Roman Catholic Diocese Of Nantes
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The Diocese of Nantes (; ; ) is a
Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The diocese consists of the department of
Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Louére-Atantique''; ; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', ) is a departments of France, department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
. It has existed since the 4th century. It is now
suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...
of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo, having previously been suffragan to the
Archdiocese of Tours The Archdiocese of Tours (; ) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd century, while the formal erection of the diocese dates from the 5th century. The ecclesiastical pro ...
. The seat of the bishop is the Cathedral of S. Pierre in the city of
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
. In 2021, in the Diocese of Nantes there was one priest for every 3,802 Catholics.


History

According to late traditions, Saint Clarus (Saint Clair), first Bishop of Nantes, was a disciple of
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
. Arthur Le Moyne de La Borderie, however, has shown that the ritual of the Church of Nantes, drawn up by Helias the precentor in 1263, ignores the apostolic mission of Saint Clarus, and also that Saint Peter's nail in Nantes Cathedral was not brought there by Saint Clarus, but at a time subsequent to the invasions of the Northmen in the 10th century. He showed further that Felix of Nantes, writing with six other bishops in 567 to Saint Radegund, attributed to Martin of Vertou the chief role in the conversion of the Nantais to Christianity, and that the traditions concerning the mission of Saint Clarus are later than 1400. The earliest list of the bishops of Nantes (made, according to
Louis Duchesne Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne (; 13 September 1843 – 21 April 1922) was a French priest, philology, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions. Life Descended from a family of Bri ...
, at the beginning of the 11th century) does not favour the thesis of a bishop of Nantes prior to
Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...
. The author of the ''Passion'' of
Donatian and Rogatian Donatian and Rogatian were two brothers, martyred in Nantes during the reign of Roman Emperor Maximian, around 288–290, for refusing to deny their faith. They are also known as ''les enfants nantais''. Their feast day is 24 May. Life The st ...
, martyrs of Nantes, places their death in the reign of
Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was a Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as Caesar (title), ''caesar'' ...
, and seems to believe that Rogatian could not be baptized, because the bishop was absent. Duchesne believes that the two saints suffered at an earlier date, and disputes the inference of the ancient writer concerning the absence of the bishop. The first bishop of Nantes whose date is certain is Desiderius (453), correspondent of
Sulpicius Severus Sulpicius Severus (; c. 363 – c. 425) was a Christian writer and native of Aquitania in modern-day France. He is known for his chronicle of sacred history, as well as his biography of Saint Martin of Tours. Life Almost all that we know of Se ...
and
Paulinus of Nola Paulinus of Nola (; ; also Anglicisation, anglicized as Pauline of Nola; – 22 June 431) born Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, was a Roman Empire, Roman Roman poetry, poet, writer, and Roman senate, senator who attained the ranks of suffect ...
. The Saint Aemilianus supposed to have been Bishop of Nantes in Charlemagne's reign and to have fought the
Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...
in
Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
is considered legendary. Among the noteworthy bishops is Felix (550-83), whose municipal improvements at Nantes were praised in the poems of
Venantius Fortunatus Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus ( 530 600/609 AD; ), known as Saint Venantius Fortunatus (, ), was a Latin poet and hymnographer in the Merovingian Court, and a bishop of the Early Church who has been venerated since the Middle Ages. ...
, and who often mediated between the people of Brittany and the Frankish kings. Bishop Gohardus was killed by the Northmen in 843, with the monks of the
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
of Aindre. Another was Bishop Actardus (843–871), who was driven out of his see by Prince
Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (; ; 763,  7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Bretons, Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalism, Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country"). Or ...
(d. 851) because he opposed Nominoe's moves to make himself king of Brittany and dominate the church in northwestern France. Nominoe attempted to create a new ecclesiastical province, depose opposition bishops, and create new dioceses, separate from the province of Tours and centered on Dol. With regard to his interference at Nantes, Nominoe received a sharp letter from
Pope Leo IV Pope Leo IV (died 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the ...
, exhorting him to cease his support of his usurper Gislard, and support the true bishop, Actardus. During his son's reign, the Breton prince, in his conflict with the
metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ...
of Tours, created a see at
Guérande Guérande (; , ; ) is a medieval town located in the departments of France, department of Loire-Atlantique, and the administrative regions of France, region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' ...
853, and filled it with the deposed usurper of the see of Nantes, who had been expelled. in favour of Gislard, an ecclesiastic of Vannes who had usurped the see of Nantes, at the western end of the diocese of Nantes. Another notable bishop was the preacher Philippe Cospeau (1621–1636), who had been a professor at the Sorbonne and at the University of Paris.
Françoise d'Amboise Françoise d'Amboise, O.Carm (9 May 1427 – 4 November 1485) was a French Carmelite nun. Biography D'Amboise was born in the castle of Thouars. She was the daughter of the rich noble Louis d'Amboise, prince of Talmont and Viscount of Thou ...
(1427–85), who became Duchess of Brittany in 1450, rebuilt the choir of the collegiate church of Notre-Dame, and founded at Nantes the monastery of the
Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare (Latin language, Latin: ''Ordo Sanctae Clarae''), originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Or ...
; she had a share in the canonization of Saint Vincent Ferrer (1455–1456), and was given one of the saint's fingers as a memento. Widowed in 1457, she resisted the intrigues of
Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
, who urged her to contract a second marriage, and even attempted to persuade her personally during a pilgrimage to Redon in the Spring of 1462; she sought refuge in Nantes; in 1468 she became a Carmelite nun at Vannes. In 1477, at the request of Sixtus IV, she restored the Benedictine monastery of Couëts, near Nantes.
Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais, Pays de Retz, Baron de Rais (; also spelled "Retz"; 1405 – 26 October 1440) was a knight and lord from Duchy of Brittany, Brittany, Duchy of Anjou, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army during the Hundred Years' W ...
, marshall of France, executed in 1440 in the castle of Nantes, was buried in the chapel of the Carmelite house in Nantes.


