Picture: Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Jean-Marie de La Mennais
Breton Priest, Founder and Venerable
SaintResearchedFranceDocumented cause
Feast: 26 December (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
1780
verified
Died
26 December 1860
verified
Beatified
—
not on record
Canonised
1966
unverified
Who they were
Jean-Marie de La Mennais, brother of Félicité de Lamennais, was ordained in 1804 and served as vicar-general in several dioceses, founding colleges, seminaries, communities and schools.
He founded the Brothers of Christian Instruction of Ploërmel, who grew to 800 in Brittany and overseas. He died at Ploërmel on 26 December 1860.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia records that an inquiry into his reputation for holiness, with a view to beatification, had begun.
Why that counted as sanctity
A priest who founded schools and teaching brothers.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Jean-Marie de Lamennais
- Wikidata Q3167875 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Jean-Marie de La Mennais (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.