ASTRAIN, ANTONIO. — Jesuit and historian, born at Undiano (Navarra) on 17 Nov. 1857, died at Loyola on 4 Jan. 1928. Gifted with excellent qualities as a writer and historian, he first devoted himself to directing the *Mensajero del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús* and the important publication *Monumenta Historica S. I.* From 1895 onward, he dedicated himself exclusively to writing the history of his Order in the European and overseas provinces of Spanish-speaking regions, visiting libraries and archives in various parts of the world for this purpose.
The work finally appeared in 7 volumes: *Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en la Asistencia de España* (Madrid 1902-1925). Rich in documentation, largely unpublished, and composed according to the highest scientific standards, with full mastery of the subject, it constitutes a source of primary value even for the history of the Church in Spanish lands. The author also wrote a *Vida breve de s. Ignacio* (Madrid 1921) and was an assiduous contributor to various periodicals (*Razón y Fe*, *Gregorianum*, etc.) of the Catholic Encyclopedia.