Chapter and cathedral

The cathedral in Nantes is dedicated to Saint Peter. It was begun by Bishop Eumelius, and completed by Bishop Felix, who consecrated it in 568. It was destroyed by the Northmen. The first stone of a new cathedral was laid by Duke Jean V of Brittany on 14 April 1434. Building went slowly. The vaults of the nave were begun only in 1628. The choir screen was built between 1622 and 1659. The sacristy was added in 1772. The mausoleum of Francis II, Duke of Brittany in the cathedral, executed in 1507 by Michel Colomb, is one of the finest monuments of the Renaissance. The cathedral is staffed and administered by a corporation called the Chapter. It consisted of six dignities (the Dean, the Grand-Archdeacon, the Archdeacon of the Mée, the Cantor, the Treasurer, and the Scholasticus) and fourteen canons. Bishop Brice created seven canonicates on 2 August 1137. The deanship was founded 1307, by Bishop Daniel Vigier. The cantorship was established by
Pope Pius II Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...
in 1460. The scholasticus was founded on July 1471, and the office of penitentiary around 1630. The Dean and the canon of La Psallette are appointed by the bishop. All the others are appointed alternatively by the Pope and the bishop.


Councils and synods

A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See. John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica ''de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis'' (19 March 1997)
''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' 89
(1997), pp. 706-727.
Councils were held at Nantes, in 600 and 1127. A provincial council was held at Nantes by Archbishop Vincent de Pirmil of Tours on the Tuesday after the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul (29 June) in 1264; it issued nine canons. Bishop Daniel Vigier (1304–1337) established a regulation, stating that there would be a general synod every year at Pentecost, and study conferences for clergy on the Feast of St. Luke (18 October), at Christmas, and during Lent. Bishop Jean de Montrelais (1384–1391) held a diocesan synod in 1387, and published statutes. At Pentecost 1389, Bishop Jean de Montrelais held a diocesan synod, and published twenty statutes. In September 1389, Bishop Jean held a diocesan synod, and published the statutes. Bishop Henri le Barbu (1404–1419) remarked after Pentecost 1406 that he had held more than one diocesan synod. On 24 October 1408, Bishop Henri's vicars held a synod. On the Thursday after Pentecost 1409, Bishop Henri himself presided over a synod. A provincial council was held in Nantes on 23 April 1431, by Archbishop Philippe de Coëtquis of Tours. In 1445, Bishop Guillaume de Malestroit (1443–1461) presided over a diocesan synod, and over another in 1446, in both cases issuing statutes. Bishop Pierre du Chaffault (1477–1487) held a diocesan synod on the Thursday after Pentecost, 14 May 1478, and issued statutes. He held another on the Thursday after Pentecost, 10 June 1481. A synod was held on 23 May 1499 by the Vicars-General of Bishop Jean d'Espinay (1495–1500). Bishop François Hamon (1511–1532) held a diocesan synod in 1529. Bishop Antoine de Créquy (1554–1562) held synods in 1555, 1556, 1558, and 1560. Bishop Gabriel de Beauvau (1636–1667) held a diocesan synod in 1638. He held another on 12 June 1642, and published the statutes of the diocese. Another synod was held on 24 May 1646, under the authority of Bishop de Beauvau, by his vicar-general; it issued five statutes, including arrangements for financing a new seminary.


University of Nantes

Despite the fact that a university already existed at Angers, 89 km. (56 mi.) to the east,
John V, Duke of Brittany John V, sometimes numbered as VI, (24 December 1389 – 29 August 1442) bynamed John the Wise (; ), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1399 to his death. His rule coincided with the height of the Hundred Years' War between Engla ...
, had conceived a plan to create a university in Nantes, which he communicated to
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...
. The pope responded on 1 August 1414, not with a university charter, but with a grant of one-third of all the ecclesiastical revenues within the duchy for a period of one year. These were to fund the payment of salaries to teachers. Nothing seems to have come of this effort, but a bull, which has not survived, was signed by
Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...
(1417–1431). It too seems to have come to nothing. Duke John V died in 1442 and was succeeded by his son Francis I.
Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V (; ; 15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV made him a Cardinal (Catholic Chu ...
issued another charter in 1449, in which he mentioned Martin V's charter; but this bull too had no effect, since Francis I died suddenly in 1450, leaving the ducal throne to his brother, Peter II, who died in 1457. Francis II, a nephew of John V, was able finally to realize the family project. On 4 April 1460,
Pope Pius II Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...
issued another charter, and the next year a university was actually opened. The bishop of Nantes was to be the chancellor of the University. There were faculties of the Arts, Medicine, theology, Canon and Civil Law. The prosperity of the university did not long outlast the death of its patron in 1488. It was revived as a school of law in 1494, though that was transferred to Rennes in 1735. All institutions of higher learning became the property of the French state in 1791.


Seminary

After his synod of 12 June 1642, bishop Gabriel de Beauvau announced the establishment of a seminary for the diocese. Previous to this, candidates for the priesthood studied at home or in parish rectories, and were required to partake in a retreat of several days, conducted by the Oratorian fathers. In 1790, the establishment had 9 chambers for teachers, 76 dormitory rooms, with beds for 86 students.


Irish seminary

A college was created at Nantes 1680, with the permission of Bishop Jean-François de Beauvau du Rivau (1677–1717), for the education of Irish ecclesiastics. In 1765, King
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
granted the college letters patent officially recognizing the college, which, he notes, took root with a large immigration of Irish clerics in 1685. The college was under the jurisdiction of the University of Nantes.


