Born in Saint-Briac in Brittany, Henri Le Saux (1910-1973) expressed his desire to become a priest from his adolescence. After studying at the seminary of Rennes, he entered the Benedictine abbey of Sainte-Anne de Kergonan in October 1929 and was ordained a priest in December 1935. Noted for his intellectual qualities, he successively held the positions of librarian and professor of Church history and patristics. But Le Saux was destined for a more exotic task.
He received the call of India at the age of 24 and his dearest wish was to join Jules Monchanin, a diocesan priest from Lyon who had left for India in 1939 with the idea of living India from the inside in order to incarnate Christianity in the ways of life and prayer proper to the cultures of the subcontinent. Despite his superior's refusal to let him leave the monastery, Le Saux remained hopeful and prepared himself for the long-awaited moment by learning Tamil. Finally, he obtained permission to leave for India, where he arrived on August 15, 1948. Little did Le Saux know that a most extraordinary adventure awaited him and, through him, the entire Church.
He received the call of India at the age of 24 and his dearest wish was to join Jules Monchanin, a diocesan priest from Lyon who had left for India in 1939 with the idea of living India from the inside in order to incarnate Christianity in the ways of life and prayer proper to the cultures of the subcontinent. Despite his superior's refusal to let him leave the monastery, Le Saux remained hopeful and prepared himself for the long-awaited moment by learning Tamil. Finally, he obtained permission to leave for India, where he arrived on August 15, 1948. Little did Le Saux know that a most extraordinary adventure awaited him and, through him, the entire Church.
