HOLZHAUSER, BARTHOLOMÄUS. — Founder of the Bartolomites (v.), born at Laugna (diocese of Augsburg) on 24 Aug. 1613, died at Bingen am Rhein on 20 May 1658. Destined for the ecclesiastical career, already during his studies at the University of Ingolstadt he had conceived the idea of founding an institute of secular priests living in community, in order to raise the prestige of the clergy and enhance their spiritual activity.
The plan began to be put into practice as soon as he was appointed canon at Tittmoning (1640–42), and continued while he was dean and parish priest at S. Johann in Tirol (1642–55) and parish priest at Bingen (1655–58). At his death, the Institute had entered the dioceses of Salzburg, Freising, Eichstätt, Würzburg, and Mainz. He knew how to combine ardent piety and zeal with great literary activity, through which he reveals himself as a profound ascetic and an expert director and pastor.
Of his works, all published posthumously, besides those concerning the formation of his fellow priests: Constitutiones clericorum saecularium in communi suventium (Cologne 1662); Instructionse de via perfectionis et principiis practicis pro statu clericali et pastorali (Rome 1682); Constitutiones pro spirituali temporalique directione Iustituti (ibid. 1684), there should be mentioned the Tractatus de humanitate (Mainz 1663) and the two much-discussed works: Visiones (Bamberg 1784) and Explicatio in Apocalypsim (ibid. 1784).