GIRY, FRANÇOIS. - Minim friar, writer, historian, hagiographer, and mystic. B. in Parigi on 15 Sept. 1638, d. there on 29 Nov. 1688. Of noble family (his father was one of the first members of the French Academy), having overcome serious opposition, he entered the Minims, professing their Rule on 30 Nov. 1653. He studied theology under the direction of Fr. Barré (v.), of whom later, having himself become provincial, he was the most effective supporter in the foundation of the schools, and the first successor in the direction of the Institute.
He wrote esteemed ascetical works, for example: Traité de la 1st Enfance de N. S. J. Christ (Parigi 1670); Entretiens de J. Christ avec l'âme chrétienne (there 1674); Livre des cent points de l'humanité (there 1679). Among his historical works, mention should be made of the Dissertatio chronologica de anno natali et aetate s. Francisci de Paula (there 1680), intended to correct an erroneous opinion of the Bollandist Fr. Papebroch. His best-known work is Les vies des Saints (2 folio vols., Parigi 1683-85), which went through very numerous editions down to the present day and was made the basis of the collection Les petites Bollandistes, published in Parigi under the editorship of P. Guérin (17th ed., 1876).