23 Facts About Peter Fourier

Peter Fourier was a strong proponent of free education and helped to found a religious congregation of canonesses regular dedicated to the care of poor children, developing a new pedagogy for this.

Peter Fourier was the eldest of the three sons of a cloth merchant and his wife, who were faithful Catholics.

In 1585 Peter Fourier was admitted to the novitiate of the canons regular of the Abbey of Chaumousey, where he made his profession of vows two years later.

Peter Fourier became a scholastic theologian who knew the Summa Theologica by heart, and earned the great respect of both the university officials and the Count-Bishop of Metz, who offered him a high ecclesiastical post.

Peter Fourier chose not to confront his abbot with the situation and accepted this persecution patiently.

In 1597, when his abbot was assigning him a post, Peter Fourier passed over two prestigious options and accepted the post of vicar of the parish of Mattaincourt in order to combat the indifference to religion widespread in the town, and to counter nascent Calvinism in the area.

Peter Fourier went on to spend the next twenty years of his life serving its people.

Peter Fourier had his pupils engage in dialectics on Sundays on the various virtues and vices in practice by the congregation.

Peter Fourier led an extremely ascetic way of life while serving the people of his parish.

Peter Fourier would spend much of the night in prayer.

Peter Fourier refused the services of a housekeeper, even when his own stepmother offered to provide his care.

Peter Fourier did so and, as a result of seeing the situation of the populace throughout the region, he was struck by the depths of their ignorance and superstition.

Peter Fourier played an active role in their education, being credited with the invention of the blackboard and its use in the classroom, as well as the division of students into classes of a similar level of instruction.

Peter Fourier's vision extended to the life of his own Order.

Peter Fourier sought to revive a spirit of fervor and discipline in the communities of the canons regular.

Peter Fourier therefore entrusted the ancient Abbey of St Remy in that city to Fourier and six companions, where they could lead the way of life he envisioned.

The method of reform established by Peter Fourier served as a model for the reform of the canons regular in the Kingdom of France, where, with the support of Cardinal Rochefoucauld, the Congregation of France was established with these same conditions.

In 1625 Peter Fourier was charged with preaching to the people of the Principality of Salm-Salm, which had embraced Calvinism.

Peter Fourier himself was elected as Abbot General of the congregation in 1632.

Peter Fourier hoped to guide his fellow canons to caring for children, as the canonesses were doing.

Peter Fourier was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII in 1730 and canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1897.

The vision of Peter Fourier was exported to Canada in 1654 by Marguerite Bourgeoys, who was the president of a sodality of volunteers associated with the work of the cloistered canonesses.

Peter Fourier's work has been highly successful both there and in the United States of America.