J. M. Lelen was French American priest and author, translator, poet, and philosopher who corresponded with many notable figures in his lifetime.

Early life

He was born Joseph Leleu at Sailly, France December 24, 1873. His family moved to

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

soon after. While growing up in Lille he met

Thérèse of Lisieux Thérèse of Lisieux (french: Thérèse de Lisieux ), born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), also known as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (), was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelite ...

who had come to Lille on a visit with her family. They were both the same age (seven) at the time. Joseph Lelen, a

French citizen French nationality law is historically based on the principles of '' jus soli'' (Latin for "right of soil") and '' jus sanguinis'', according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German definition of nationality, ''jus sanguinis'' ...

, served in the French Army until 1894, together with author

Hilaire Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (, ; 27 July 187016 July 1953) was a Franco-English writer and historian of the early twentieth century. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. H ...

, then a friend.

Commitment to religious life

He joined the

Sulpician Order The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris ...

and became a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

priest upon ordination at Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris on September 24, 1898. Father Lelen came to America in 1899, after working in France with the Sulpicians. He taught at Dunwoodie Seminary in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

. Later he traveled to France, then returned to North America serving in Canada and eventually

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. The climate in New Orleans did not agree with Fr. Lelen and he requested and was granted assignment in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, ...

in 1907. His first assignment was as chaplain of Good Shepherd Convent in

Fort Thomas, Kentucky Fort Thomas is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campb ...

. He became editor of "The Christian Year" the diocesan newspaper of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kento ...

in January 1912. He then served as pastor of St. Paul parish,

Florence, Kentucky Florence is a home rule-class city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. Florence is the second largest city located in Northern Kentucky, after Covington, and part of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area. The population was 31,946 at ...

from 1915 to 1918. Father Lelen became pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church in

Falmouth, Kentucky Falmouth is a home rule-class city in, and the county seat of, Pendleton County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 2,169 according to the 2010 census. It lies at the confluence of the South and Main forks of the Licking River ...

in 1918. He continued to write many books, pamphlets, magazine articles and newspaper articles. He was a regular contributor to ''The Falmouth Outlook'', the weekly paper of Falmouth, Kentucky. He continued in this pastorate until he retired in 1954.

Author and correspondent

In 1952 his translation "The Confessions of St. Augustine", from the original

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, was published in English, one of the first in this language. He was a prolific author of prayer books throughout his life. He corresponded with and met many notable figures, including

Margaret Mitchell Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...

, Alice Brown,

William Dean Howells William Dean Howells (; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ...

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

and

Clare Boothe Luce Clare Boothe Luce ( Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which h ...

. Upon his 1954 retirement he lived at the

Glenmary Glenmary Home Missioners, also known as The Home Missioners of America Inc.; Latin: ''Societas Missionariorum Domesticorum Americæ''), is a Catholic society of priests and brothers founded in 1939 to serve the spiritual and material needs of peo ...

Missionaries in Cincinnati. In September, 1963 the Papal Cross (

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. History The medal was established by Leo XIII o ...

) bestowed by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

was granted to Father Lelen on the occasion of his 65th anniversary of his ordination. "The Cross of Honor" as it is known is bestowed upon laypersons and clergy who have given exceptional service to the Church. The medal hangs upon a gold and white ribbon. He died in Cincinnati,

Hamilton County, Ohio Hamilton County is located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 830,639, making it the third-most populous county in Ohio. The county seat and largest city is Cincinnati. The county i ...

on May 23, 1964.

Books written and edited by Father Lelen

* ''Jesus My Love'' An Ideal Prayerbook (1938) * ''Towards the Altar'' (1908) * ''Towards the Sanctuary'' (1908) * ''The Duty of Happiness, Thoughts on Hope'', Newport KY: Good Shepherd Press, (1911) * ''The Gospel of Pain'', Covington KY: 1st ed. 62p (1912) * ''Pray the Rosary'', Catholic Book Pub Co, * ''The Agony of Our Lord'' (1920) * ''The Friend of Sinners'', Burns Oats & Washbourne (1930) * ''Mysterium Amoris, and Other Eucharistic Sketches'', Paterson NJ: St. Anthony Guild Press, (1934) * ''Toward the Eternal Priesthood'', St Anthony Guild Press (1938) * ''Soldiers and Sailors Prayer Book: Daily Devotions'', Catholic Book Publishing Co., United States and Canada (1940) * ''The Following of Christ'', by Thomas à Kempis, (J. M. Lelen, Editor) Catholic Book Publishing, New York (1941) * ''Key of Heaven, a Prayer Book for Catholics'', New York, New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. (1942) * ''La Imitación de Cristo'', by Thomas Kempis, Editado por el Reverendo J.M. Lelen, Ph.D. Catholic Book Publishing Co. (1943) Traducción Nueva con consideraciones al de cada capítulo. * ''Rezai Sempre'', Catholic Book Pub. Co. (1949) * ''Confessions Of Saint Augustine'' (1953) * ''Pray the Rosary'', by Father J M Lelen, PhD; Catholic Book Publishing Company, New York, New York, USA (1953) * ''Child of God'', Catholic Book Publishing Co. (1958) * ''Key of Heaven : A Complete Manual of Prayers and Catholic Devotions'', Catholic Book Publishing (1958) * ''The Treasury of the Sacred Heart'', Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, NY (1960) * ''Ave Maria, a Manual of Catholic Devotions'', New York, New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. (1960) * ''The Gospel of a County Pastor: Sketches and Sermons'', Herder, St Louis, Mo. (1961) * ''Our Lady of Fatima Manual'', Catholic Book Pub. Co (1962) * ''Illustrated Life of Christ'', Catholic Book Publishing Company (1964) * ''Pray the Rosary for Novenas, Family Rosary, Private Recitation, Five First Sundays'', Catholic Book Publishing, New York, NY (1973) * ''Confessions Of Saint Augustine: Revision Of The Translation Of Rev. J.M. Lelen'' (paraclete Living Library)

References

External links

St. Francis Xavier Church history

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lelen, J. M. 1873 births 1964 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American translators 20th-century French Roman Catholic priests American male non-fiction writers American Roman Catholic religious writers Catholic Church in Kentucky French emigrants to the United States French soldiers Religious leaders from Kentucky Writers from Kentucky