Society of St Peter (Congrégation de Saint-Pierre)
The Society of St Peter, or Congrégation de Saint-Pierre in French, began as the Mission Priests of Saint-Méen, a Roman Catholic missionary group also called the Missionaries of Rennes. It was founded in St-Méen in the Diocese of Rennes by Jean-Marie de La Mennais to care for the diocesan seminary and to undertake missions.
In 1829 Félicité de Lamennais and his followers left La Chênaie with La Mennais to form the Society of St Peter, under the elder community’s supervision. They took simple vows, aiming to defend the faith, educate youth, and preach missions. A house of studies was built at Malestroit near Ploërmel, while La Mennais stayed at La Chênaie writing works for youth and for scholars.
La Mennais had long dreamed of training priests ready for the Church’s needs, a plan he described in 1825. The congregation grew and engaged in seminary work, college direction, missions, and writings, with a strong emphasis on study in theology, philosophy, history, and languages. After Félicité’s departure, leadership moved to Jean-Marie, and laymen were excluded. The group was reorganized in 1837 and, by 1861, had about 200 members in 9 houses, with the mother-house at Rennes.
The institute disappeared after the papal encyclical Singulari Nos and the broader suppression of religious orders in France. Its six-year existence included a variety of experiments and intellectual work, which helped shape the 19th-century Catholic Church and left a legacy of learning and faith.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:00 (CET).