William Josephs Chaminade | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade | |
| Priest and Founder | |
| Born | Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade 8 April 1761 Périgueux, Périgord, Kingdom of France |
| Died | 22 January 1850 (aged 88) Bordeaux, France |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 3 September 2000, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 22 January |
| Attributes | Priestly attire Books Rosary |
| Patronage | Society of Mary |
Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade, SM (also known as William Joseph Chaminade; Périgueux, 8 April 1761 – Bordeaux, 22 January 1850) was a French Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution and later founded the Society of Mary, usually called the Marianists, in 1817. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 3 September 2000. His feast day is celebrated on 22 January.[1]
The Marianist Family's other three branches — the religious sisters known as the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, the married and single men and women of the Marianist Lay Communities, and the consecrated laywomen of the Alliance Mariale — also look to Chaminade as a founder or inspiration.