Prosper Guéranger

Dom Prosper Guéranger , born with Sanded (the Sarthe) the April 4th 1805, deceased with Solesmes the January 30th 1875, was a French monk, restorer of the order Bénédictin in France.

After an interruption of the monastic life in France which lasted since the French revolution (law of February 13rd 1790), it restores one of the oldest religious orders of the Christianisme. It is also known to have reunified the Liturgie in France, and to have written the liturgical year which was the initiation of the liturgical Mouvement.

Biography

Resulting from a family of the lower middle class, Prosper Guéranger very young person is marked by the romantic ideas . The Génie of Christianity of Chateaubriand, which it reads precociously, inspires in particular a idealized and romantic vision to him of the medieval Christianisme .

Under the influence of the doctrines Ultramontain be of Félicité on Lamennais, it enters to the small seminar in 1822. During its studies, it reads the Pères of the Church, and is interested in particular in the history of the Church and that of the monastic life.

It is ordered priest the October 7th 1827 with Tours, and quickly named Chanoine of the cathedral. There, he undertakes to use the Roman Missel for the offices, contrary to the various French missals traditionally employed by the clergy gallican. This choice reveals on the one hand its preoccupation with a unit with Rome and on the other hand, a romantic love for the past, and the “perfume of antiquity” which release the Roman formulas, within the framework of a revival of the liturgical practices , which he wants richer in symbols, more mysterious and solemn.

It is in this idea of revival of the Liturgie that it decides to restore in France the Ordre of saint Benoît, removed to the French revolution. For this purpose, it acquires old a Prieuré Benedictine, in Solesmes, in December 1832. For the development of the constitutions of its kind, it is inspired mainly by those of the Mauriste S French, Benedictines reformed at the 17th century, while insisting in particular on the importance of the studies and the intellectual life of the monks.

The July 11th 1833, the monastic life begins again officially in Solesmes. The July 14th 1837, the restoration of the order is approved by the Pape Gregoire XVI. Solesmes is then set up in Abbaye bénédictine of which dom Guéranger is the first Abbé, and superior of a congregation which takes the name of Congrégation of Solesmes, or “French Congregation about Benoît saint”.

Influence

The influence of Dom Prosper Guéranger was considerable on the order Benedictine in France, where other abbeys and priories are attached to this congregation (Abbaye Saint Martin's day de Ligugé, Monastère of Ganagobie, Holy-Cecile de Solesmes, Holy-Anne de Kergonan, Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, etc)

Dom Guéranger is also one of the inspirers of the movement which one calls liturgical Mouvement, continued until the Concile Vatican II. The purpose of this movement was to better make known and to like the traditional mass, at the same time with the priests and the faithful ones. For this purpose, Dom Guéranger undertook in particular the restoration of the Gregorian chant medieval, and gave with the publication of the Liturgical year a comment of the texts of the liturgy.

Sainte Therese de Lisieux regularly read the liturgical year with his/her sisters during her childhood.

Biography

• Alphonse Guépin, Solesmes and Dom Guéranger , Mans, 1876.

• Dom Takes laths off, Dom Guéranger, abbot of Solesmes , Paris-Turns, 1902,2 vol. rééd. Solesmes, 1981.
• Louis Soltner, Solesmes and Dom Guéranger , Solesmes, 1974.
• Guy-Marie Oury, Dom Guéranger, monk in the middle of the Church , Solesmes, 2001.
• Mixtures Dom Guéranger. history, liturgy, spirituality , Solesmes, 2005.

Internal bonds

• Religious orders alphabetically

• List of the monastic orders