Maurice Maignen
Maurice Maignen, (1822–1890), was a French Social Reformer and a Roman Catholic Religious Brother during the nineteenth century. He was the founder of the Catholic Circle of Montparnasse to prevent future tragedies from happening, like the Paris Commune. Biography Maurice Maignen (Jules-Charles-Maurice Maignen) was born in Paris, on March 3, 1822, to Charles-Desire-Adelaide Maignen and Cecile-Josephine (née Chamigner), before the Revolution. He was baptized at Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois three days later. In 1818, his father, an artist, graduated from Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, before joining the Military House of the King, as a bodyguard. His father returned to painting only after two years of service. Maignen was schooled for only six years. At 15, he started working, to provide for his family because of his father's illness. He started working on the newly formed railroad, Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Saint-Germain, the predecessor to Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest, where he remained until 1843, before becoming a draftsman at the Ministry of War. He found, with Jean-Léon Le Prevost and Clement Myionnet, the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul with the apostolate of education of the youth and evangelisation of the poor