Events at Nantes

The philosopher
Peter Abelard Peter Abelard (12 February 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet. This source has a detailed description of his philosophical work. In philos ...
was born in 1079 at La Pallet, 8 miles east of Nantes. The
First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...
was preached at Nantes in 1099 by Robert of Arbrissel, founder of the monastery of Fontevrault. The Abbey of La Meilleraye, founded in 1132, was the beginning of an establishment of Trappist Fathers, who played a part in the agricultural development of the country. Charles of Blois won Nantes from his rival Jean de Montfort in 1341. On 8 January 1499,
Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), also known as Louis of Orléans was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples (as Louis III) from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Marie of Cleves, he succeeded his second ...
married
Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She was the only woman to have been queen consort of Fran ...
at Nantes in the chapel of the château. Chateaubriant, a town of the diocese, was a Calvinist centre in the 16th century. The
Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...
(1595), which granted Protestants religious freedom and certain political prerogatives, was published at Nantes by order of King Henri IV. The Maréchal de Thémines, governor of Brittany, died on 1 November 1627; his funeral was held in Nantes, though his remains were taken to his home town, Cahors, for burial. He was succeeded as governor of Brittany and Nantes by the Cardinal de Richelieu. Richelieu was made governor of the citadel of Nantes on 1 March 1632. On 30 March 1654, Cardinal de Retz, who was struggling to maintain his right to the archbishopric of Paris against the opposition of the French court because he had been a leading Frondeur, was transferred from his imprisonment in the Chateau de Vincennes, and lodged in the castle of Nantes by order of Cardinal Mazarin and
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. He contrived to escape on 8 August 1654.


French Revolution

Even before it directed its attention to the Church directly, the National Constituent Assembly attacked the institution of monasticism. On 13 February 1790. it issued a decree which stated that the government would no longer recognize solemn religious vows taken by either men or women. In consequence, Orders and Congregations which lived under a Rule were suppressed in France. Members of either sex were free to leave their monasteries or convents if they wished, and could claim an appropriate pension by applying to the local municipal authority. The Assembly ordered the replacement of political subdivisions of the ''ancien régime'' with subdivisions called "departments", to be characterized by a single administrative city in the center of a compact area. The decree was passed on 22 December 1789, the boundaries fixed on 26 February 1790, with the institution to be effective on 4 March 1790. A new department was created called "Loire-Inférieure," and Nantes was fixed as its administrative center. The National Constituent Assembly then, on 6 February 1790, instructed its ecclesiastical committee to prepare a plan for the reorganization of the clergy. At the end of May, its work was presented as a draft
Civil Constitution of the Clergy The Civil Constitution of the Clergy () was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that sought the Caesaropapism, complete control over the Catholic Church in France by the National Constituent Assembly (France), French gove ...
, which, after vigorous debate, was approved on 12 July 1790. There was to be one diocese in each department, requiring the suppression of approximately fifty dioceses. The diocese of Loire-Infrieure was assigned to the "Metropole du Nord-Ouest", with its metropolitan seated in Rennes. In the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the National Constituent Assembly also abolished cathedral chapters, canonicates, prebends, chapters and dignities of collegiate churches, chapters of both secular and regular clergy of both sexes, and abbeys and priories whether existing under a Rule or ''in commendam''. There was considerable resistance to implementing these changes, and therefore the government required an oath to the Civil Constitution and an oath to the Constitution of Year III from every cleric. Those who took the oaths were permitted to serve in the "Constitutional Church"; non-juring clergy were expelled and arrested. In the diocese of Nantes there was massive resistance: of the 600 clergy, only 153 took the oath. Bishop de la Laurencie published a protest against the abolition of the cathedral Chapter and the collegiate churches; he also published his opposition to the oaths, his own dismissal, and the intrusion of a Constitutional bishop, Julien Minée. He was forced to emigrate, settling in England, from which he governed his diocese through his vicars-general. Minée resigned during
the Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to ...
in November 1793, apostasized, and married; he died in 1808. During the French Revolution, certain regions of the diocese were the scene of the War of La Vendée, waged in defence of religious freedom and to restore the monarchy. At Savenay in December, 1793, the remains of the Vendean army succumbed, already defeated in the battle of Cholet. The atrocities committed at Nantes by the
Terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
Carrier are well-known. He conducted a reign of terror, called the Drownings at Nantes, between November 1793 and February 1794, which resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 persons, many of them priests and nuns.


