The Inspirational Life of Monseigneur de Miollis

By . Magnificat

Discover the French bishop who inspired Victor Hugo in writing Les Misérables.

Charles-François-Melchior-Bienvenu de Miollis, Bishop of Digne, France, (1753–1843) lived through the turbulent anti-religious sentiment of the French Revolution but never wavered in his faith, his loyalty to the Catholic Church, nor his resolve to attend to the spiritual and physical needs of his flock.

His courageous evangelical fervor, simplicity, and embrace of radical poverty on behalf of the people to whom he ministered can be seen as forerunner to the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and will continue to inspire everyone who encounters him today.

The inspiration for the kindly Bishop Myriel in Victor Hugo's acclaimed book and award-winning Broadway musical Les Misérables, Bishop Miollis' cause for canonization is underway.

Each chapter is preceded by a beautiful work of art, featuring landscapes and portraits depicting typical life in Provence, the region where Bishop de Miollis ministered.

The book includes a special prayer for his canonization.

Foreword : Father Charles Honoré, postulator of the cause of canonization for Monseigneur de Miollis.
Contributors: Françoise Delannoy, Jean-Paul Saugeron, and Father Charles Honoré, with the help of Bénédicte Delelis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9781639671199

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Monseigneur de Miollis arrived in Digne on May 30, 1806 and was installed as bishop on June 1. His predecessor, Bishop Dessolle, had only been in the diocese for a little over two years, long enough to reorganize the diocesan Church after the Revolution, but not long enough to repair the ruins or endear himself to the population.

Digne, at this time, was a town of around three thousand inhabitants, partly still enclosed by its original walls, towers, and gates. The road that would eventually become the main thoroughfare, Boulevard Gassendi, was barely under construction, and the trees that would line it had yet to be planted. Streets everywhere were unpaved, and traffic was hampered by the accumulation of manure. There was no municipal slaughterhouse, so pigs were slaughtered in private homes or in the street. The ecclesiastical buildings, then national property, were outdated, dilapidated, and inaccessible to the Church, housing various administrative departments of the state. For many years, the people of the Diocese of Digne had been deprived of spiritual care. With the agreement between Rome and Napoleon signed only five years earlier, the Church was still navigating its reintegration into