Michel Quoist

Michel Quoist (born June 18, 1921 in Le Havre , † December 18, 1997 in Le Havre) was a French priest and author .

Life

His father died early. Michel Quoist had to work for a living at the age of 14. His search for the meaning of life began early on. In this context his personal Christian belief developed. In 1947 he was ordained a priest. In his work as a pastor and author he turned to young people in particular. After completing postgraduate studies at the Institute for Social and Political Science, he developed a survey method as a researcher and practitioner that later became a classic. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the sociological structures of the old town of Rouen . He then returned to Le Havre as vicar and later became parish priest.

plant

As a priest in the post-war period of Catholic action in connection with major religious initiatives, he published a prayer book ( Prières , in German under the title Herr, da bin ich ) in 1954 , which brought him great success: 2,500,000 copies were sold worldwide.

His books are published to this day, and millions of copies have appeared in 27 languages ​​to date. His literary work is particularly well known in Latin America.

One of his well-known thoughts / prayers is the following short text:

As if there were dead!

Lord there are no dead, there are only living, on our earth and in the hereafter.

Lord, there is death, but only for a moment, a moment, a second, a step.

The step from the preliminary to the final.

The step from the temporal to the eternal.