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Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier (8 December 1832 – 17 December 1916) was a French Dominican
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...
and
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, who served as the 76th Master of his Order from 1904 until 1916. He was
beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
by
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
on 20 November 1994.


Biography


Early life and education

Cormier was born Louis-Stanislas-Henri Cormier on 8 December 1832, the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, also called Immaculate Conception Day, celebrates the sinless lifespan and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, celebrate ...
, in
Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, of a well-to-do family of merchants. His father died when he was still young, after which his mother took him and his only brother Eugène to live near their uncle who was a priest. His brother Eugène died shortly afterwards. Cormier received his initial education at home. Later he studied in the school of the Christian Brothers. In 1846, at the age of thirteen, Cormier entered the
minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and ...
of the Diocese of Orléans. As a student he excelled in literature and even more so in music. He was proficient at playing the flageolet, the organ, and the ophicleide, and had a fine singing voice. Cormier maintained his enthusiasm for music throughout his life, especially
sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...
.
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
heard him play the organ on one occasion and declared him to be a "master of the art". Advancing to the Major
Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
of the diocese of Orléans which was conducted by the Sulpitian Fathers, Cormier studied philosophy and theology. He was admitted into the Third Order of Saint-Dominic while a seminarian. Cormier graduated at the top of his class. He was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
in 1856 by
Félix Dupanloup Mgr. Félix Antoine Philibert Dupanloup (3 January 180211 October 1878) was a French ecclesiastic. He was among the leaders of Liberal Catholicism in France. Biography Dupanloup was born at Saint-Félix, in Haute-Savoie, an illegitimate son of ...
,
Bishop of Orléans A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. Cormier was granted a dispensation to be ordained without having reached the canonical age.


Life in the Dominican Order

Shortly after his ordination for the diocese Cormier felt called to enter the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
, which had been officially re-established in France in 1850 after its
suppression Suppression may refer to: Laws * Suppression of Communism Act *Suppression order a type of censorship where a court rules that certain information cannot be published * Tohunga Suppression Act 1907, an Act of the Parliament of New Zealand aimed ...
by the French government. His inspiration for joining the Dominican Order reportedly was the holy life of the Dominican nun Agnes of Jesus. He went to
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain Flavigny-sur-Ozerain () is a commune in the French department of Côte-d'Or, in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The village was awarded membership in ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' ("France's most beautiful villages"). Geography The medieva ...
, where Henri Lacordaire had open a novitiate for the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). Cormier was given the necessary permission to leave the service of the diocese by Bishop Dupanloup and on 29 June 1856 he received the
habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
of the Order, beginning his
novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
at
Flavigny Abbey Flavigny Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery, now occupied by the Dominicans, in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Côte-d'Or ''département'', France. The monks at this abbey were the original makers of the well-known aniseed confectionery '' Anise de ...
, Côted'Or. It was at this time that he took the religious name Hyacinthe-Marie. Though Cormier excelled in his studies, he suffered from chronic
hemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
. His health problems were such that they prevented him from making his
religious profession In the Catholic Church, a religious profession is the solemn admission of men or women into consecrated life by means of the pronouncement of religious vows, typically the evangelical counsels. Usage The 1983 Code of Canon Law defines the te ...
. The fathers of the novitiate decided to send him home. The Master of the Order at the time, Alexandre Vincent Jandel, however, happened to visit that house making his canonical visit to the convent of Flavigny. Jandel was greatly impressed by Cormier's character and dedication. He became willing to make the case to the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
for a special dispensation for Cormier to be professed. The Master had him accompany him back to Rome as his personal secretary and sent him to the convent of
Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina ( la, Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, it, Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Pre ...
on the Aventine Hill, where an international novitiate had recently been established. Upon receiving the petition,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
agreed to let Cormier make his profession upon the condition that he be free from hemorrhage for one full month, but noting, "since it is not for him to live under the religious habit, it will be at least for him to die under it." Cormier then served as personal secretary to Jandrel. He repeatedly failed to meet the papal requirement, going as far as 29 days without an attack, but never a full month. He eventually fell so severely ill that he was expected to die. Given his condition, he was allowed to make a deathbed profession on 23 May 1859 in the chapter room of the Dominican convent of S. Sabina. Soon after this, however, he made a complete recovery.Order of Preachers Vocations
Accessed September 27, 2012
Following his profession, Cormier was appointed sub-
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 ...
at
Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina ( la, Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, it, Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Pre ...
. In 1863 he was elected prior of the convent of
Corbara Corbara is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. Geography The municipality borders with Angri, Lettere Lettere is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in t ...
in Corsica. Two years later he was installed as the first
Prior Provincial Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
of
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
, a post to which he was re-elected in 1869, and in which he served until 1874. Cormier was then appointed
prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
of the community in Marseilles, where he completed construction of a church and priory. He left this position when he was once more elected Prior Provincial in 1878, an office he held until 1888. He was subsequently elected
definitor {{Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar, Administrative and pastoral titles In the Catholic Church, a definitor (Latin for 'one who defines') is a title with different specific uses. There are secular definitors, who have a limited amount of oversight ...
for the
General Chapter A chapter ( la, capitulum or ') is one of several bodies of clergy in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Nordic Lutheran churches or their gatherings. Name The name derives from the habit of convening monks or canons for the read ...
at Lyons in 1891.


