Annibal-Servais de Lairuelz (1560 – 18 October 1631), a native of Hainaut in what is now Belgium, was a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

and reformer of the

Premonstratensian Order The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...

Biography

De Lairuelz was born in 1560 in

Soignies Soignies (; nl, Zinnik, ; pcd, Sougniye; wa, Sougniye) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It consists of the following districts: Casteau, Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Naast, Neufvilles, Soi ...

in the

County of Hainaut The County of Hainaut (french: Comté de Hainaut; nl, Graafschap Henegouwen; la, comitatus hanoniensis), sometimes spelled Hainault, was a territorial lordship within the medieval Holy Roman Empire that straddled what is now the border of Belg ...

. He was baptised Annibal, but the

Bishop of Verdun The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the County o ...

, Nicolas de Bousmar, gave him the

confirmation name In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

Servais (Servatius).''Mémoires pour servir l'Histoire littéraire des dix-sept provinces des Pays-Bas, de la Principauté de Liège et de quelques contrées voisines'', vol. 5, Louvain, Imprimerie académique, 1765 He made his religious vows in 1580 in the Premonstratensian Abbey of St Paul, Verdun, where his uncle was prior, after which he attended the

University of Pont-à-Mousson A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, founded by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

in 1572, while living at the Abbey of Sainte-Marie-au-Bois. In 1585, he moved to Paris to pursue his studies at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

, while living at the Premonstratensian college in Paris. After he was made

doctor of theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...

, he returned to St Paul's, Verdun. A serious illness brought about a profound religious change in him and he began to work for the revival of monastic discipline in his religious order, of which he was appointed

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

towards 1597. He then made a visitation of Premonstratensian abbeys in Germany, Austria and what is now Belgium. His reform began with a number of monasteries in

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

which grouped together as the "Communauté de la primitive rigueur", also known as the "Réforme de Lorraine", later expanding to include about 40 monasteries. In 1600, he succeeded Daniel Picart as abbot of Sainte-Marie-au-Bois, and started sending his young religious to study at the University of Pont-à-Mousson. From 1607 he worked to move the abbey to a site adjacent to the university. Construction of the new Pont-à-Mousson Abbey, also known as Sainte-Marie-Majeure, began in 1609 and was completed in 1616. In 1631, to escape the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

epidemic that had broken out in

Pont-à-Mousson Pont-à-Mousson () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are known as ''Mussipontains'' in French. It is an industrial town (mainly steel industry), situated on the river Moselle. Pont-à-Mouss ...

, he and the community returned to Sainte-Marie-au-Bois, where he died on 18 October.

Works

De Lairuelz published 10 or so books in promotion of the strict observance, marked also by the influence of

Ignatian spirituality Ignatian spirituality, also known as Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century Spanish saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The main idea of this form of spirituality comes from ...

. These include: * ''Optica Regularium'' (1603), establishing the basis of the "Réforme de Lorraine" * Statute of reform of the Premonstratensian Order * Catechism of Novices

References

Sources

* ''Dictionnaire de spiritualité''... Tome IX, Paris, Beauchesne, 1976, col. 117-119 * Pierre Lallemand, ''Les Prémontrés : Pont-à-Mousson'', Sarreguemines, Pierron, 1990 * Jean Fournée, ''L'introduction de la Réforme de Lorraine en Normandie'', Éditions Beauchesne, 1998 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lairuelz, Servais De 1560 births 1631 deaths Premonstratensians People from Soignies