Joannes (Jean, John) Roucourt (baptized 7 June 1636 in Leuven; died 26 September 1676 in Brussels) was a Christian theologian and the parish priest of the Saint-Gudula Church at Brussels from 1667 until 1676. As a pastor, he was known as "father of the poor".
Roucourt was baptized on 7 June 1636 in the Saint-Jacobs church as a son of cloth-merchant Theodorus van Roucourt and Joanne Verwijst. [2] [3] His cousins Dirk Roucourt and Hendrik Rocourt (Recourt) were brewer at Diest and horticulturist at Dordrecht, respectively. His forefathers originated from the Walloon region of Liège and the original family name was most likely "de Rocourt". [4] At the age of 16, Joannes completed his candidate training at the Faculty of Arts of the Old University of Leuven. [5] [6] He then studied theology, followed lectures at "De Burcht" and graduated in 1660, receiving his Bachelor of Sacred Theology. [7] [8] From that year on, he also studied philosophy and in 1663 Joannes received his Licenciate of Sacred Theology. He taught philosophy and in the thesis of Gerardus van der Masen "Tractatus de Aristotelis metaphysica" (1661-1662), Joannes Roucourt is mentioned as a professor at the University of Leuven. [5] [9] [10] On 3 April 1664 Joannes was present in the St. Peter's Church of Halen and witnessed the baptism of his niece, Maria Roucourt. [11]
During 1667-1676, Joannes was the parish priest of the collegiate church of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula in Brussels and as such responsible for the pastoral tasks of his parish. [7] [12] According to Henne & Wauters he was known as the "father of the poor" and he lived himself in great austerity. [13] When receiving goods from wealthy people, he sold these and divided the proceeds among the 'souffrants de Jesus-Christ'. Joannes also donated his wages of several thousand florins, which he earned by teaching at the Old University of Leuven, to the poor people of Brussels. According to his death announcement, he also took care of the sick people, prisoners and soldiers. [5] [14] Due to his large generosity, his friends had to regularly support him with necessities of life.
Through a number of publications, Joannes Roucourt left his mark in the history of Christian theology, including in the area of penance. [7] His works are based on a strong pastoral thought and free from doctrines, says Lucien Ceyssens. [15] He preached that confessors of penance should also actively practice the Christian virtues and that they worked to prevent their flaws, such as blasphemy and cursing. The Italian Cardinal Giovanni Bona complimented Roucourt in 1674 with his books and wrote to him: I appreciate your method of questions and answers, which is very suitable to instruct believers and to convince heretics. Where others fail by writing (too) thick books, you are able to capture the essence in short phrases. [16] [17] Joannes was also book censor of theological works and has given his approval to books from J. Vande Velde and Gummarus Huyghens. [18]
While still being very active in performing all of his duties, he died from a malignant fever in Brussels on 26 September 1676 at the age of 40. [14] [15] Two days later, he was buried in the collegiate church of St. Michael and St. Gudula, probably in the tomb of the Schockaert family who regarded him highly. [13] [19] His honorable death announcement is preserved in the State Archives of Brussels (Anderlecht), describing the course of his life. [5]
Schagen is a city and municipality in the northwestern Netherlands. It is located between Alkmaar and Den Helder, in the region of West Friesland and the province of North Holland. It received city rights in 1415. In 2013, Schagen merged with Zijpe and Harenkarspel. Together they have formed a new municipality, which is also called Schagen. The townhall is located in the main town of Schagen.
Saint Gudula was born in the pagus of Brabant. According to her 11th-century biography, written by a monk of the abbey of Hautmont between 1048 and 1051, she was the daughter of a duke of Lotharingia called Witger and Amalberga of Maubeuge. She died between 680 and 714.
Jan Frans Willems was a Flemish writer and father of the Flemish movement.
Cornelis de Bie was a Flemish rederijker, poet, jurist and minor politician from Lier. He is the author of about 64 works, mostly comedies. He is known internationally today for his biographical sketches of Flemish and Dutch painters in his Het Gulden Cabinet der Edel Vry Schilderconst, first printed in 1662.
Petrus Peckius the Younger, also known as Petrus Pecquius or Pierre Peckius, was a diplomat and chancellor of Brabant for the Sovereign Archdukes Albert and Isabella. He is best known for a failed attempt to negotiate a renewal of the Twelve Years' Truce in 1621. He was the son of Petrus Peckius the Elder.
Joseph Borremans was a composer, organist and conductor in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Old University of Leuven is the name historians give to the university, or studium generale, founded in Leuven, Brabant, in 1425. The university was closed in 1797, a week after the cession to the French Republic of the Austrian Netherlands and the principality of Liège by the Treaty of Campo Formio.
Mathias Hovius (1542–1620), born Matthijs Van Hove, was the third Archbishop of Mechelen from 1596 to 1620. As Archbishop, Hovius presided over implementing the Catholic Reformation in the Spanish Netherlands.
Pieter Roose, lord of Froidmont, Han and Jemeppe, was president of the Privy Council from 1632 to 1653, and a key actor in the government of the Habsburg Netherlands for over twenty years.
This is a timeline of Belgian history, including important legal and territorial changes and political events in Belgium and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Belgium. See also the list of Belgian monarchs.
Johannes Rothé, or Jan Rothe, de Rothe of Rode, also Mr Roder, Lord of Oud-Wulven and Wayen in the Netherlands, was a prophetic preacher and Fifth Monarchist.
Godfried Maes was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of tapestries. He was active as a painter of altarpieces and allegorical scenes. He was a prolific draughtsman who made designs for tapestry workshops, publishers and house decorations. His patrons included leading personalities in the Southern Netherlands.
Lucien or Lucianus Ceyssens OFM (1902–2001) was a twentieth-century ecclesiastical historian who specialised in the history of Jansenism.
Jan van Blitterswyck was a Carthusian writer and translator in the Spanish Netherlands.
Joannes Chrysostomus Teniers, the religious name of Joannes Jacobus Teniers, also known as Jan Jacob or Jean-Jacques Teniers (1653–1709) was a Flemish preacher and poet. He was the abbot of the St. Michael's Abbey in Antwerp and in that capacity also the Lord of Berendrecht and Santvliet.
Guiliam or Willem Lesteens (1590–1661), Latinized Gulielmus Lesteenius, was a printer and publisher in the city of Antwerp, in the Spanish Netherlands.
Franciscus Deurweerders was a Dominican spiritual writer in the Spanish Netherlands, and the founder of the Confraternity of the Cord of Saint Thomas.
The Church of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic parish church located in the centre of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Molenbeek.
Josse-Émile van Dievoet was a Flemish politician and lawyer. He served as Belgian Minister of Justice.
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