Fidelity to founder under the Bourbon régime: the Congregation of the Mission, 1660-1736.

Abstract

On 27 September 1660, the famous French reformer Vincent de Paul died. With his demise the institute of missionaries he founded and led for thirty five years, the Congregation of the Mission, was without its steward and father figure. This dissertation focuses on the development of this initially small organization and examines if the immediate followers of de Paul were faithful to his model of religious life as it grew. Through case studies based on metropolitan and colonial mission sites, the thesis offers a more accurate appraisal of the Congregation's major role and influence in Louis XIV's France after de Paul died, as well as contributing to our understanding of politics, government and religion under the Bourbon monarchy.