Biography

Jean Nicolas Grou was born into a time of tumult. Born in France in 1731 he studied under the direction of the Jesuits and went on to take the vows of a Jesuit Priest. His passion was writing and translating. Due to persecution of Jesuits and political turmoil, Grou had to leave France moving from place to place for safety. He resided in the Netherlands for a while and would settle in England for the last part of his life. All the while he practiced piety and prayer. He wrote several works many of which survived the ages and others were burned. Surviving works include Characteristics of True Devotion, How to Pray, Manual for Interior Soul, and The Ladder of Sanctity. Author, mystic, priest, and teacher are titles associated with Grou. Even after suffering from poor health for the last few years of his life, he continued to write and perform the duties of a priest. Grou died December 13, 1803, at Lulworth Castle in England.

Wailand Groenendyk
CCEL Staff Writer