Patrons and Houses (1635–1643)

As membership of the Lazarists swelled from the mid-1630s, de Paul introduced a new era for the group, characterized by major expansions in activity and infrastructure. This chapter investigates the first of two stages in provincial expansion in France, tracking de Paul’s efforts to found and fund houses for missions and retreats in the French provinces. It investigates the steps that he took to ensure the establishment of eight houses in north-eastern, eastern, and western France to mid-1643, the first located in Toul and the last in Sedan, both close to the north-eastern French border. Key to this development of the Lazarist infrastructure and activity was the acquisition of new patrons, including the Richelieu family and the French crown.