Jean-Martin Moye
Encyclopedia
Jean-Martin Moye was a French Roman Catholic priest, a missionary in China
and the founder of the Sisters of Divine Providence. He was beatified in 1954.
. He then studied philosophy at the Jesuit College of Strasbourg
, and entered the theological Seminary of St-Simon, Metz
, in the fall of 1751.
Ordained a priest 9 March 1754, he was appointed a vicar in Metz the same month. A popular priest, he would to establish schools for country children. He began this work in 1763; in 1767, despite opposition, the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence was founded. That same year he was appointed superior of the little seminary of St. Dié.
Leaving the care of his sisterhood to two friends, Father Moye became a missionary. In 1769 he joined the Séminaire des Missions Etrangères at Paris, and in 1773 he was in eastern Sichuan
, China. Nine years of mission work, frequently interrupted by persecution and imprisonment, made him realize the necessity of Chinese help. In 1782 he founded the "Christian Virgins", religious women following the rules of the Congregation of Providence at home, devoting themselves to the care of the sick and to the Christian instruction Chinese women and children in their own homes.
Exhausted and ill, Father Moye returned to France in 1784. He resumed the direction of the Sisters of Divine Providence and evangelized Lorraine and Alsace by preaching missions. The French Revolution
of 1791 drove him into exile, and with his Sisters he retired to Trier
. After the capture of the city by the French troops, typhoid fever
broke out and, helped by his Sisters, he devoted himself to hospital work. He contracted the disease and died, in 1793. The spot where he was buried is now a public square.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and the founder of the Sisters of Divine Providence. He was beatified in 1954.
Life
He was the sixth of the thirteen children of Jacques Moye and Catharine Demange. His older brother, a seminarian, taught him the first rudiments of Latin, and he completed his classical studies at the College of Pont-à-MoussonPont-à-Mousson
Pont-à-Mousson is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.Population : 14,592 . It is an industrial town , situated on the Moselle River...
. He then studied philosophy at the Jesuit College of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, and entered the theological Seminary of St-Simon, Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, in the fall of 1751.
Ordained a priest 9 March 1754, he was appointed a vicar in Metz the same month. A popular priest, he would to establish schools for country children. He began this work in 1763; in 1767, despite opposition, the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence was founded. That same year he was appointed superior of the little seminary of St. Dié.
Leaving the care of his sisterhood to two friends, Father Moye became a missionary. In 1769 he joined the Séminaire des Missions Etrangères at Paris, and in 1773 he was in eastern Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, China. Nine years of mission work, frequently interrupted by persecution and imprisonment, made him realize the necessity of Chinese help. In 1782 he founded the "Christian Virgins", religious women following the rules of the Congregation of Providence at home, devoting themselves to the care of the sick and to the Christian instruction Chinese women and children in their own homes.
Exhausted and ill, Father Moye returned to France in 1784. He resumed the direction of the Sisters of Divine Providence and evangelized Lorraine and Alsace by preaching missions. The French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
of 1791 drove him into exile, and with his Sisters he retired to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
. After the capture of the city by the French troops, typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
broke out and, helped by his Sisters, he devoted himself to hospital work. He contracted the disease and died, in 1793. The spot where he was buried is now a public square.