JEAN RIGOLEUC. — Missionary, spiritual writer, b. at Quintin (Côtes-du-Nord) on 24 Dec. 1595, d. at Vannes on 27 Feb. 1658. He entered the Society of Jesus at Rouen (1617), and after completing the third year of probation under Fr. L. Lallemant (q.v.), he became himself an expert spiritual director.
Assigned to the mission field, he was at times a companion of Bl. Maunoir, and with Fr. V. Huby he founded the House for Spiritual Exercises at Vannes, where he devoted himself entirely to this kind of ministry, taking particular care of priests for whom he wrote several spiritual works, collected posthumously in two volumes: Instructions ecclésiastiques sur les principaux devoirs des confesseurs et des catéchistes... et sur l'usage du sacrement de Pénitence avec une retraite de 8 jours (Caen 1749). Some remained in manuscript: Abrégé des principaux devoirs des évêques; Mémoires sur l'état des paroisses, devoirs des prêtres et des recteurs; Abrégé de la doctrine du b. Jean de la Croix et du traité du card. de Bérulle de l'abnégation intérieure.
R. deserves credit for having gathered and preserved the teaching of Lallemant (q.v.). Similarly, Fr. P. Champion did for him, when writing R.’s life, he included many chapters of his doctrine, which was eminently Christocentric, especially in the sections: L'aimable Jésus ou exercice d'amour envers N.-S. Jésus-Christ; L'homme d'ovaison; Le pur amour ou les moyens d'y arriver et ses effets.