Institute of the Incarnate Word

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The Institute of the Incarnate Word, also called the "IVE" from the (Spanish: Instituto del Verbo Encarnado, IVE) was founded in Argentina on March 25, 1984.

The 'Institute of the Incarnate Word was founded by Rev. Carlos Miguel Buela in San Rafael, Argentina, with approval from Bishop Leon Kruk, the ordinary of San Rafael. The IVE has grown very quickly, and currently has about 300 priests and 300 seminarians and novices. The IVE also has a contemplative branch, which was founded in 1988, and a female branch, the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (Spanish: Servidoras del Seńor y de la Virgen de Matará), which has also grown extremely quickly—there are currently over 700 sisters working in 25 countries. The two branches (the IVE and SSVM) are canonically independent, but share twin constitutions—both were raised to Diocesan Right in March of 2004 by Bishop Andrea María Erba, the bishop of Velletri-Segni in Italy, where the IVE is currently based. These two branches (the IVE and the SSVM), together with the Third Order (which is composed of laypeople—both single, married and consecrated), constitute the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word.

The charism of the IVE is the “evangelization of the culture,” and so their activities are wide in scope—they work in parishes, run orphanages and schools, teach in seminaries, and work on various intellectual apostolates. They are currently working in 30 countries around the world, in places as disparate as Iceland, the Sudan, Peru and Holland.

In addition to the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, members of the IVE religious family make a fourth vow of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary according to Louis de Montfort.