Religious orders and congregations

The Dominicans were established in Nantes in 1226, thanks to the patronage of André, Seigneur de Vitry. The Franciscan convent was founded in 1296, though they had a presence since the middle of the century. The Carmelites were introduced in 1318. The Carthusians were established in 1425. The Capuchins appeared in 1593, and occupied their convent at La Fosse in 1629. The Minims (Bonshommes) came in 1589, patronized by Duke François II. The Oratorians were established in Nantes in 1618.The Sulpicians took charge of the diocesan seminary in 1648. The Jesuits arrived in 1663; the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers, Frères des écoles chrétiennes) in 1743. The
Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of women that in 1572 branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula. The Ursulines trace their origins to th ...
, founded by Saint Angela Merici, were established at Nantes in 1627. Elsewhere in the diocese, Ancensis was founded in 1642, Chateaubriant in 1643, and Guérande in 1644. After their dispersal during the French Revolution, the return of the Ursuliness to Nantes was authorized in 1826. The Soeurs de la Providence, a diocesan congregation, were founded at Nantes in 1758, but dispersed by the French Revolution; they returned in 1810. Among the congregations for women in the diocese are: the Sisters of Christian Instruction, a teaching order founded in 1820 at Beignon (Diocese of Vannes) by Abbé Deshayes; their mother-house was transferred to St-Gildas des Bois (diocese of Nantes) in 1828. The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, a teaching and nursing order, were founded in 1853 (mother-house at La Haye Mahéas). The Franciscan Sisters were founded in 1871 (mother-house at St-Philbert de Grandlieu). The Oblate Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus were founded in 1875 and brought to Nantes in 1877 by Sophie Victorine de Gazeau (mother-house at Nantes).


Saints in the diocese

The diocese venerates: the monk Saint Hervé (6th century); the
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
s Saint Friard and Saint Secondel of Besné (6th century); Saint Victor, hermit at
Cambon Cambon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Tarn department References

Communes of Tarn (department) {{Tarn ...
(6th or 7th century); the English hermit Saint Viaud (7th or 8th century); the Greek Benoît, Abbot of Masserac (c. 845); Saint Martin of Vertou (d. 601), apostle of the Herbauges district and founder of the
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
Vertou Abbey; Saint Hermeland, sent by Lambert, Abbot of Fontenelle, at the end of the 7th century to found on an island in the
Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...
the great monastery of Aindre (now Indret); the celebrated missionary
Saint Amand Amandus ( 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the catholic missionaries of Flanders. He is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and Belgium. Life The chief source of details of his ...
, Bishop of Maastricht (7th century), a native of the district of Herbauges.


Pilgrimages

The chief places of pilgrimage of the diocese are: Notre-Dame de Bon Garant at Orvault, a very old pilgrimage, repeatedly made by Francis II, Duke of Brittany; Notre-Dame de Bon Secours at Nantes, a pilgrimage centre which dates back to the 14th century; Notre-Dame de Toutes Aides. Notre-Dame de Miséricorde became a place of pilgrimage in 1026 in memory of the miracle by which the country is said to have been freed from a dragon; the present seat of the pilgrimage is the Church of St. Similien at Nantes.


Bishops

:::;Before 453, the list of bishops is undocumented.


