Louis-Charles Couturier
Encyclopedia
Louis-Charles Couturier was a French Benedictine
, abbot of the monastery of Saint-Pierre at Solesmes and President of the French Congregation of Benedictines.
in Anjou
and at the grand séminaire of Angers
, and was ordained priest 12 March 1842. After teaching history at Combrée from 1836 to 1854, he entered, in the latter year, the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Pierre at Solesmes, then newly restored by Dom Guéranger.
Guérangerappointed him master of novices one month after his profession, and towards the end of 1861 made him prior
of the monastery. On the death of Guéranger he was unanimously elected Abbot (11 February 1875). Pope Pius IX
appointed him consultor of the Sacred Congregation of the Index, and granted him and his successors the privilege of wearing the cappa magna.
Couturier and his monks were forcibly expelled from their monastery by the government, on 6 November 1880, and, having attempted to reoccupy it, they were driven out a second time on 29 March 1882. During the remainder of Couturier's life the community lived in three separate houses in the town of Solesmes
, using the parochial church as their abbey church.
Couturier encouraged writers among his monks, and restored old and deserted monasteries, as well as fostering the foundations made by Guéranger. On 28 March 1876, he raised the priory of St. Mary Magdalene at Marseilles to the dignity of an abbey; in 1880 he restored and repeopled the monastery of Silos in Spain; in July, 1889, he established the priory of Saint-Paul at Wisques, in the Diocese of Arras; and on 15 September 1890, shortly before his death, he reopened the ancient monastery of Glanfeuil in the Diocese of Angers, deserted since the French Revolution
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
, abbot of the monastery of Saint-Pierre at Solesmes and President of the French Congregation of Benedictines.
Life
He was educated at the petit séminaire of CombréeCombrée
Combrée is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.-Demographics:-References:*...
in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
and at the grand séminaire of Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, and was ordained priest 12 March 1842. After teaching history at Combrée from 1836 to 1854, he entered, in the latter year, the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Pierre at Solesmes, then newly restored by Dom Guéranger.
Guérangerappointed him master of novices one month after his profession, and towards the end of 1861 made him prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the monastery. On the death of Guéranger he was unanimously elected Abbot (11 February 1875). Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
appointed him consultor of the Sacred Congregation of the Index, and granted him and his successors the privilege of wearing the cappa magna.
Couturier and his monks were forcibly expelled from their monastery by the government, on 6 November 1880, and, having attempted to reoccupy it, they were driven out a second time on 29 March 1882. During the remainder of Couturier's life the community lived in three separate houses in the town of Solesmes
Solesmes
Solesmes is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in northwestern France.It is located near Sablé.The commune is almost entirely agricultural, but is especially noted as the site of the Benedictine St. Peter's Abbey, originally founded in 1010 and re-established by...
, using the parochial church as their abbey church.
Couturier encouraged writers among his monks, and restored old and deserted monasteries, as well as fostering the foundations made by Guéranger. On 28 March 1876, he raised the priory of St. Mary Magdalene at Marseilles to the dignity of an abbey; in 1880 he restored and repeopled the monastery of Silos in Spain; in July, 1889, he established the priory of Saint-Paul at Wisques, in the Diocese of Arras; and on 15 September 1890, shortly before his death, he reopened the ancient monastery of Glanfeuil in the Diocese of Angers, deserted since 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...
.