(1849-1929) Jesuit missionary and geologist, native of Pau, France. He served in the Franco-Prussian war, and was sent later to Madagascar to do missionary work. Here he made valuable investigations on the large Madagascar spiders and discovered the silk thread spun by them. He devised a portable contrivance on which to roll the webs of the spider, and the work of spinning and weaving was undertaken by the Ecole ProfessionelIe at Tananarivo.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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