Reconstructing the Life of a Jesuit

One of the most frequent inquiries received by our historical archive concerns the biographies of Jesuits. Often, a brief biographical note is requested for inclusion in a publication; more frequently, a complete biography is needed for preliminary research. Occasionally, such requests come from relatives of a Jesuit who wish to learn about his life in detail.

Although the Historical Archives provide the most salient biographical data, it is the responsibility of the researcher to reconstruct the complete biography. How does one go about reconstructing the life of a Jesuit? What are the steps to follow in writing a biography, and what sources should be consulted? Which reference tools are available online?

Let us examine the procedure. We shall attempt this together by selecting a name at random from our catalogues: we will reconstruct the story of Brother Andrea Maganzini. The same steps apply whether the subject is a priest or a brother. The only differences in their biographies are as follows: Jesuit priests underwent a longer formation path, including cycles of philosophical study, and ultimately pronounced Final Vows either as Professed of Four Vows or as Spiritual Coadjutors. Brothers, by contrast, began working in residences and colleges immediately after the novitiate and pronounced vows as Temporal Coadjutors.

Let us note at the outset that research cannot be conducted on Jesuits who are still living.

Bibliographic Research

The first step is not toward the door of the historical archive, but rather the threshold of the library. It is quite likely that something has been published on a particular Jesuit, or at least on the historical context in which he lived. Indeed, we frequently receive requests concerning Jesuits whose biographies have already been researched and published. Therefore, before contacting the archive, it is advisable to conduct thorough bibliographic research. This includes consulting the Italian library portal OPAC SBN and the indexes of various journals such as Archivum. The bibliographic portal curated by Boston College offers a wealth of resources: books, articles, and conference abstracts on themes and individuals associated with the Society of Jesus. Our website includes a dedicated section listing all useful links.

For Italian Jesuits, it is also essential to consult the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Illustri, published by Treccani. This collection of biographies—available online—provides not only biographical data but also sources and bibliographies used by the authors. Another crucial resource is the Diccionario Histórico de la Compañía de Jesús, published in 2000. Despite its age, it remains highly relevant. It offers not only biographical entries but also references to key themes related to the Society of Jesus, including bibliographic citations (valid as of 2000). This work updates many entries originally compiled by Carlos Sommervogel in the late 19th century in his multi-volume Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, which is still a valuable resource.

Online Tools

If no trace of the Jesuit is found using the aforementioned tools—such as is the case with Andrea Maganzini—then the biographical reconstruction must begin from primary sources. Few are aware that several useful online directories are available for initiating research before even stepping into the archive. These tools are listed below and will guide our investigation. It remains essential, however, to contextualize the life of the Jesuit within his historical and geographical setting using available literature.

Online Tools: The Catalogus Defunctorum

The first essential resource is the Catalogus Defunctorum, a publication listing the principal data of Jesuits who lived and died within the Society. For Jesuits who died during the period of the “New Society” (from 1814 onward), the 1972 volume covers the years 1814–1970, and a second volume from 1985 covers subsequent decades. Volumes that are more recent are used internally by the archive, but data may be obtained via email.

The Catalogus Defunctorum provides extensive information: date and place of birth, date and (often) place of entry into the novitiate, date of Final Vows, and date and place of death. For Jesuits deceased after October 1, 1954, ordination dates are also included. The provincial affiliation is often noted. This publication is invaluable for it offers, at a glance, the essential data on a Jesuit’s life and may be cited in scholarly work.

If the Jesuit in question does not appear in this source or its supplements, one must consider the possibility that he was dimitted—i.e., left the Society. Dimitted Jesuits do not die as members of the Society, and therefore their data are not included in the Catalogus Defunctorum. Their date of death, likewise, cannot be determined from archival sources, as the Society no longer receives documentation or updates once a Jesuit leaves. Research on such individuals must rely on diocesan, municipal, or family archives.

Turning to Andrea Maganzini, the index of the Catalogus Defunctorum lists two Jesuits with this name—one a scholastic and the other a brother coadjutor. Our research concerns the brother, but when uncertain, it is prudent to investigate both. Dates often help distinguish individuals or reveal familial relationships.

Brother Andrea Maganzini appears on page 244, entry number 13524. He was born on November 30, 1839, in S. Giustina, Trentino; entered the novitiate on August 14, 1881 (with the abbreviation “Taur.”—likely indicating Turin or its province); pronounced Final Vows on August 15, 1893; and died on March 21, 1915, in Chieri. Though the Catalogus does not explicitly state his province, it is likely he belonged to the Turin Province.

