Bl. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney
Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1291)
Sisters of the Holy Childhood of Jesus and Mary
Vens. John Cornelius and Companions
John of Roquetaillade (de Rupescissa)
Origin of the Name of Jesus Christ
Early Historical Documents on Jesus Christ
Chronology of the Life of Jesus Christ
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Philipp Johann Gustav von Jolly
Pious Workers of St. Joseph Calasanctius
St. Joseph's Society for Colored Missions
St. Joseph's Society for Foreign Missions
Franciscan alchemist, date of birth unknown; d. probably at Avignon, 1362. After pursuing the study of philosophy for five years at Toulouse, he entered the Franciscan monastery at Orléans, where he continued his studies for five years longer. His experiments in distillation led to the discovery of what he termed aqua vitæ, or usually quinta essentia, and commended as a panacea for all disease. His work as an alchemist forms the subject-matter of "De consideratione quintæ essentiæ" (Basle, 1561) and "De extractione quintæ essentiæ"; likewise "Libellus de conficiendo vero lapide philosophico ad sublevandam inopiam papæ et cleri in tempore tribulationis" (Strasburg, 1659). His false prophecies and violent denunciation of ecclesiastical abuses brought him into disfavour with his superiours, resulting in his imprisonment by Clement VI (1345) and Innocent VI (1356). While there he wrote in 1349 his "Visiones seu revelationes", and in 1356 "Vade Mecum in tribulatione" and "Ostensor" (in Brown, "Fascicula rerum expetendarum et fugiendarum", III, London, 1640). His other works include commentaries on the Sentences and on the "Oraculum Cyrilli", "Fragmenta revelationum", "Apologus propheticus", "De famulatu philosphiæ ad theologiam".
SBARALEA, Suppl. ad script. Ord. Min. (Rome, 1806); JEILER in Kirchenlex., s. v. Johannes von Roquetaillade; SCHNÜRER in Kirchliches Handlex..
F. M. RUDGE