JEAN LEJEUNE. — French sacred orator, b. at Dôle in 1592, d. at Limoges on 19 Aug. 1672. A member of the Oratory of Jesus founded by Bérulle in 1611, he distinguished himself by the holiness of his life devoted to the service of the faith and by the original treatment of his sermons, in which he chose moral subjects rather than dogmatic disquisitions, succeeding in captivating his listeners.
Lejeune’s eloquence was indeed warm and persuasive, tinged with popular accents that keep its fervor alive even today, though his language was somewhat incorrect and his style agitated and improper. His *Sermons* (10 vols., Toulouse 1662) were later reprinted under the title *Le missionnaire de l'Oratoire* (cf. the Lyon edition in 15 vols., 1825–27).
Bibl.: G. Gecus, *Histoire religieuse*, Paris 1922, pp. 412 ff.; Pastor, XIII, pp. 562 ff.; A. Molien, s.V. in *DThC*, IX, cols. 1931–96.