Francis Wichmans (1596–1661), in religion Augustinus, was a Premonstratensian spiritual author, missionary, and abbot of
Tongerlo Abbey
Tongerlo Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery at Tongerlo in Westerlo near Antwerp, Belgium.
History
It was founded in 1128 in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Giselbert of Kasterlee, who not only gave the land, but also himself became a ...
. In the last capacity he sat in the
First Estate
The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed and ...
of the
States of Brabant
The States of Brabant were the representation of the three estates (nobility, clergy and commons) to the court of the Duke of Brabant. The three estates were also called the States. Supported by the economic strength of the cities Antwerp, Brusse ...
.
Life
Wichmans was born Antwerp on 7 January 1596, son of Godewart Wijchmans and Catlijn van den Eynde, and was baptised in St. James' Church, Antwerp the same day. As a teenager he entered Tongerlo Abbey, being clothed in the habit on 21 September 1612 and taking the name in religion Augustinus. He made his profession on 22 September 1613, and was ordained priest 4 March 1620. On 14 February 1622 he matriculated at Leuven University, where he graduated
Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacre ...
.
Recalled to the abbey, from 23 April 1628 he filled the offices of
master of novices
In the Roman Catholic Church, a novice master or master of novices, lat. ''Magister noviciorum'', is a member of a religious institute who is responsible for the training and government of the novitiate in that institute. In religious institutes f ...
and circator. In 1630 he was made parish priest of Mierlo, and
rural dean
In the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion as well as some Lutheran denominations, a rural dean is a member of clergy who presides over a "rural deanery" (often referred to as a deanery); "ruridecanal" is the corresponding adjective ...
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
in 1629, Bishop Michael Ophovius was obliged to leave his city, and resided at
Geldrop
Geldrop is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is in the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo, around 5 km east of Eindhoven city centre.
Geldrop was a separate municipality until 2004, when it merged with Mierlo.
Geldrop is noted ...
, three miles from Mierlo. The bishop's diary shows that Ophovius conferred almost daily with Wichmans on the affairs of his diocese.
In 1632 Wichmans was transferred to the parish of
Tilburg
Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
, in the same diocese, and was made rural dean of
Hilvarenbeek
Hilvarenbeek () is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium.
The biggest tourist attraction is called Beekse Bergen, consisting of a safari park, amusement park/playground, holiday bungalow park, a ...
. In 1634 the Retorsion laws were made, whereby Catholic priests were expelled, their churches confiscated and handed over to Protestant preachers. Wichmans resided at Alphen, a village just outside the boundaries and six miles from Tilburg. From this place he administered his parish, at the risk of his liberty and even his life, but in 1638–39 he was living in exile in Antwerp.
Wichmans was elected coadjutor to Abbot Verbraecken of Tongerlo on 1 July 1642 and installed on 11 January 1643. When Verbraecken died on 22 June 1644, Wichmans succeeded him as abbot, being installed by
Johannes Chrysostomus vander Sterre
Johannes Chrysostomus vander Sterre (1591–1652), sometimes Jean Chrysostome Van der Sterre or Joannes Chrysostomus Stella, was an ecclesiastical writer and abbot of St. Michael's Abbey, Antwerp.
Life
Vander Sterre was born in 's-Hertogenbosch on ...
on 9 July, and consecrated by bishop De Bergaigne of 's-Hertogenbosch. As motto he took ''SIcut aquila'' ("Like an Eagle"). As abbot of Tongerlo he sat in the States of Brabant, and in 1647 he was elected first member of the Standing Committee.
Wichmans promoted education in his abbey; in 1647 six of his religious graduated at Louvain, and a seventh in Rome. He erected or decorated several chapels in honour of the Blessed Virgin. In his final years much of his time was dedicating to repairs following a fire at the abbey on 27 April 1657. He rebuilt the church tower and had a carillon installed.
Wichmans died in Mechelen on 11 February 1661, and was buried in Tongerlo Abbey church.N.J. Weyns, "Wichmans, Augustinus" Nationaal Biografisch Woordenboek vol. 5 (Brussels, 1972), 1003-1009
Works
* (under the pen name Joannes Baptista Wils), ''Epigrammata de viris sanctimonia illustribus ex Ordine Praemonstratensi'' (Leuven,
Joannes Masius Jan Maes or Joannes Masius (active 1566–1615) was a printer and bookseller in the university town of Leuven in the Habsburg Netherlands.
Career
Masius, a native of Leuven, moved to Antwerp to work for Christopher Plantin at the Plantin Press in 1 ...
, 1615)
* ''Rosa candida et rubicunda'' (Antwerp,
Hieronymus Verdussen Verdussen was a dynasty of printers in Antwerp, starting with Hieronymus Verdussen I in the late sixteenth century, and ending around 1800. Many other printers in Antwerp were also related to the Verdussens through marriage. They specialized in reli ...
, 1625), on the murder of
Peter Janssens
Peter Janssens (17 June 1934 – 24 December 1998) was a German musician and composer who wrote and performed incidental music for several theatres, and songs and musicals of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied, a pioneer of . He worked at a Germa ...
* ''Apotheca spiritualium pharmacorum'' (Antwerp, Hieronymus Verdussen, 1626) on Google Books * ''Sabbatismus Marianus'' (Antwerp, Gulielmus à Tungris, 1628) on Google Books ** Dutch translation by Mattheus Willems, ''Den Saterdagh van Onse Lieve Vrouwe'' (Antwerp, 1633)
** French translation by I. van Spilbeeck, ''Origine, utilité et pratique de la consécration du samedi de chaque semaine, à la Très-Sainte-Vierge'' (Namur, Brussels, Paris, 1890)
* ''Brabantia Mariana tripartita'' (Antwerp,
Joannes Cnobbaert
Jan or Joannes Cnobbaert (1590–1637) was a Flemish printer, publisher and bookseller who was active in Antwerp in the early 17th century.
Life
Cnobbaert was born in Antwerp in 1590. He married Maria de Man.on Google Books