Gustave Delacroix de Ravignan
Encyclopedia
Gustave François Xavier Delacroix de Ravignan (born on 2 December 1795 in Bayonne
, France
; died on 26 February 1858 in Paris
, France
) was a French Jesuit preacher
and author
. Educated in Paris
, he resigned his army commission to study law. Auditor of the royal court. Deputy attorney-general by 1821.
Entering a Sulpician monastery
, and later joining the Society of Jesus
, he was ordained in 1828, and after several years as professor
and retreat preacher
at Montrouge
, he went to Notre Dame
, where his logic, serenity, and zeal won souls by the hundreds. Superior of his brethren at Bordeaux
from 1837 to 1842, and at Paris
from 1848 to 1851. He preached throughout France
and in Rome
, Belgium
, and London
. His calm, eloquent De l'Existence et de l'Institut des Jesuites of 1844, vindicating the Society, sold 25,000 copies in one year. However, the Jesuits' strife continued until they were forced to disband for a time in France
.
Despite painful controversy with his superiors and imputations from other quarters, he remained loyal to his order. In 1854 he brought out Clement XIII et Clement XIV, a dispassionate treatise
, of no great literary merit, on the defender and the suppressor of the Jesuits. He steadfastly refused preferment, even the archbishopric of Paris, devoting himself to other works. He died a saintly death, and thousands followed the remains of the "Apostle of Paris" to his grave.
His biography was written by Jean Joseph François Poujoulat
(2. Ed. 1862).
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; died on 26 February 1858 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was a French Jesuit preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Educated in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he resigned his army commission to study law. Auditor of the royal court. Deputy attorney-general by 1821.
Entering a Sulpician monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, and later joining the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, he was ordained in 1828, and after several years as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and retreat preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
at Montrouge
Montrouge
Montrouge is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the center of Paris, France. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
, he went to Notre Dame
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
, where his logic, serenity, and zeal won souls by the hundreds. Superior of his brethren at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
from 1837 to 1842, and at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from 1848 to 1851. He preached throughout France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His calm, eloquent De l'Existence et de l'Institut des Jesuites of 1844, vindicating the Society, sold 25,000 copies in one year. However, the Jesuits' strife continued until they were forced to disband for a time in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Despite painful controversy with his superiors and imputations from other quarters, he remained loyal to his order. In 1854 he brought out Clement XIII et Clement XIV, a dispassionate treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
, of no great literary merit, on the defender and the suppressor of the Jesuits. He steadfastly refused preferment, even the archbishopric of Paris, devoting himself to other works. He died a saintly death, and thousands followed the remains of the "Apostle of Paris" to his grave.
Works
- De l'existence et de l'institut des Jésuites (7. Ed., Par. 1855)
- Clément XIII et Clément XIV (2. Ed. 1856, 2 Vols.)
- Conférences prêchées à Notre-Dame de Paris (2. Ed. 1867, 4 Vols.)
- Entretiens spirituels (2 Vols).
His biography was written by Jean Joseph François Poujoulat
Jean Joseph François Poujoulat
Jean Joseph François Poujoulat , was a French historian and journalist.Poujoulat was co-author with Joseph François Michaud of the Bibliothèque des Croisades, and traveled with him through European and Asiatic Turkey in the study of the scenes of the Crusades...
(2. Ed. 1862).