HOLZHAUSER, BARTHOLOMÄUS. - Founder of the Bartholomites (v.), b. at Laugna (diocese of Augsburg) on 24 Aug. 1613, d. at Bingen am Rhein on 20 May 1658. Destined for an ecclesiastical career, already during his studies at the University of Ingolstadt he had conceived the idea, in order to raise the prestige of the clergy and enhance its spiritual activity, of founding an institute of secular priests living a common life.

The plan began to be put into effect as soon as he was appointed canon at Tittmoning (1640-42) and continued while he was dean and parish priest at St. 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. To his ardent piety and zeal he was able to join a great activity as a writer, through which he reveals himself a profound ascetic and an expert director and pastor.

Of his works, all published posthumously, besides those concerning the formation of his colleagues: 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), mention should be made of the Tractatus de humanitate (Mainz 1663) and the two much-discussed ones: Visiones (Bamberg 1784) and Explicatio in Apocalypsim (ibid. 1784).

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: J. P. L. Gaduel, La perfection sacerdotale ou la vie et l'esprit du servit. de Dieu B. H., Orléans-Paris 1861 (Italian trans., Monza 1862); 3rd ed. Paris 1901; id., Ven. Servi Dei B. H. opuscula ecclesiastica, ibid. 1861; anonymous, Vita del ven. B. H., 2 vols., Monza 1897. Cf. also F. Kampers, Über die Auslegung der Apokalypse durch B. H., in Hist.-polit. Blätter, 118 (1866), pp. 142-45, and the observations of P. M., ibid., pp. 326-56; P. Brüder, Zum dreihundertjährigen Geburtsjubiläum des ehrw. B. H., in Der Katholik, 66 (1913), pp. 116-26; M. Heienbucher, Die Orden u. Kongregationen, II, 3rd ed., Paderborn 1934, pp. 595-98.

Celestino Testore

@incollection{ec6_holzhauser_bartholomaus, author = {Testore, Celestino}, title = {Holzhauser, bartholomäus}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {1467}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/holzhauser-bartholomaus} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Holzhauser, Bartholomäus

About this entry