Perreyve, Henri

Henri Perreyve

Born at Paris, 11 April, 1831; died there 18 June, 1865. His father was professor at the Faculté de Droit. He received his classical education at the Collage Saint-Louis. According to his father's wish he studied law, but having finished his legal course he studied philosophy and theology. He then became closely united with Charles and Adolphe, later Cardinal Perraud, and this small group with Father Gratry, under the guidance of Father Pététol, began the restoration of the Oratory in France. He was ordained priest in 1858, appointed chaplain to the Lycée Saint-Louis in 1860, and one year later was called to the professorship of ecclesiastical history at the Sorbonne. For some time he was forced by illness to abandon his lectures.

He had been united in intimate friendship with the great Catholic leaders of the time in France, including Ozanam, Montalembert, Cochin, and especially Lacordaire. By his kind and affectionate nature Perreyve exercised a great influence on those around him, especially on young men.

Among his works were: "De la critique des Evangiles" (Paris, 1859); "Entretiens sur l'Eglise catholique" (2 vols., Paris, 1901); "La Journée des malades" (Paris, 1908); "Biographies et panégyriques" (Paris, 1907); "Souvenirs de première communion" (Paris, 1899); "Sermons" (Paris, 1901); "Deux roses et deux Noëls" (Paris, 1907); "Méditations sur l'Evangile de Saint Jean" (Paris, 1907); "Méditations sur les saints ordres" (Paris, 1901). Some of his letters have also been published in book form.

GRATRY, Henri Perreyve (London, 1872); BERNARD, Les derniers jours de l'abbé Perreyve.

GEORGE M. SAUVAGE.