Congregation of St. Vanne
Encyclopedia
The Congregation of St. Vanne or Congregation of St. Vanne and St. Hydulphe (French
: Congrégation de Saint-Vanne et Saint-Hydulphe), sometimes also known as the Vannists (Vannistes) was a Benedictine reform movement centred on Lorraine
. It was formally established in 1604 on the initiative of Dom Didier de La Cour, prior of the Abbey of St. Vanne
near Verdun
, a reformer of the Benedictine Order after the Council of Trent
. The Abbey of St. Hydulphe at Moyenmoutier
was a secondary centre of the reform.
The response to the attempts to return the Benedictine houses to a more rigorous way of life in accordance with the Rule, combined with serious study and scholarship, was very positive, but Lorraine was not at that time under the French crown. A parallel movement specifically for the French Benedictine houses, on the same principles as those of the Congregation of St. Vanne, was therefore launched from the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
in 1621, and gave rise to the Congregation of St. Maur, which in the event became far better known than the Vannists.
The Congregation of St. Vanne continued however in Lorraine in parallel to that of St. Maur until the French Revolution
, when both were abolished.
Distinguished Vannist scholars included Dom Antoine Calmet, Dom Rémy Ceillier
, Dom Jean François, Dom Nicolas Tabouillot and Dom Ambroise Pelletier. The noted Dom Perignon
, of champagne fame, was a member of this Congregation.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Congrégation de Saint-Vanne et Saint-Hydulphe), sometimes also known as the Vannists (Vannistes) was a Benedictine reform movement centred on Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
. It was formally established in 1604 on the initiative of Dom Didier de La Cour, prior of the Abbey of St. Vanne
Congregation of St. Vanne
The Congregation of St. Vanne or Congregation of St. Vanne and St. Hydulphe , sometimes also known as the Vannists was a Benedictine reform movement centred on Lorraine. It was formally established in 1604 on the initiative of Dom Didier de La Cour, prior of the Abbey of St...
near Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, a reformer of the Benedictine Order after the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
. The Abbey of St. Hydulphe at Moyenmoutier
Moyenmoutier
Moyenmoutier is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Médianimonastériens.-Geography:...
was a secondary centre of the reform.
The response to the attempts to return the Benedictine houses to a more rigorous way of life in accordance with the Rule, combined with serious study and scholarship, was very positive, but Lorraine was not at that time under the French crown. A parallel movement specifically for the French Benedictine houses, on the same principles as those of the Congregation of St. Vanne, was therefore launched from the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, just beyond the outskirts of early medieval Paris, was the burial place of Merovingian kings of Neustria...
in 1621, and gave rise to the Congregation of St. Maur, which in the event became far better known than the Vannists.
The Congregation of St. Vanne continued however in Lorraine in parallel to that of St. Maur until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, when both were abolished.
Distinguished Vannist scholars included Dom Antoine Calmet, Dom Rémy Ceillier
Rémy Ceillier
Dom Rémy Ceillier was a Benedictine monk of the Lorraine Congregation of St. Vanne. He was the compiler of an immense Histoire générale des auteurs sacrés et ecclésiastiques , being a history and analysis of the writings of all the ecclesiastical writers of the first thirteen centuries...
, Dom Jean François, Dom Nicolas Tabouillot and Dom Ambroise Pelletier. The noted Dom Perignon
Dom Pérignon (person)
Dom Pierre Pérignon, O.S.B., was a French Benedictine monk who made important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine in an era when the region's wines were predominantly still and red...
, of champagne fame, was a member of this Congregation.
Sources
- Michaux, Gérard Michaux, 1998: Dom Didier de La Cour et la réforme des Bénédictins de Saint-Vanne in: Les Prémontrés et la Lorraine XIIe - XVIIIe siècle, pp. 125-144 (XXIIIe colloque du Centre d'études et de recherches prémontrées, under the direction of Dominique-Marie Dauzet and Martine Plouvier). Paris: Beauchesne.