Jean Bolland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Reverend Jean Bolland SJ
1667 portrait of Bolland by Richard Collin after an illustration by Philip Fruytiers
Born	18 August 1596  Herve, Spanish Netherlands
Died	12 September 1665  (aged 69) Antwerp, Spanish Netherlands
Occupation	Historian, hagiographer, writer, priest, theologian

Jean Bolland was a Jesuit priest, writer, and historian from a region called Flanders (which is now part of Belgium). He was born on August 13, 1596, and passed away on September 12, 1665.

His most important work was starting a huge collection of stories about the lives of saints. This collection was written in Latin and is known as the Acta Sanctorum (meaning "Deeds of the Saints"). After his death, other scholars continued his work, forming a group called the Society of Bollandists.

Jean Bolland's Early Life and Studies

Jean Bolland was born in a village called Julémont, which is now part of Herve, Belgium. The village of Bolland, where his family got their name, is also nearby.

In 1612, when he was 16, he joined the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in Mechelen. He studied at Jesuit colleges in Maastricht and Antwerp. After his studies, Bolland taught subjects like history and literature in several cities, including Roermond, Den Bosch, Brussels, and Antwerp.

In 1620, Bolland went to the University of Leuven to study theology, which is the study of religious beliefs. Four years later, he became a priest. He then worked as a prefect of studies at the Jesuit college in Mechelen.

Starting the Acta Sanctorum Project

In 1630, Bolland was asked to go to Antwerp. His superior wanted him to look at the papers of another historian, Heribert Rosweyde, who had recently died. Rosweyde had started a project to collect stories about saints, but it was still just a rough draft.

Bolland looked at the papers and believed the project could be finished successfully. He offered to take charge of the work, but he had two conditions. First, he wanted to be free to change Rosweyde's original plan. Second, he wanted Rosweyde's materials to be used only by him. His superior agreed, and Bolland moved to Antwerp.

Bolland decided to make the project even bigger. Rosweyde had only looked for old texts in libraries in Flanders. But Bolland wanted to find all possible information for each saint. He planned to:

• Include details about the saint's life.
• Write about the history and value of each text.
• Add notes to explain things.

He traveled to many monastery libraries, collecting and copying a large number of old documents.

Working with Assistants

After five years of working alone in Antwerp, Bolland realized the task was too big for one person. He asked for help. In 1635, a former student named Godfrey Henschen joined him. Henschen started working on the saints for February, while Bolland continued with the saints for January.

When Bolland saw how detailed Henschen's work was, he decided to revise his own work. Together, they made sure the first two volumes for January were very thorough. These volumes were finally printed in Antwerp in 1643, after fourteen years of hard work.

Bolland and Henschen worked in small rooms where they kept their books and papers. Later, they got a larger room that became known as the Bollandist Museum. The three volumes for February were published in 1658. Henschen continued working on the Acta Sanctorum until he died in 1681.

In 1659, a third Jesuit, Daniel van Papenbroek, joined the team. He ended up doing most of the work for 18 volumes of the Acta Sanctorum. Pope Alexander VII invited Bolland to Rome to use the Vatican Library. However, because of his health, Bolland sent Henschen and Papenbroek instead. From 1660 to 1662, they traveled through Germany, France, and Italy, searching for old documents in monasteries and libraries.

Jean Bolland passed away in Antwerp in 1665, at the age of 69. His incredible work laid the foundation for the ongoing Acta Sanctorum project, which continues to this day.

See also

In Spanish: Jean Bolland para niños