Oratory of Jesus

The Congregation of the Oratory of Jesus and Mary Immaculate (French: Société de l'Oratoire de Jésus et de Marie Immaculée, Latin: Congregatio Oratorii Iesu et Mariæ), best known as the French Oratory or Oratory of Jesus, is a society of apostolic life of Catholic priests founded in 1611 in Paris, France, by Pierre de Bérulle (1575–1629), who later became a cardinal . Members are known as Bérullians or Oratorians.^[1]

The French Oratory had a determinant influence on the French school of spirituality throughout the 17th century. It is separate and distinct from the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, which served as its inspiration. The aim of the Society is to center spiritual life on the human aspect of Jesus, linked to the essence of God. Unlike the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, whose communities are all autonomous, the French Oratory operates under the central authority of a superior general.