PRATICA DIVOTA PER QUATTRO VENERDI, O DOMENICHE

12mo, pp. 24; clean and fresh throughout; in contemporary stiff speckled wrappers; some wear.

Very uncommon set of devotions in honour of St Jeanne-Françoise Frémiot de Chantal (1572-1641), the founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, published at the time of her beatification by Pope Benedict XIV in November 1751.

Frémiot de Chantal was very enthusiastically embraced through the eighteenth century, which was not unconnected with her close association with St Francis de Sales; several biographies were to appear in the course of the century, and her Lettres spirituelles were reprinted several times. The present devotions first appeared in Rovereto in 1752, shortly after her beatification; we know of a further edition, printed in Vicenza as late as 1795, but all appear to be very rare. The book invites the reader to reflect on the faith of Jeanne, the importance of hope, the love of God, and the love of one's neighbour.

Frémiot de Chantal was canonised on July 16, 1767 by Clement XIII.

Not in OCLC, which records one copy of the 1752 Rovereto printing outside Germany, at Heidelberg; ICCU records only a Vicenza printing of 1795.