ORATORY OF JESUS AND MARY IMMACULATE - Portrait of Pierre de Bérulle, canvas by Philippe de Champagne - Paris, Seminary of St. Sulpice.
ORATORY OF JESUS AND OF IMMACULATE MARY. - A society of priests living in community without vows, founded in Paris in 1611 by Pierre de Bérulle (v.). Its inspiration came to him from the Roman institution of St. Philip Neri, and its encouragement from St. Francis de Sales. On 10 May 1613 Paul V approved it with an apostolic brief.
The purpose of the new institution was to raise the tone of the clergy's life through a greater understanding of their own duties, a deeper spirituality and a more solid culture. To achieve this purpose de Bérulle and his disciples neglected nothing, and the success obtained was very considerable. At the founder's death the Oratory had no fewer than 45 houses, overcoming difficulties of every kind. De Bérulle was the spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul, and Condren, his successor, was the director of Olier: in this way it prepared the masters of the French school of spirituality. Father Bourgoing (1641-62) opened the first seminaries in Paris, Rouen and Toulouse; he established the Society with the Constitutions that were approved by Innocent X in 1654, spread de Bérulle's doctrine and published his works. Men illustrious for learning made the Oratory famous: 5 of its members belonged to the French Academy, 6 to the Academy of Inscriptions and 7 to the Academy of Sciences. Despite this glorious past, the Revolution of 1792 also swept away the Oratory, and its members were dispersed. It was able to reconstitute itself in 1852 with Fathers Pététot, Gratry and Valrager, and a decree of the Holy See of 1864 approved this reconstitution and declared that it was nothing other than the continuation of de Bérulle's work. The Constitutions were approved in 1892. The Oratory carries on its formative work mainly in minor seminaries and colleges. Cardinal Perraud, superior from 1884 to 1901, took up again the glorious tradition of the past. Hard pressed by the laws of 1901, the Oratory has regained universal admiration through the activity of illustrious writers, among them Cardinal Baudrillart (v.).
Bibliography7 worksA. Perraud, L'Oratoire de France au XVIIe et au XIXe siècle, Paris 1866; H. Houssaye, M. de Bérulle, 3 vols., ibid. 1872-75; P. Lallement, H
BIBL.: A. Perraud, L'Oratoire de France au XVIIe et au XIXe siècle, Paris 1866; H. Houssaye, M. de Bérulle, 3 vols., ibid. 1872-75; P. Lallement, Histoire de l'éducation dans l'ancien Oratoire de France, ibid. 1888; P. Battrel, Mém. domestiques pour servir à l'histoire de l'Oratoire, 4 vols., ibid. 1902-1903; J. Lebetpeur, L'Oratoire de France, ibid. 1926; A. George, L'Oratoire, ibid. 1928; A. Mollien, s. v. in DThC, XI, coll. 1104-38.
Guny, Andrea. “Oratorio di Gesù e di Maria Immacolata.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, col. 206. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/oratorio-di-gesu-e-di-maria-immacolata.
MLA
Guny, Andrea. “Oratorio di Gesù e di Maria Immacolata.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, col. 206. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/oratorio-di-gesu-e-di-maria-immacolata.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec9_oratorio_di_gesu_e_di_maria_im,
author = {Guny, Andrea},
title = {Oratorio di Gesù e di Maria Immacolata},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {IX},
pages = {206},
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/oratorio-di-gesu-e-di-maria-immacolata}
}
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