The Poor Brothers of the Seraphic St. Francis (), abbreviated C.F.P. are a Catholic lay religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (Religious Brothers) of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, instituted for charitable work among orphan boys and for youth education. They commonly also use the title of Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis. Foundation The founder Johannes Höver (Hoever) was born in 1816 into a hard-working farm family in the hill country of Neuhonrath, now part of the town of Lohmar, Germany, near the city of Cologne. Although his help was needed on the farm, the local parish priest saw potential in the young Höver and encouraged his eagerness to learn. This encouragement led in time to his becoming a successful schoolteacher. Höver became a schoolmaster at Breidt and Aachen, during which time he met and married Anna Maria Katherine Zimmerman. They had two sons, but soon after the birth of their children, Anna Maria became ill and died. To forget the grief he felt at this loss, Höver became involved in the charitable organization of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He also became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, the local fraternity which had a long history of commitment to the poor. Through his service in both organizations, he became aware of the terrible situation of poor and homeless boys in the cities of Germany at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Blessed Franziska Schervier, foundress of the Poor Sisters of St. Francis, supported him in founding a fraternal order. He was led to dedicate his life to the service of the many poor around him. Thus, on Christmas Eve 1857, he and four other tertiaries dedicated themselves to the service of God and of abandoned men, while living in community under religious vows. At that time, Höver took the religious name of "Brother John" by which he is now known, and was appointed the first Superior General of the new congregation. The Brothers obtained a home in Aachen in 1860, where they began their work of service to the poor and homeless men of the city. On 5 January of the following year, Cardinal Geissel, the Archbishop of Cologne, approved the new congregation. Within a few years, though, the pressures of leading the community and the demands of teaching, plus caring for his sons, led to the deterioration of