Bellecius, ALOYSIUS, Jesuit ascetic author, b. at Freiburg im Breisgau, February 15, 1704; d. at Augsburg, April 27, 1757. He taught philosophy one year and theology seven, and spent four years as a missionary in South America among the Indians living along the Amazon. Recalled to Europe, he was charged with the spiritual care of his religious brethren and later with the direction of the seminary of Porrentruy in the Diocese of Basle. He is the author of a number of ascetic works in Latin, most of which have been translated into different languages and often reprinted. The most noteworthy of these are: “Christianus pie moriens” (1749); “Virtutis Solid praecipua impedimenta, subsidia, et incitamenta” (1755); “Medulla Asceseos seu Exercitia S. P. Ignatii” (1757); “Triduum Sacrum praecipue Religiosorum usui accomodatum” (1757). English translations of the last three have been made and are still in print. The first, entitled “Solid Virtue“, is translated from the French (London, 1887); the second appeared under the title “Spiritual Exercises according to the method of St. Ignatius”, translated from the Italian version of Father Bresciani, S.J., by William Hutch, D.D. (London, 1876). In this translation Father Bresciani slightly modified some of the opinions of Bellecius which he considered too rigid. The third translation was made by Father John Holzer, S.J., and was published in New York in 1882. It is entitled “Solid Virtue: A Triduum and Spiritual Conferences”. The Triduum is an abridgment of Bellecius’s larger work on “Solid Virtue “—an abridgment made by himself. The three Spiritual Conferences show practically in what solid virtue consists.
S. H. FRISBEE.