The

Congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

of St. Vanne or Congregation of St. Vanne and St. Hydulphe ( French: ''Congrégation de Saint-Vanne et Saint-Hydulphe''), sometimes also known as the Vannists (''Vannistes'') was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

reform movement centered in the

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following th ...

. It was formally established in 1604 on the initiative of

Dom Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

Didier de La Cour, prior of the Abbey of Saint-Vannededicated to Saint Vitonus near

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, a reformer of the Benedictine Order after the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...

. The Abbey of St. Hydulphe at

Moyenmoutier Moyenmoutier (; german: Mittelmünster) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Inhabitants are called ''Médianimonastériens''. Geography The little town of Moyenmoutier is positioned along the lower part o ...

was a secondary centre of the reform.

Description

The response to the attempts to return the Benedictine houses to a more rigorous way of life in accordance with the Rule, combined with serious study and scholarship, was very positive, but Lorraine was not at that time under the French crown. A parallel movement specifically for the Benedictine monasteries in the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

, on the same principles as those of the Congregation of St. Vanne, was therefore launched from the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

in 1621, and gave rise to the

Congregation of St. Maur The Congregation of St. Maur, often known as the Maurists, were a congregation of French Benedictines, established in 1621, and known for their high level of scholarship. The congregation and its members were named after Saint Maurus (died 565), ...

, which became better known than the Vannists. The Congregation of St. Vanne continued however in Lorraine in parallel to that of St. Maur until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, when both were abolished. Distinguished Vannist scholars included

Antoine Augustin Calmet Antoine Augustin Calmet, O.S.B. (26 February 167225 October 1757), a French Benedictine monk, was born at Ménil-la-Horgne, then in the Duchy of Bar, part of the Holy Roman Empire (now the French department of Meuse, located in the region of L ...

, Rémy Ceillier, Jean François, Nicolas Tabouillot,

Thierry Ruinart Dom Thierry Ruinart (also Theodore, Theodoricus) (1657–1709) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar. He was a Maurist, and a disciple of Jean Mabillon. Of his many works, the one now cited is his ''Acta sincera'', a martyrology, written in ...

and Ambroise Pelletier. The noted

Dom Perignon Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an ethn ...

, of champagne fame, was a member of this congregation.

Influence and expansion

(in order of affiliation) * Abbey of Saint-Vanne,

, co-founding abbey * Abbey of Saint-Hydulph,

, co-founding abbey * Abbey of Saint-Nabor,

Saint-Avold Saint-Avold (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Sänt Avuur'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is situated twenty-eight miles (45 km) east of Metz, France and seventeen miles (27 km) southwest o ...

(1607) * Abbey of the Holy Cross,

Bouzonville Bouzonville (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Busendroff'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. The localities of Aidling, Benting and Heckling are incorporated in the commune. It lies from Metz and the same ...

(1612) * Abbey of Faverney (1613) * Abbey of St. Peter,

Senones The Senones or Senonii (Gaulish: "the ancient ones") were an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling in the Seine basin, around present-day Sens, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Part of the Senones settled in the Italian peninsula, where they ...

(1618) * Priory of St. Barbara, near

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

(1633) * Monastery of

Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings ...

(1634) * Abbey of St. Peter,

Montiéramey Montiéramey () is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France. Geography The Barse flows through the commune. Population See also *Communes of the Aube department *Parc naturel régional de la Forêt d'Orient Orient Fores ...

(1655-1790) * Abbey of Sts. Peter and Paul,

Pothières Pothières () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 communes of the Côte-d'Or department of France. The communes coop ...

(1655) * Abbey of Munster (1659) * Priory of Notre Dame of Breuil,

Commercy Commercy () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The 18th-century Lorraine historian Nicolas Luton Durival (1713–1795) was born in Commercy. History Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that tim ...

(n/a) * Abbey of St. Leopold, Nancy (n/a) * Abbey of

Saint Mansuy Saint Mansuetus (french: Mansuy; died 375) was the first Bishop of Toul. Life Mansuetus is thought to have been of Irish or Scottish origin. After religious studies in Rome, he was sent by Pope Damasus I to evangelize Gaul, becoming the first Bi ...

Toul Toul () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, and the river Moselle and Canal de la Marne au Rhin. Climate Toul ...

(n/a) * Abbey of St. Maurus, Bleurville (n/a) * Abbey of Notre Dame, (

Mouzon, Ardennes Mouzon () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is situated on the river Meuse. On 1 January 2016, the former commune Amblimont was merged into Mouzon.Novy, Ardennes (n/a)

Notes

Sources

* Michaux, Gérard Michaux, 1998: ''Dom Didier de La Cour et la réforme des Bénédictins de Saint-Vanne'' in: ''Les Prémontrés et la Lorraine XIIe - XVIIIe siècle'', pp. 125–144 (XXIIIe colloque du Centre d'études et de recherches prémontrées, under the direction of Dominique-Marie Dauzet and Martine Plouvier). Paris: Beauchesne. * Dauphin, Hubert OSB (Quarr Abbey) 1947: ''L'Abbaye Saint-Vanne de Verdun et la Querelle des Investitures'' in: Revue Stydi Gregoriani per la Storia di Gregorio VII e Della Reforma Gregoriana, pp. 237–261 Roma: Abbazia di San Paolo di Roma Benedictine congregations History of Catholic monasticism History of Lorraine 1604 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire {{RC-society-stub