A Breath of Youth at the Bollandists
When I first walked into the Bollandist library some forty years ago, the atmosphere was much as it must have been since the very beginning: that of a sanctuary where only the Bollandists themselves—scholars of advanced years—and perhaps a few chosen initiates were granted access.
Today, a breath of youth has swept through the premises. For a few years now, postgraduate students from universities both in Belgium and abroad have been welcomed here for personalised training; the project to study the copper plates used to print the engravings in the Acta Sanctorum has brought us three young researchers from the Universities of Louvain and Liège.
In the reading room, visitors are greeted by Pietro, our editor-in-chief and a specialist in Byzantine studies, who has just celebrated his thirty-sixth birthday, while our librarian, Lionel, aged thirty-three, is putting the finishing touches to the project of scanning the 500,000 index cards of our library’s old thematic catalogue.
This meeting of youthful energy with the tradition and experience embodied by the Bollandists can only be beneficial to all. New initiatives are already under way…
It is in this atmosphere of youth and hope that we welcome the birth of the Saviour, He whose Spirit makes all things new. Happy Christmas!
Robert Godding, S.J. Director
These glass balls—early 20th-century fire grenades—once served as the Library’s fire extinguishers and still captivate visitors today.
Thanks to a generous benefactor, the Library is now protected by a modern fire and intrusion detection system. Your support is vital to safeguarding this unique institution. Please contact me if you would like to contribute.
Wishing you a Blessed Christmas,
Copper plates scanned
The grant recently awarded by the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) to the project led by the University of Louvain (UCL) and the University of Liège, in partnership with the Société des Bollandistes, has allowed us to begin a detailed study of the 748 copper plates used for the engravings illustrating the volumes of the Acta Sanctorum. A dedicated database will be created for them and will be freely accessible to all. Our expert collaborator has scanned and protected them in non-acid paper. However, 33 of the plates have been identified as requiring urgent restoration.
If you would like to adopt a particular copper plate, please get in touch.
Delights in manuscripts!
Our Manuscripts continue being studied and digitized thanks to your help and they all have something special to reveal: Manuscript 528, for instance, containing 99 pages in parchment was copied around the end of the 15th century perhaps by the Italian lexicographer Ambrogio Calepino’s own hand.
The digitized manuscripts can be studied freely on our website.
Your help is indispensable for accomplishing our projects.
SPECIAL OFFER “CHRISTMAS 2025” -50%
From December 1st to January 31st, 2026, volumes 1 to 96 of our Subsidia hagiographica collection and volumes 1 to 9 of our Tabularium hagiographicum collection can be ordered with a 50% discount.
To place an order:
Visit our website
Choose the desired volumes (the prices listed are the full prices; the 50% discount will be applied to these prices).
Send an email to info@bollandistes.be with your name and address, and the list of desired volumes, referring to the “CHRISTMAS 2025” offer (Do not use our online store for this offer).
You will then receive an invitation to pay the total amount, including VAT and shipping.
Payment can be made through PayPal or bank transfer.