Blogs

On this day, October 19th, in the year 1917, René Laurentin was born in Tours, France. Laurentin is an important figure in Mariology and Catholic theology: he has published over 150 books and over 1,000 articles on the subjects. Throughout his life he has been a prolific scholar, teacher, and expert in the field of Mariology, particularly in the areas of apparitions, visionaries and mystics, biblical exegesis, theology, and Vatican II. From the 1960s through early 2000s he frequented the University of Dayton and the Marian Library as a teacher for the Marian Institute (now the International Marian Research Institute).

Laurentin is widely considered one of the leading experts on Mariology. The Marian Library holds a collection of his papers, primarily course materials from his years teaching at the Marian Institute. Take a look at the finding aid for this collection: Guide to the Father René Laurentin collection, 1948-2003 and happy 98th birthday, Fr. Laurentin.

– Jillian Slater, Librarian/Archivist, Marian Library