The Spiritans were founded on Pentecost Sunday 1703 in Paris, France by a young man, Claude Poullart des Places (1679-1709). Claude was not yet an ordained priest but had a deep calling to found a community of young men who would be dedicated to the Holy Spirit and who would be willing to go to where they were called by the Church. Soon this little community flourished as more people were attracted to the simple lifestyle and the dedication of the Spiritans. By 1732, the first Spiritan was sent to Canada. Tragically, the upheaval of the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century nearly destroyed the Spiritans.