Sainte-Geneviève Abbey

Sainte-Geneviève Abbey was a monastery in Paris, suppressed at the time of the French Revolution.

History

The Abbey was said to have been founded by King Clovis I. In 1147 secular canons officiated in the church. King Louis VII of France and Pope Eugene III, having witnessed some disorders, determined to restore discipline. At the request of Sugerus and Bernard of Clairvaux, Gildwin, the first Abbot of St-Victor's, sent Odo, the Prior of his abbey. There were difficulties, but order finally prevailed and some of the canons joined the reform.

Among these was the young William of Paris. At the request of Absalon, Bishop of Roskild, in Denmark, who when a student at Ste-Geneviève's had known him, William was sent to that country to reform a monastery of canons in the Isle of Eskil. He founded another monastery, which he dedicated to the Holy Paraclete. He died in 1206, and was canonized by Pope Honorius III. It was natural that close relations should exist between Ste-Geneviève's and its foundations in Denmark. Peter Sunesen, a young man who made his profession at the abbey, became Bishop of Roskild; Valdemar, brother of King Knut, died at Ste-Geneviève's; and Abbot Stephen of Tournai wrote to William and his friends to obtain lead for the roof of his abbey.

Like the Abbey of St-Victor, Ste-Geneviève's became a celebrated seat of learning. St-Victor's, Ste-Geneviève's, and Notre-Dame were the cradle of the University of Paris. Peter de Ferrière, Abbot of St-Victor's was at one time prior of Epinay, a priory of Ste-Geneviève's; William of Auxerre, a professed canon of St-Victor's in 1254, held the office of cellarer, and became Abbot of Ste-Geneviève's; and Marcel, successively canon at St-Victor's and Ste-Geneviève's, was in 1198 made Abbot of Cisoing.

In later centuries this abbey fell into the hands of abbots "in commendam". In the beginning of the seventeenth century Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld undertook its reform. He brought from Senlis Charles Faure (d. 1644), [http://www.augustiniancanons.org/About/Canons.htm] who had already restored the canonical rule in the ancient Abbey of Silvanect. Once more the Rule of St. Augustine was faithfully observed at Ste-Geneviève's which became the mother-house of the Gallican congregation.

By the middle of the seventeenth century the abbot-general of the congregation had under his jurisdiction more than one hundred abbeys and priories. Men like Fronteau, chancellor of the university and author of many works, Laleman, Chapponel, Reginier, Chengot, Beurier, du Moulinet, founder of the national library, and Augustine Hay, a Scotchman who wrote the "Scotia sacra" and officated at Holyrood, Scotland, in 1687, were sons of the French congregation.

uppression

When in 1790 the revolutionary assembly declared all religious vows void, and opened the doors to all the inmates of the monasteries, there were thirty-nine canons at Ste-Geneviève's. This was the end of the abbey and school. The building was demolished shortly after 1800, except for the bell tower. Now the Lycée Henri-IV occupies the site.

References

*Bonnard, "Histoire de l'abbaye de St-Victor de Paris" (1907);
*Gautier, "Adam de St-Victor" (Paris, 1858;
*Marion, "Histoire de l'Eglise" (Paris, 1908);
*Vuillemin, "Vie de S. Pierre Fourier" (Paris, 1897).

Notes