Frederic Ozanam

Biography

His/her father, Jean-Antoine-François Ozanam (1773 - 1837), was doctor in Milan and former officer of cavalry in the Napoleonean armies . His/her mother, Marie Nantas (1781 - 1839), was girl of a silk trader of Lyon. In 1815, when the town of Milan passed by again under Austrian domination , the Ozanam family returned to France, with Lyon.

Frederic made his traditional studies with the royal Collège of Lyon. He was very marked by the revolt of the Canuts in Lyon. An article which he wrote in the French Bee to denounce the errors of the Saint-simonisme was particularly noticed, in particular by Lamartine and Chateaubriand. Then, according to the will of his father, it made his Droit. It entered initially in training course in a Lyons solicitor. It continued then its studies with Paris, with the Sorbonne, at the same time as it began a course of letters. It was then placed by Ampère. At this point in time its political opinions moved towards the republicanism.

Frederic is at the same time an enthusiastic catholic and a committed student. He does not hesitate to intervene in class to denounce the ideas of the professors who convey false ideas in connection with Christianity. He attended in particular the living room of Montalembert. He makes also the meeting of Mr. Bailly, which organizes conferences of Histoire and right, to which Frederic took an active part.

It is following an apostrophe of a Saint-simonien, which required of him why it was interested thus in the past, whereas there were the poor to help, that its life was directed towards the assistance the most stripped with. It decided, in April 1833, with student friends, parish like him of the church Saint-Etienne-of-Mount, to found a small firm dedicated to the relief of the poor, which took the name of Conference of charity. A plate commemorating their meetings is affixed on the frontage of a building located on the left of the church Saint-Sulpice, in Paris.

Thereafter, the conference was placed under the patronage of saint Vincent of Paul. It was then helped in its task by sister Rosalie Rendu, a Fille of very active Charity in the poor districts of Paris. Mr. Bailly helped the new business to organize himself, in particular lending the office of his newspaper to him, the Catholic Tribune, was the first president. With the Lent 1833, then 1834, Frederic forwards to Mgr Quélen of the petitions of students so that conferences with Notre-Dame de Paris are organized. These conferences took place for first once at the Lent 1834. In 1835, they were a real success when they were preached by Lacordaire.

In 1836, Frederic obtained his doctorate of right and became lawyer. It practiced some time this trade at the royal Court of Lyon. It made then steps so that a pulpit of right to Lyon is founded. In December 1839, the station is created and it gives its first course of commercial law. This same year, it obtained its arts doctorate, then the aggregation to become professor of comparative literature with the Sorbonne. In 1841, it Maria with Marie-Joséphine-Amélie Soulacroix, the girl of the vice-chancellor of Accadémie of Lyon. In 1844, it became titular pulpit of literature, always in the Sorbonne. In 1845, he became the father of a little girl whom he called Marie. In 1846, it falls ill and must cease teaching. It is sent on mission of research in Italy. During this voyage, it has some audiences with the new pope, Pie IX, to speak to him about the Conferences of charity. It takes again teaching in 1847. Following the revolutions of 1848, it engages in the national guard. It founded the newspaper the new Era, with Lacordaire and the Maret abbot. At the time of the insurrection of February, it went to see Mgr Affre to ask him to try to restore peace. Mgr Affre was killed whereas it went to the barricades. Frederic also engaged in policy, presenting himself, without success with the legislative elections of 1848.

In 1852, Frederic falls again sick. He must leave teaching and goes in the south of France, to Italy and Spain to try to look after itself. He died in Marseilles in 1853 at the 40 years age.

He was béatifié by the pope Jean-Paul II the August 22nd 1997, in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, during the world Journées of youth of Paris.

Its name was given to some private establishments of catholic teaching in Lille, Limoges, Lyon, Mâcon and even in the United States (assistance with childhood in distress) like with the new church of Cergy.

Works

Test on the philosophy of Dante (1839)
Germanic Studies (1847-1849)
the Poets franciscains in Italy at the thirteenth century (1852)
Civilization in Ve century (1856)
Speech on the company of Saint-Vincent-of-Paul (1870)

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