Jacques Sevin
A French Jesuit priest, Father Jacques Sevin is the co-founder of the Scouts de France and the founder of the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.
Contemporaries
Figures and markers around the normalized period for this entry.
Guided reading
5 reading sections
Biography
Born in Lille in 1882, educated by the Jesuits in Amiens, exile in Belgium and England, and priestly ordination in 1914.
Jacques, Ignace, Marie, Joseph Sevin was born in Lille on December 7, 1882. He grew up in a Christian family, the eldest of seven children. At the age of ten, he entered the Collège de la Providence in Amiens, run by the Jesuits, where he discerned his vocation. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in 1900 at Saint-Acheul. Due to the expulsion laws in France, he continued his formation in Belgium and England. He was ordained a priest on August 2, 1914, in Enghien.
Life and Work
Foundation of Catholic Scouting in France (Scouts de France), the International Catholic Scouting Conference (CICS), and the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.
In 1913, Jacques Sevin met Robert Baden-Powell in England and conceived the project of establishing Scouting in France. He clandestinely founded the first Catholic scout troop in 1918 in Mouscron, then co-founded the Scouts de France association in July 1920 with Canon Antoine-Augustin Cornette. He also created the Chamarande camp-school in 1922. He joined forces with Mario di Carpegna and Jean Corbisier to found the International Office of Catholic Scouts (the future CICS). Removed from the leadership of the Scouts de France in 1933, he founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem on January 15, 1944, with Jacqueline Brière for the education and evangelization of young people.
Journey toward holiness
Reputation for holiness after his death in 1951 and the introduction of his cause for beatification in Rome at the end of the 1980s.
After his death on July 19, 1951, in Boran-sur-Oise, his reputation for holiness grew. His cause for beatification was officially introduced in Rome at the end of the 1980s. The diocesan inquiry was conducted from March 1992 to March 1993 in the Diocese of Beauvais under the direction of the postulators, including Father Jacques Gagey, before the transmission of the Positio to the Vatican.
Beatification and canonization
Recognition of the heroic nature of his virtues by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and ongoing examination of a miracle by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of the virtues of Jacques Sevin, declaring him Venerable. A diocesan inquiry into an unexplained healing attributed to his intercession was closed on January 8, 2021, under the presidency of Bishop Jacques Benoît-Gonnin. The file was submitted to the Vatican on January 13, 2021, and is currently under examination by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Spirituality and legacy
A spiritual synthesis between Saint Ignatius, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and Scout pedagogy, illustrated by the Scout Prayer and its traditional songs.
Father Sevin's spirituality unites the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, the "little way" of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and the active pedagogy of Scouting. He demonstrated that Scouting is a path to holiness. He leaves a great legacy: the adaptation of the Scout Prayer, numerous traditional songs (such as the French lyrics for "Auld Lang Syne" or the "Canticle of the Patrols"), and his reference work "Le Scoutisme, étude documentaire et applications".
Frequently asked questions about Jacques Sevin
Who was Jacques Sevin?
A French Jesuit priest, Father Jacques Sevin is the co-founder of the Scouts de France and the founder of the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.
What is Jacques Sevin the patron saint of?
Patronage of Jacques Sevin: Scoutisme catholique and Catholic scouting.
Which saints were contemporaries of Jacques Sevin?
Contemporaries include: Jesús María Echavarría Aguirre, Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, Narcisa de Jesús and Juan de Jesús López y González.
When did Jacques Sevin die?
Jacques Sevin died around 1882.
What are the other names of Jacques Sevin?
Other forms of the name: Jacques, Ignace, Marie, Joseph Sevin.
Who are the relatives of Jacques Sevin?
Relatives of Jacques Sevin: Adolphe Sevin (father) and Louise Hennion (mother).
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Era / death: 1882-1951
- Decree of venerability by Benedict XVI