Online Tools: Historical Annual Catalogues of the Provinces

Having identified the Jesuit and his likely province, the next step is to consult the annual catalogues of the provinces, also available online. Beginning with the catalogue from the year of his novitiate entry—or the year following—we can confirm initial data.

We begin by consulting the catalog from the year a Jesuit enters the novitiate—or the following year—to confirm the relevant information. Since the catalog was traditionally published before the end of the calendar year, it was not uncommon for novices entering in November or December to be recorded in the following year’s catalog, though with the date of entry listed as the previous year. For example, Maganzini is first mentioned in the 1882 historical catalog of the Turin Province.

Each province catalog, at the end of the volume, includes an alphabetical list of Jesuits, categorized as priests, scholastics, and coadjutor brothers. For each individual, the catalog provides the page number, date of birth, date of entry into the novitiate, and date of Final Vows. However, these catalogs list only the dates—not the locations—of these significant stages in a Jesuit’s life. To determine the locations, we refer again to the catalogs: by examining the volume from the year of entry, we can identify the novitiate house where the Jesuit began formation. For instance, the 1882 catalog places Maganzini in Chieri: under the novitiate heading, novices are listed chronologically by their entry date.A Jesuit’s place of death can be determined using both the Catalogus Defunctorum and the annual catalogs. In the year of death, the Jesuit appears for the last time in the catalog of his province, on a page typically titled vita functi (deceased members).

It is not uncommon for Jesuits to have entered the novitiate of a different province than the one to which they ultimately belonged. Due to the political and historical circumstances of the 19th century, this happened frequently. Both Fr. Lorenzo Rocci and Fr. Pietro Tacchi Venturi, for example, members of the Roman Province, entered the novitiate at Villa Melecrinis in Naples. By consulting the catalogs year by year, we can trace the subsequent assignments of a Jesuit. Typically, after the novitiate, one begins a cycle of philosophical studies. However, some Jesuits remain in the novitiate for a period known as the carissimato, during which they complete their studies. It is worth noting that until the mid-20th century, it was possible to enter the novitiate at the age of fifteen, before completing one’s education. Following the novitiate, the philosophical studies usually take place in a scholasticate and are followed by the magisterium, a time of apostolic training. During this period, the Jesuit often spends two or three years teaching humanities or sciences in a school. After the magisterium, the theological studies begin. The catalogs also indicate where the Jesuit undertook his Tertianship, the final stage of formation.

In the case of Brother Maganzini, a Jesuit coadjutor brother, the catalogs reveal that after completing his period of first probation, he remained in the novitiate house, assigned to domestic work. However, by 1883, his presence is recorded in the mission of “Zambese,” a region in southern Africa characterized by the Zambezi River. Brother Maganzini primarily served as a cook in the novitiate at Graaff-Reinet. From 1891, we find him back in Italy, assigned to the retreat house in Genoa, where he was responsible for cooking, managing the pantry and wine cellar, and overseeing household tasks. In the early 1900s, he moved to the Jesuit residence in Saluzzo, where he continued in these roles and also took charge of the vegetable garden. He remained in Saluzzo for only one year, as in 1901 he was transferred to the college in Chieri, again assigned to domestic duties. In 1903, Brother Maganzini returned to the spiritual retreat house in Genoa, tasked with building maintenance, serving as table reader during meals, and continuing his domestic work. In 1904, he was again sent to Saluzzo, resuming his duties as cook, gardener, and wine cellar keeper. In 1910, he was once more assigned to Chieri, where he served as assistant cook and custodian. Brother Maganzini died in Chieri on March 21, 1915. The news of his death appears in the 1916 catalog, on page 32, in the vita functi section. The entry also records his age at the time of death—76 years—and the number of years he had lived in religious life: 34.

So far, we have not even approached the historical archive—yet we already know many details of Andrea Maganzini’s biography. This kind of research can be conducted from home or an office, thanks to the digitization of the historical catalogs by ARSI—the central archive of the Society of Jesus. ARSI has made available online all the historical catalogs of the Jesuit Provinces from 1814 to 1950. The digitization of the subsequent volumes, up to the end of the pontificate of Pius XII, is currently in progress.

As we have seen, by consulting the catalogs, we can follow a Jesuit from his entry into the novitiate until his death—or until he leaves the Society. This allows us to draft a biography year by year, knowing the residences where he lived, the roles he held, the apostolic works he carried out, and the key stages of his religious life.

It can happen—especially for Jesuits who lived during the early years following the restoration of the Society—that some data are not entirely precise or that discrepancies exist between the annual historical catalogs and the Catalogus Defunctorum. To determine the most accurate information, it is necessary to consult the original archival documentation.

