LE GAUDIER, ANTHONY

Jesuit theologian and spiritual writer; b. Château-Thierry, France, Jan. 7, 1572; d. Paris, April 14, 1622. At the age of 17 Le Gaudier entered the Society of Jesus in Belgium (Sept. 4, 1589). As a Jesuit, he exhibited an exceptional talent for directing the spiritual lives of his fellow religious. This was so true of his life as a professor of scripture at Pont-à-Mousson and as a professor of moral theology at La Flèche and at Verdun that Le Gaudier was eventually made master of novices and of tertians, and he served as rector at Liège and at Paris. It was during his years as rector in Paris (1618–21) that he published his works on the spiritual life. Written originally in Latin, they were translated into French and other languages. They include De sanctissimo Christi Jesus Dei et hominis amore paraeneticum in quo ejus amoris causae praxis et fructus exponuntur (Pont-à-Mousson 1619), De vera Christi Jesus Dei et hominis imitatione (Paris 1620), De Dei praesentia (Paris 1620), and Praxis meditandi a B.P. Ignatio Societatis Jesu fundatore traditae explicatio (Paris 1620). However, Le Gaudier's outstanding contribution to Catholic asceticism, De natura et statibus perfectionis (Paris 1643), was published posthumously.

Bibliography: c. sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, 11 v. (Brussels-Paris 1890–1932) 3:1265–68. j. de guibert, The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice, tr. w.j. young (Chicago 1964). j. j. mccann, Contemplation and the Mixed Life according to Antonius Le Gaudier, S.J. (Manila 1951). h. de gensac, Revue d'ascétique et mystique 39 (1963) 172–195, 338–360.

[v. a. lapomarda]