Blessed Apostle of Brittany
Blessed Julien Maunoir, S.J. ("The Apostle of Brittany") (born October 1, 1606 AD in Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, Brittany, France; died January 28, 1683 AD in Plevin, Brittany, France) was a French Jesuit priest who devoted 43 years to preaching popular missions in Brittany in the Breton language, earning the title "Apostle of Brittany." He compiled the first Breton-French dictionary, wrote Breton catechisms and sacred dramas, and helped revitalize Breton Catholic life in the 17th century. He was beatified by Pope Pius XII on May 20, 1951. His feast day is January 28.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Apostle of Brittany
| Blessed Apostle of Brittany | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 28 |
| Profession | Jesuit priest; missionary; linguist; poet; author (Breton catechisms, dictionary, sacred dramas); Apostle of Brittany; popular mission preacher |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Society of Jesus (Jesuits); French Catholic Church; Breton Catholic tradition; 17th-century Catholic renewal (Counter-Reformation France) |
| Patronage | Brittany; Breton language and culture; missionaries; linguists and translators; preachers; catechists; the Diocese of Quimper; the Society of Jesus in France |
| Attributes | Jesuit cassock and collar; a Breton cross (Celtic design); a book (his Breton dictionary or catechism); a preaching scene; Celtic knotwork; the Breton coast |
| Birthplace | Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, Brittany, France |
| Death Place | Plevin, Brittany, France |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died January 28, 1683, at Plevin in Brittany, France; he was 76 years old; he died at the conclusion of a mission he was preaching in Plevin, having spent the last 43 years of his life conducting missions across Brittany in the Breton language; he had preached an estimated 433 missions to approximately 2 million Bretons during those decades; his death at the conclusion of a mission — still active in apostolic work until the end — was seen as a model of the Jesuit apostolic life; he was beatified by Pope Pius XII on May 20, 1951 |
| Primary Shrine | Plevin, Finistère, Brittany, France — his death site; January 28 feast; Breton Catholic pilgrimage; the "Apostle of Brittany" veneration |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; January 28 feast in France and in the Society of Jesus |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Julien Maunoir was born October 1, 1606, in Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault in Brittany. He entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a Jesuit priest.
Under the influence of the Breton missionary Michel Le Nobletz, he determined to devote himself to the evangelization of Brittany in the Breton language. He mastered Breton and began preaching popular missions across the region in 1640.
For 43 years, he preached an estimated 433 missions to approximately 2 million Bretons. He adapted the Jesuit mission format to Breton culture, using sacred dramas (mystères), devotional songs, catechetical images (taolennoù), and his own Breton-French dictionary and catechetical writings.
He died January 28, 1683, at Plevin in Finistère — at the conclusion of the last mission of his life. He was 76 years old.
He was beatified by Pope Pius XII on May 20, 1951.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, Brittany, France
Death location: Plevin, Brittany, France
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Feast day
January 28
Veneration
Blessed Julien Maunoir (1606–1683), the "Apostle of Brittany," was a French Jesuit who spent 43 years preaching missions in the Breton language to the Celtic people of Brittany, compiling the first Breton-French dictionary, and using sacred drama and visual catechesis to renew Breton Catholic life. He preached 433 missions to approximately 2 million Bretons. Beatified Pius XII, 1951. Feast January 28.
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