MAUNOIR, Julien, Blessed. - Jesuit, missionary of Brittany, b. at St-Georges-de-Reintembault on 1 Oct. 1606, d. at Plévin on 28 Jan. 1683. After completing his studies he planned to leave for the missions of Canada, but, struck by a serious infection that was about to carry him to the grave, he made a vow that if he recovered he would devote himself to the Breton missions. He did in fact recover, and began his apostolic activity at Douarnenez and on the islands of Ouessant and Molène (1641).

He found in Brittany a people spiritually abandoned, and in 42 years of missions he completely transformed it; at first by traversing its dioceses with the old p. P. Bernard, later by organizing an association of missionary priests from the diocesan clergy, who reached the number of 1000, with whom he accomplished the gigantic work of restoration. His method was based on preaching and popular catechisms, making use of symbolic pictures and spiritual hymns, in which the principal truths of faith and morals were expressed; to the general communions he joined religious processions representing particular mysteries of the life and passion of the Redeemer. He also organized spiritual exercises, both closed and open, for all the people; to which end he opened a special house at Quimper, where each year about 1000 priests and laypeople made their retreat. The M. had the gift of miracles. He was beatified by Pius XII on 20 May 1951.

M. composed many popular spiritual writings in the Breton language. M. la Nobletz was his disciple.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: A. Sejourné, Histoire du ven. s. d. D. J. M., 2 vols., Paris 1895; M. Questel, Un apôtre de la Bretagne, le ven. p. J. M., ibid. 1921; M. Le Berre, Un grand missionnaire breton. Le v. p. M., Rennes 1931; P. d'Herouville, Le Vincent Ferrier du XVIIe siècle. Le ven. J. M., Paris 1932; L. Kerbiriou, Les missions bretonnes, 2nd ed., Brest 1934, see index; P. d'Herouville and A. M. Lanz, G. M., Apostolo della Bretagna (1606-23), Rome 1951.

Arnaldo M. Lanz

@incollection{ec8_maunoir_julien_beato, author = {Lanz, Arnaldo Maria}, title = {Maunoir, julien, beato}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {504--505}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/maunoir-julien-beato} }

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Maunoir, Julien, Blessed

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