If a Jesuit does not appear in the Catalogus Defunctorum, it may be assumed that he left the Society. However, if we know he lived during a certain period and in a specific place, we can still conduct research through the annual catalogs to try to locate him. For example, if we know he lived in Rome in the second half of the 19th century, it will suffice to consult the annual catalogs of the Roman Province—perhaps one every five years—to track his presence.

Archival Research

Once we have reconstructed a Jesuit’s life through key dates, we obtain a framework within which we can explore all the intermediate stages and deepen our understanding by integrating additional information. When visiting the archive, research typically begins with the Jesuit’s personal file, which contains official documents related to his religious life: First and Final Vows, certificates of academic qualifications, letters of assignment received from the Provincial Superior, and sacramental records—submitted upon entry into the novitiate. The personal file sometimes also includes photographs or documents written by the Jesuit himself, such as notes, homilies, and diaries. In some cases, a necrology may be found here as well, although these are often preserved in specific archival units within the fonds of the province to which the Jesuit belonged. The personal file of our subject, Andrea Maganzini, is held in the Turin Province fonds, within the series of personal files of deceased members. The detail of the document shown in the photo accompanying today’s feature comes from the renunciation of property that the Jesuit signed on August 15, 1893, which is preserved in his personal file.

Research then continues by consulting the register of novices’ declarations. This is a very valuable source, as it is the only one that provides insight into a Jesuit’s life before entering the novitiate. In this register, each novice described—following a standardized form—his family background, education prior to novitiate, health, apostolic inclinations, and how he came to decide to become a Jesuit. Even mentions of a willingness to serve in missions can already be found in this source.

After consulting these sources, researchers typically turn to the historiae domus—three-year reports detailing events that took place in a residence, which the Superior sent to the Provincial and the General. It is important to read the historiae domus of the residences where our Jesuit lived to understand what happened within the community during his years there. To gain an even closer view of daily life, when available, one can request the house diary. Compiled daily, the house diary chronicles events at the college, residence, or retreat house day by day. It often helps reconstruct significant occurrences in the Jesuit’s life, providing intimate insight into his everyday experience. Other useful sources include correspondence from the residence Superior and the Provincial, minutes from community and provincial meetings, and records from works where the Jesuit served. It is important to note that access to archival materials is currently limited to records up to October 1958, marking the end of the pontificate of Pius XII.

Printed Sources

In the archive, we can also find printed sources useful for our research—such as the edifying letters. Although this genre originated in the previous century, from the late 19th century onward, missionaries’ letters addressed to the Provincial were collected and published to promote the work of the Jesuits in the missions and raise awareness among readers. Among these letters are those written by religious living in the province. At the end of each volume, necrologies of Jesuits who died during that period are also included. In the volume of letters edifying from 1913 to 1916 of the Turin Province, we find the necrology of Brother Maganzini, which particularly highlights the period he spent in Africa, recounting the difficulties of that time.

Later, edifying letters were replaced by journals published by provinces, colleges, or specific works. These periodicals, typically featuring a necrology section, are valuable sources for commemorative articles. Families requesting biographical information are often provided with such necrologies.

Jesuit Province journals typically included a dedicated section—usually at the end of each issue—reserved for obituaries and memorials of deceased Jesuits. Such remembrances were also published in the magazines of the colleges and works where the Jesuits had served. For this reason, we always recommend that researchers consult these magazines to check for commemorative articles. When the family of a Jesuit contacts us, we often provide the obituary published in the magazine of the Jesuit’s respective province.

In reconstructing a biography, we have proceeded from the general to the specific: first starting with the key data and general reference sources, then gradually focusing on the Jesuit’s life, following him year by year. Moving from the general to the particular is a guiding principle both in archival research and historical inquiry. This is the method that archivists of the Society of Jesus follow when they receive requests for a biography or data.

Research on Jesuits Who Left the Society

As we have seen, data on Jesuits who left the Society are not found in the Catalogus Defunctorum, but can be traced in the annual historical catalogs, where we find the date of birth, entry into the Society, and date of Final Vows. However, the exact date of resignation is not recorded in the historical catalogs of the first half of the 20th century and appears only in more recent volumes. So, how can we estimate the date of resignation? When a Jesuit leaves the Society, he no longer appears in the catalog. Therefore, the first year in which his absence is noted is likely the year of his resignation. To confirm the exact date of the resignation signature, it is necessary to consult the historical archive. Please note that the personal files of Jesuits who left the Society are accessible up to 1899. This date limit, in line with ARSI’s regulations, is set to protect the privacy and life choices of these individuals.

Maria Macchi