The Customs Book of St. Omers (2019)

eds. Janet Graffius, Joseph Reed, and Stas Callinicos

translator: Daniel Höhr

‘The goal of those young men and boys, who are educated in this family, is different from that of youths educated elsewhere.’

This quote from the Customs Book sums up Giles Schondonch’s vision for St Omers College, which he managed as Rector for sixteen years from 1601. It is a unique document, written in 1617 while Schondonch was on his death-bed. In it, his spiritual philosophy is mingled with adroit, practical observations on education and wise insights into schoolboy behaviour.

As a text it has considerable significance for historians, but it is equally relevant for today’s community of staff and pupils at Stonyhurst College, the direct descendant of St Omers.

The Customs Book of St Omers was produced in 2019 to celebrate the 425^th anniversary of the College since its foundation in Saint-Omer in 1593. It contains selected extracts of from the manuscript, translated from the original Latin.

The book is illustrated with examples of Jesuit emblems, copied from books in the Historic Libraries at Stonyhurst, and includes a removable foldout copy of the 1689 print of St Omers by Guillaume-Lorraine Montbard.

72 pages, 130 x 204mm

Hardback

ISBN 978-0-9553592-7-9