Born at Saint-Pierre-la-Cour, Mayenne, France, 8 October, 1791, entered the Society of Jesus 14 August, 1819; died at Angers, 20 Sept., 1883. He passed his whole life in the ministry, chiefly in the spiritual direction of priests. In thirty years he gave three hundred retreats to the clergy of the principal dioceses of France. His chief literary work is his "Méditationes sacerdotales" which has appeared in several languages, Bohemian, Polish, Italian, and English. Bishop De Goesbriand of Burbriand, Vermont, U. S. A., translated it into English from the eleventh edition. Chaignon wrote also "Le salut facilité aux pécheurs par la dévotion au très saint et immaculé Coeur de Marie"; "Les six dimanches de St. Louis de Gonzague"; "Le prêtre è l'autel"; "Paix de l'ame"; and also several brochures on a good death, the jubilees of 1869 and 1875, etc. He established a Union of Prayer for Deceased Priests which was canonically erected into a confraternity in 1861.

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