Huby, Vincent

HUBY, VINCENT. - Popular missionary and ascetical writer, b. at Hennebont in Brittany on 15 March 1608, d. at Vannes on 22 March 1693. Having entered the Society of Jesus in Paris (1625), he was a companion of the ven. Julien Maunoir (v.), whom he emulated in virtue and zeal.

After having been a professor of letters and of moral theology, he directed the College of Quimper (1649-52) and finally devoted himself to the missions in Brittany. Convinced of the need to extend the benefits of the Spiritual Exercises (v.) of St. Ignatius of Loyola to the laity as well, he founded and directed the first house of closed retreats, erected for this purpose at Vannes. It soon saw retreatants of every class flock to it, and among the most assiduous was the bishop of Tréguier, Granger de Liverdis.

H.'s example was followed by Maunoir, who opened another house at Quimper, then grafted the work of the retreats onto that of the rural missions, giving preachings of exercises to the people. H. went on promoting foundations of similar houses, so that at his death almost every principal city of France possessed them. He left several spiritual writings and an account, La retraite de Vannes ou la façon dont la retraite se fait dans Vannes sous la conduite des Pères de la C. d. J., et les grands biens que Dieu opère par elle (Vannes 1678), as well as a formative work for the clergy, Le bon prêtre (ibid. 1683).

Arnaldo M. Lanz