Community founded by Geert de Groote (1340-1384), a Dutch priest and mystic. After spending several years in solitude, he came forth and began to attack the evils of the clergy. A group of secular priests and lay persons, attached themselves to De Groote and became known as the Brethren of the Common Life. They took no vows, but aimed at the interior life and devoted themselves to education and literature. They transcribed numerous manuscripts and founded free schools at Windesheim (1386) at Deventer, where there were 2,000 students in 1500, and in many places in Germany and the Netherlands. Men like Thomas a Kempis, who wrote a life of De Groote, Pope Adrian VI, and Gabriel Biel, were trained in their schools, which were almost all swept away during the Reformation.
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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