Jean Bolland

Jean Bolland, SJ (13 August 1596 – 12 September 1665) was a Flemish Jesuit priest, theologian, and prominent hagiographer.

Bolland's main achievement is the compilation of the first five volumes of the Lives of the Saints in Latin, called the Acta Sanctorum, a series which was continued by others, who, after his death, formed the Society of Bollandists.

Life and work Jean Bolland was born 13 August 1596 in the village of Julémont, now part of Herve (Belgium), which us north-east of the city of Liège. The village of Bolland, after which the family took their name, is nearby. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1612 at Mechelen. After his studies at the Jesuit colleges of Maastricht and Antwerp, Bolland taught humanities in Roermond, Den Bosch, Brussels and Antwerp. In 1620 Bolland was sent to study theology at the University of Leuven. Four years later he received holy orders and then became prefect of studies at the Jesuit college of Mechelen. Bolland was ordained in 1625.

In 1630, he was called to Antwerp by the superior of the Flemish province of the Society of Jesus to examine papers left by the hagiographer Heribert Rosweyde who had died shortly before, and report back his opinion as to what it was advisable to do with them. After fourteen years of work, the two volumes for January were printed in Antwerp in 1643. The three volumes for February were released in 1658.

Bolland died in Antwerp, aged 69, in 1665.