.
On January 22, 1975 the General Congregation erected the Province of the USA.
In 1990 the Statio of Martin, Kentucky, was created. The community established The Piarist School.
In 1998 and again in 2003, Fr. General and Fr. Provincial stated their intention to assume the ministry of SEPI upon the retirement of Fr. Mario Vizcaino, its founder in 1978. The Board of Directors welcomed the offer of the Piarist Fathers. A process for this transition is being implemented. In 2003 a statio was erected in Miami, and the statio became a canonical religious house in 2007.
Biographies of our deceased Fathers
Our Major Superiors have been:
Joseph Batori, 1954-1967
Ladislaus Iranyi, 1967-1982
Joseph Kershner, 1982-1988
Richard Wyzykiewicz, 1988-1999
David Powers, 1999-2007
Mario Vizcaino, 2007- Present
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