A college of society of Jesus at XIXe-XXe century: Notre-Dame de Mongré at Villefranche sur Saone (1851-1951)

Philippe Rocher’s PhD dissertation under Dominique Avon’s supervision, A college of society of Jesus at XIXe-XXe century: Notre-Dame de Mongré at Villefranche sur Saone (1851-1951) is now online (Le Mans, 12/17/2015). Click here to access the online version.

The Jesuits managed the Notre-Dame middle school of Mongré in Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône) from 1851 till 1951. Opened with the law Falloux, in 1850, the establishment allowed the schooling of young people of the nobiliary and bourgeois aristocracy. The Ratio studiorum of the Society of Jesus was the teaching method. An inflexible Catholicism adapted requirements of the high school diploma the preparation of which was more and more asked by families. The Middle school trained in the spirituality of « three whiteness », the Virgin Mary, the Pope and the Eucharist. The educationmissionary concerned to India and the Near East, the places of Jesuit missions. After the events of the decrees of 1880, the social Catholicism made feel its influence in the education. The laws of 1901 and 1904 provoked the departure of the Jesuits and the opening of a Middle school of exile to Bollengo ( Italy). The place of laïc teachers became more important. Seized by the State, the Middle school was acquired by the Association of the Alumni and reopened in 1913. After the war 1914-1918, the Jesuits took back their education and tried to mix with the Ratio studiorum the scouting and the active methods in the name of the catholic reconquest. The Jesuits wanted to make return for the tradition of the old Middle school. The Marian Congregation, the traditional shape of the education of a religious elite, was associated with the eucharisticCrusade, the ACJF and the JEC. The Christian humanism came up against the economic and social crisis of 1929-1932. After the war 1939-1945 during which the Middle school became Scolasticat, the Jesuits decided not to take back the teaching to dedicate itself to other apostolates.