To 1000

* Clarus ">Clair_of_Nantes.html" ;"title="Clair of Nantes">Clarus *c. 310–330: Ennius *c. 330 : Similien *c. 374 : Eumalius or Euhemerus. *c. 383: Martin of Vertou">Martius *End of 4th century: Arisius * 453 : Desiderius * Leo * attested 461 : Eusebius * c. 462 – c. 472: Nonnechius *Cariundus, † c. 475 *Cerunius *Clemens, † c. 502 *511: Epiphanius *c. 515 – 541: Eumerius *549–582: Felix of Nantes. *Nonnechius (II.), † 596. *610–614: Eufronius *c. 626–627: Leobardus *c. 630: Pascharius *c. 637: Taurinus *c. 640: Haïco *c. 650: Sallapius * [ c. 703: Agatheus ] * [ Anito ] * [ c. 725: Émilien of Nantes ] *732: Salvius *756–757: Deormarus *c. 776 – † c. 800: Odilard *c. 800: Alain *c. 820 – † 833: Atton *834 – † 835: Drutcaire *835–824. June 843: Gunthard *843–846: Actard *851: Gislard *853–871: Actard (restored) *872–886: Ermengar *886 – 896: Landranus *896 – 906: Foucher *906 – 908 : Isaias *907 : Adalard *937–949 : Hoctron *950–958 : Herdren *c. 960 – † c. 980 : Gauthier :(981 –987) : ''Sede vacante'' : 981 : Werecus * 987: Judicaël ''Administrator'' *990–992 : Hugo *992 – † 1005 : Hervé


1000 to 1300

*1005 – after 15 October 1041 : Gualterius * 1047 – 1049 : Budic *1049–1052: Airard *1052 – 1079: Quiriac *1079–1111: Benedict *1112: Robert *1112 – 1140: Brice *1142 – 1147 : Iterius *1147 – † 29 December 1169 : Bernard *1170 – 1184 :
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
. *1184 – † 1187 : Artur? *1185–1198 : Maurice de Blaron *1199 – 1212 : Geoffroi *1213 – 1227 : Etienne de la Bruyère *1227: Clément II. *1228 – 1235 : Henri *1236 – 1240 :
Robert of Nantes Robert of Nantes (died 8 June 1254) was the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem from 1240 to 1254. Early life Robert was a native of the Saintonge. The only certain evidence of this is a letter from Pope Alexander IV in 1255, after Robert's death, ad ...
*1240 – 1263 : Galeran * 1264 : Gautier *1264 – 1267 : Jacques *1267 – 1277 : Guillaume de Verne *1278 – 1292 : Durand *1292 – 1297: Henri de Calestrie *1298 – 1304: Henri *1304 – 1337: Daniel Viger *1338 – 1340 : Barnabé *1340 – 1354 : Olivier Salahadin *1354 – 1366 : Robert Paynel *16 March 1366 – 1384: Simon de Langres *1384 – 1391: Jean de Montrelais (''Avignon Obedience'') * 1392 – 1398 : Bonabius de Rochefort (''Avignon Obedience'') *1397 – 1404 : Bernard du Peyron *1404 – 1419 : Henri le Barbu, ''Avignon Obedience'') * 1419 – 1443 : Jean de Malestroit *1443 – 1461 : Guillaume de Malestroit * 1462 – 1477 : Amauri d'Acigné : 1477: Jacques d'Elbiest *1477 – 1487 : Pierre du Chaffault *1488 – 1493 : Robert d'Espinay *1493 – 1500 : Jean d'Espinay


1500–1800

*1500–1506: Guillaume Guégen *1507–1511: Robert Guibé *1511–1532: François Hamon *1532–1542:
Louis d'Acigné Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...
*1542–1550 : John, Cardinal of Lorraine *1550–1554 : Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon *1554–1562 : Antoine de Créquy *1562–1566 : Antoine II de Créquy *1566–1594 : Philippe du Bec :: 1596 : Jean du Bec-Crespin">1596 : Jean du Bec-Crespin *1598–1617 : Charles de Bourgneuf de Cucé">Jean du Bec-Crespin ">Jean du Bec-Crespin">1596 : Jean du Bec-Crespin *1598–1617 : Charles de Bourgneuf de Cucé :::[ Henri de Bourgneuf d'Orgères ] : 1617–1621 : ''Sede vacante'' *1621–1636 : Philippe Cospéau *1636–1667 : Gabriel de Beauvau *1668–1677 : Gilles de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière *1677–1717 : Jean-François de Beauvau du Rivau *1717–1723 : Louis de La Vergne-Montenard de Tressan *1723–1746 : Christophe-Louis Turpin de Crissé de Sanzay *1746–1775 : Pierre Mauclerc de La Mousanchère *1775–1783 : Jean-Augustin Frétat de Sarra *1784–1801 : Charles-Eutrope de La Laurencie ;Constitutional Bishop of Loire-Inférieur * 1791–1793 : Julien Minée


