René Stockman


Brother Dr. René P. E. Stockman, F.C. is the Superior General of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity since 2000. He is a Belgian specialist in psychiatric caregiving.

Education

René Stockman studied at the Saint-Laurens Institute in Zelzate between 1966 and 1972. He finished grammar school with a diploma in economics.
In 1972 he joined the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity. He fulfilled the noviciate training in . He then started in Ghent his training as a nurse at the Higher Institute for Paramedic Professions.
He continued with studies leading to a Master in medical and social sciences and management of hospitals at the University of Louvain. His thesis was entitled Organization of mental health-care in Rwanda and Burundi. Additionally he obtained a teaching certificate for teaching in higher secondary schools, at the University of Louvain. He completed his education by obtaining a doctors degree at the Catholic University of Louvain. His thesis was entitled: The place of the religious within the mental health care and obtained hign examination marks.

Professional activities

Brother René Stockman began his professional activities in 1976, as chief of the department of health care at the psychiatric institute of Sint-Julian Ghent. He pursued this mission until 1977.
From 1980 until 1987 he was director of the Institute for Psychiatric Nursing Dr. Guislain in Ghent and in 1982-1988 he was the managing director of the Institute Dr. Guislain.
In 1988 he was made the general manager of all institutions of the Brothers of Charity in Belgium which are active within the sectors of health care and orthopedagogic care. He pursued in this capacity until 1994.In 1994 he was made superior of the province Saint-Vincent of the Brothers of Charity. In 2000 he was elected general superior of the Brothers. From then on he resided mainly in Rome, travelling extensively throughout the world.
He was reelected in 2006 for a second term of six years, in 2012 for a third term and in 2018 for a fourth term.

Other activities

In English