MARIN, MICHEL-ANGE. - Writer and historian of the Minims, b. at Marseille on 23 Dec. 1697, d. there on 3 Apr. 1767. Having entered the Order at Avignon, he was for many years professor of philosophy and theology there. A spiritual director, he inculcated in laypeople the practice of spiritual exercises, and, in order to assist young women, he founded the Soeurs de la Retraite, with rules inspired by the spirit of Sts. Ignazio and Francesco di Sales.
A good man of letters, he published many ascetical-moral works in novel form, so that Christian morality might be seen in the actions of the chosen hero.
Worthy of mention among others are: Conduite spirituelle de la soeur Violet (Avignon 1740); Virginie ou la vierge chrétienne (there 1752); Theodule ou l'enfant de bénédiction (there 1767; often printed, also in Italian), etc. He left an excellent work of Catholic apologetics: Le baron de van Hesden, ou la République des incrédules (5 vols., Toulouse 1762). Important is his learned collection Vies des pères des desertes d'Orient, avec leur doctrine spirituelle et leur discipline monastique (3 vols., Avignon 1761; 9 vols., there 1764, Lyons 1824). This work received three laudatory briefs from Clemente XIII, who urged the author to collect in a single body all the acts of the martyrs; M. began the new work, but died after completing only two volumes. His Lettres ascétiques et morales appeared posthumously in 2 vols. (Avignon 1769).