From 1800

*1802–1813: Jean-Baptiste Duvoisin *1817–1822: Louis-Jules-François-Joseph d'Andigné de Mayneuf *1822–1838: Joseph-Michel-Jean-Baptiste-Paul-Augustin Micolon de Guérines *1838–1848: Jean-François de Hercé *1848–1869: Antoine-Matthias-Alexandre Jacquemet *1870–1877: Félix Fournier *1877–1892: Jules François Lecoq *1893–1895: Auguste-Léopold Laroche *1896–1914: Pierre-Emile Rouard *1914–1935: Eugène-Louis-Marie Le Fer de la Motte *1936–1966: Jean-Joseph-Léonce Villepelet *1966–1982: Michel-Louis Vial *1982–1996: Emile Marcus, P.S.S. *1996–2009: Georges Pierre Soubrier, P.S.S. *2009–2019: Jean-Paul James *2020–present: Laurent Percerou


See also

*
Catholic Church in France The Catholic Church in France, Gallican Church, or French Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. Established in the 2nd century in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, it was sometim ...
* Basilica of St. Nicolas, Nantes * Church of St Clement, Nantes


References


Bibliography


Reference works

* * * * * * * * *


Studies

* Besse, J.-M. (1920). "Diocese de Nantes," in: Dom Beaunier (ed.), ''Abbayes et prieures de l'ancienne France: recueil historique des archevêchés, évêchés, abbayes et prieurés de France,'' , Volume 8 (Paris: A. Picard, 1920)
pp. 235-265
*De la Borderie, Arthur Lemoyne (1888)
''Études historiques bretonnes.''
iie sèrie, Volume 2. Paris: H. Champion 1888. aint Clair, and Saint Yves*Duchesne, Loui
''Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule: Vol. II: L'Aquitaine et les Lyonnaises''
. deuxième edition. Paris: Thorin & fils, 1910. pp. 360–371.
Internet Archive
* Durand, Yves; Faugeras, Marius; Tonnerre, Noël-Yves; et al. (1985)
''Le Diocèse de Nantes''
. Paris: Editions Beauchesne, 1985. * Durville, Georges (1913)
''Les fouilles de l'évêché de Nantes, 1910-1913''
. Nantes: Dugas, 1913. * Grégoire, Pierre Marie (1882)
''État du Diocèse de Nantes en 1790''
. Nantes: V. Forest et E. Grimaud, 1882. * Grégoire, Pierre Marie (1885)
''Le rétablissement du culte dans le diocèse de Nantes après la révolution''
Nantes: Forest/Grimaud, 1885. *. * Kerviler, René (1907), "Nantes", , in: ''L'épiscopat français depuis le Concordat jusqu'à la Séparation (1802-1905)'', (Paris: Société bibliographique (France) Librairie des Saints-Pères, 1907)
pp. 396-403
* Lallié, Alfred (1893). ''Le diocèse de Nantes pendant la Révolution''
Volume 1
Nantes: B. Cier, 1893
Volume 2
* Merlet, René (1896)
''La Chronique de Nantes: (570 - 1049)''
. Paris: A. Picard et Fils, 1896. * Travers, Nicolas (1836). ''Histoire civile, politique et religieuse de la ville et du comté de Nantes''.
Volume 1
Nantes: Forest, 1836.
Vol. 2
(1837)
Volume 3
(1841).


External links

* Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France
''L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919''
, retrieved: 2016-12-24. * Goyau, Georges

The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Accessed 15 November 2024. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nantes, Roman Catholic Diocese of
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
4th-century establishments in Roman Gaul Nantes Loire-Atlantique