Proposed Cardinalate

Sadoc Szabo relates in his work ''Hyacinth Marie Cormier: 76th Master General of the Order of Preachers'' that in 1899 Pope Leo XIII began to make Cormier a cardinal but he was prevented because "the French government did not look favorably upon a cardinal chosen from a religious order to seek its interest as a member of the Roman Curia."


Master of the Order

After the General Chapter, Cormier was called to Rome as ''
socius Socius may refer to: * Socii, of the Roman Republic in classical times * a Latin noun meaning "comrade, friend, ally" (adjectival form: ''socialis'') and used to describe a bond or interaction between parties that are friendly, or at least civil; ...
'' to the newly elected Master of the Order,
Andreas Frühwirth Andreas Frühwirth, (21 August 1845 – 9 February 1933) was an Austrian friar of the Dominican Order. He was promoted to the rank of cardinal of the Catholic Church and served as the Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary. Life He w ...
, who was later became a cardinal. In Rome, Cormier was appointed
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
of the Order. On 21 May 1904 he was elected as Master of the Order at the general chapter held at the Convent of S. Maria de la Quercia near Viterbo. He held this post until 1916. As Master, he restored many suppressed provinces and erected new ones, including that of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Western United States of America. Cormier was noted for the quality of his retreats and his powerful preaching. His influence helped to bring about the beatifications of
Reginald of Orleans Reginald is a masculine given name in the English language. Etymology and history The meaning of Reginald is “King". The name is derived from the Latin ''Reginaldus'', which has been influenced by the Latin word ''regina'', meaning "queen". Th ...
, Bertrand Garrigua,
Raymond of Capua Raymond of Capua, (ca. 1303 – 5 October 1399) was a leading member of the Dominican Order and served as its Master of the Order of Preachers, Master General from 1380 until his death. First as Provincial superior, Prior Provincial of Lombar ...
, and Andrew Abellon. As Master of the Order, Cormier played a pivotal role in reorganizing the College of St. Thomas in Rome, the future
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy ...
, commonly referred to as the ''Angelicum''. The General Chapter in 1904 (
Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history. ...
) directed Cormier to develop the College into a ''studium generalissimum'' for the entire Order. Building on the legacy of the Order's first Roman ''studium'' at the priory of
Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina ( la, Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, it, Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Pre ...
founded in 1222 and the ''studium generale'' that had sprung from it by 1426 at the priory of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and that in 1577 became the College of Saint Thomas, Cormier established the new ''studium generalissimum'' as the principal vehicle of dissemination of orthodox Thomistic thought not only among the Dominicans, but also among the secular clergy. The college was elevated in status and renamed ''Pontificium Collegium Divi Thomae de Urbe'' in 1906. Cormier gave to the ''Angelicum'' his motto as Master General, ''caritas veritatis'', "the charity of truth." On Holy Thursday, 17 April 1916, just before his retirement Cormier delivered a speech to the '"Angelicum'' entitled ''Vie intime avec Jesus: allocution prononcee au College Angelique." The college would go on to be elevated in 1963 to the rank of Pontifical University.


Retirement and death

After the end of his term in 1916, Cormier retired to the priory at the
Basilica of San Clemente The Basilica of Saint Clement ( it, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano) is a Latin Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I located in Rome, Italy. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) ...
in Rome. He died there on the following 17 December at 12.30 pm after a brief illness. His body was laid in state at the church of S. Clemente. He was buried at the Campo Verano cemetery, Rome, in the tomb of the Order of Preachers. On 17 December 1934 his remains were transferred to the ''Angelicum'' University Church of Saints Dominic and Sixtus, where his body rests above the
high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
in one direction, and above the altar of the University Chapel directly behind it in the opposite direction.


Beatification

During his life Cormier was noted for his saintly qualities: "He gives peace to everything he touches." On numerous occasions he was seen by friars at the ''Angelicum'' to levitate in the air while praying before the
Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of the ...
.Vocations The cause for Cormier's
canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
was recognized by the Holy See in 1945, and he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 20 November 1994. His inspiration to Dominican life, Agnes of Jesus, was beatified in the same ceremony with him. In his sermon for the beatification
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
, the Pope noted that, in beatifying Cormier, "the Church wishes to recognize and honor the work of the human intellect, illuminated by faith." The feast of the Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier is celebrated by the Dominican Order as an
optional memorial A memorial in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church is a lower-ranked feast day in honour of a saint, the dedication of a church, or a mystery of the religion. All feast days are ranked according to their importance and named either as “ solem ...
on 21 May, the anniversary of his election as Master of the Order.


Notes and references

;References ;Works cited * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cormier, Hyacinth Marie 1832 births 1916 deaths French beatified people Dominican beatified people French Dominicans Masters of the Order of Preachers French Roman Catholic priests Clergy from Orléans Burials at Santi Domenico e Sisto Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II