Bl. William Joseph Chaminade

William Joseph Chaminade or Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade, now called by his liturgical title of Blessed Chaminade (April 8, 1761 - January 22, 1850), was a French Roman Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution. He founded the Society of Mary, also called the Marianists, in 1817. The Marianist Family's other three branches--the married and single men and women of the Marianist Lay Communities, the consecrated laywomen of the Alliance Mariale, and the nuns known as Daughters of Mary Immaculate--also look to Chaminade as a founder or inspiration. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000, Blessed Chaminade's feast day is celebrated on January 22.